Why Did The Bella Twins Change Their Name?

Nikki and Brie Bella haven't been active wrestlers since Nikki announced her in-ring retirement in 2019, but they participated in the 2022 women's Royal Rumble and didn't officially leave WWE until 2023, officially reverting to their birth names, Nikki and Brie Garcia. In an interview with E! News after leaving the promotion, Brie explained that she and Nikki felt "Bella" no longer served them. 

"It was a time in our lives," Brie said. "You just get to a place in your life where you just sometimes don't feel aligned anymore in what you're doing ... We want to go back to our roots, to our real name. And here we are — the Garcia twins."

Outside of wanting to change their identity, Nikki explained that she and her sister did not own the rights to "Bella," and felt that entering their 40s under the name Garcia was fitting in order to kickoff a new era.

"Brie and I are like, 'You know what? This decade, it's time for the Garcia twins to make history.' And we're in a different time in our lives. So, it's time to have this transformation and do it in another way," she said.

Nikki and Brie began disassociating with WWE short before their departure, airing their frustrations with the company for the lack of female talent featured on the "Raw is XXX" anniversary show in early 2023. This led to both sister removing all references to WWE or The Bella Twins before leaving the company with the intention of using Garcia for all future endeavors. Of course, Nikki returned at the Royal Rumble using the last name "Bella" and is set to be part of WWE's all-women's premium live event Evolution, which will take place next month; some reports claim Brie is set to join her.