Liv Morgan Reveals How Close WWE Came to Naming Her Oprah

Liv Morgan’s WWE name almost turned out very different—so much so that “Liv Morgan” wasn’t even her choice.

In her appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast, Liv pulled back the curtain on her chaotic NXT naming process, revealing that the name fans now know her by wasn’t even her choice.

Stephanie opened the conversation by asking about Liv’s original name ideas, as she said, “What was the original WWE name you wanted to go with?” Liv instantly teased that things were more complicated than just picking a name and having it approved, saying, “There’s lore behind it.”

Stephanie then shared her own behind-the-scenes memory of Liv’s early days, specifically recalling a conversation with Triple H about Liv Morgan’s unique pitch to be named Oprah.

“Me and Paul would talk about you. He’d go, ‘You should hear what she wants to call herself.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ He goes, ‘Oprah.’ I’m like, ‘Oprah? Why?’”

That surprising name choice wasn’t exactly Liv’s top pick. Instead, she explained how WWE’s naming process required her to submit lists of possible ring names—and none of her first or second options were accepted. After more rejections, Liv admitted she was running out of ideas. Out of frustration, she added something ridiculous to the bottom of her third list.

“You go into NXT and they ask what you want to be called. You write a list of names, and they liked none of them. I really wanted to not have a proper name—I didn’t want it to sound like a government name. I wanted it to be Illy Millie. So I give a second list and they say no. I give a third list, and at the bottom I’m like, ‘Any of these will do, or I’ll settle for Oprah.’ For some reason, the Oprah thing stuck, and no one ever let me live it down. Sometimes they’ll see me and they’re like, ‘Oprah!’”

But the biggest twist? Liv never got to choose Liv Morgan either. She explained that she initially disliked part of the name but eventually came around to it. And now? She couldn’t imagine going by anything else.

“All that, and I still never actually picked my name. I never picked Liv Morgan. I remember not liking Morgan, but Liv was kind of punny. I didn’t like it at first, but it grew on me. I couldn’t imagine having a different name now.”

From Illy Millie to Oprah to Liv Morgan, it’s safe to say her identity in WWE could’ve gone in a very different direction, but fans are glad Liv Morgan is the name that’s become a global sensation.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.