Celebrity / TV

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Contestants With the Best Drag Names

From Farrah Moan to Sharon Needles, to Kim Chi, here are some fan-favorite drag names of former 'RuPaul's Drag Race' contestants.

by Julia Dzurillay

Published on March 6, 2020

3 min read

Trixie Mattel from season 7 and winner of ‘All-Stars 3’

During her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7, Trixie Mattel briefly touched on where both the name “Trixie” and “Mattel” came from. Due to a tumultuous relationship with her step-father, whenever she would dress or act feminine, her step-father would call her “Trixie” as an insult.

When she became a drag performer, Trixie Mattel turned that insult into something beautiful and positive, making it a part of her drag name. Her last name, Mattel, came from her love for Barbie, who often compared the look of her drag persona to.

Since her appearance on season 7 and winning All-Stars 3, Trixie Mattel has since gone on to star in a YouTube series, create award-winning folk albums, and launch a makeup company titled Trixie Cosmetics.

Farrah Moan from season 9 and ‘All-Stars 4’

This adorable and endearing drag performer appeared on two seasons of this Emmy-award winning television show — season 9 and All-Stars 4. She stole a few hearts with her love of pink and turns a few heads with her clever and unique drag name.

“My drag name ‘Farrah’ comes from my 70s idol Farrah Fawcett and ‘Moan’ comes from, well,” Farrah Moan said with a giggle, during her “Meet the Queens” video. The name is also a play on the word “pheromone.”

Sharon Needles performs onstage | Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty Images

Sharon Needles, winner of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 4

This drag performer has a pun for her name that’s pretty easy to figure out, yet still is a favorite drag name amongst fans of this television series. Yes, Sharon Needles is a play on the phrase “sharin’ needles.”

The name matches her persona perfectly, as Sharon Needles is known for her creepy, unique, and oftentimes macabre style of drag. As the winner of season 4, Sharon Needles went on to record her own songs and appear on multiple Drag Race-related YouTube series. (We’re looking at you, the Halloween episode of Alyssa’s Secret.)

Courtney Act from season 6

Making it all the way to the top 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Courtney Act is oftentimes known for her appearances on reality series’ Australian Idol, Celebrity Big Brother, and Dancing with the Stars. She’s appeared in drag for almost every reality show she’s appeared on, some fans calling her an activist and advocate for LGBTQ equality as a result.

During one episode of Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova’s YouTube series, UNHhhh, the drag performer explained that her name is a play on her Australian accent. (Her name is meant to be similar to the phrase “caught in the act.”) Later during the episode, Courtney explains that she had a second drag name that functioned as her alter-ego, named Roxanne Debris (Rocks and Debris.)

Honorable mentions for cool drag names include Kim Chi (who got her name from her love of food and celebration of Asian heritage,) Bob the Drag Queen (who, as Trixie Mattel put it, is basically a man in a wig,) and Jan from season 12. Jan’s name used to be longer, in fact, the name for a backpack. But as she put it during her “Meet the Queens” video, “we’re not going to do that.”