This article was published on September 3rd, 2019
In the drag world, a name is everything! Drag queens are taking the world by storm. From hit movies to television to music to RuPaul’s Drag Race to your local campy legend drag queen at your neighborhood watering hole. Ever stop and think about some of he funny AF drag names some of these ladies come up with? Freida Wales, Monet Xchange, Mimi Imfirst are all silly fun drag queen names that really nail getting people to laugh upon first mention. With regard to the drag queen name selection game, the tea needs to be spilled and questions need answering!
How do these bitches come up with their drag name and is there a process behind it? The answer is: selecting a drag name is different, unique story for all drag performers. Either a drag queen can pick her own name that reflect their persona, or their drag queen name could be given to them by a drag mother, friend, relative, or other important person in their life. It could also be as simple as the silly game people do to come up with their unofficial porn star names. The street you grew up on and your pet’s name might be a cute combination, but a drag name needs a bit more fortitude.
If you have a drag mother, she can help aid in your quest for a good stag name. Many very famous queens have adopted one another, and often the one in the more “student” roll will take on the last name of their drag mother as their own. This has created what some call a few houses of [drag last name] and their drag babies, and can include fellow drag sisters of the pair. Sometimes an artist will just accidentally stumble upon their drag name from something they heard or read.
But when does one actually acquire an official drag name? Before you perform or when you’re figuring out your persona? Most of the time, drag personas are created before a premiere performance or showcasing of some kind. But in other cases, a drag name is adopted on the spot, day of. Some spend years developing a character, name, and drag identity. For others, theirs game more organically.
Can a queen change their drag name later? For some, a name is a brand that the artist could never fathom changing to something different because they would essentially be starting over trying to recreate a public persona with a media following. It isn’t unheard of, however, for artists to adopt new names or change a part of their previous name, and become the “kween formerly known as”.
If choosing a drag queen name on your own, think about the character you want to create with your drag identity and what they are going to be like. Having a name that is easily associated with either comedy, a play on words, or something very common has helped numerous drag queens become household names. There’s no need to be deeply profound with choosing a drag name. The more cheeky, the better. Having a name that slays anyone who hears it before they even meet you is always a good thing. Keep that in mind: make it memorable, sweetie!
What’s in a drag queen name? Turns out, the task of choosing one isn’t so much fun and games as it is a lot of work into making sure drag queens have as extra a name as possible…and one you won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
