Your stage name isn’t just how you’re positioned on Pornhub, it’s your brand identity throughout the adult entertainment industry. Every successful brand begins with a memorable name, and choosing yours is one of the first steps to launching your career in porn. If you’re new to the industry and still deciding on a stage name, check out our guide: How to Get Started in Porn as a Successful Model.
The way you set up your stage name on Pornhub can have a direct and significant impact on your visibility in search results, which in turn affects your Model rank and overall discoverability.
In this case study, we explore how two Models strategically updated their stage names and saw significant growth in their online presence and engagement. This analysis demonstrates the power of a well-chosen stage name and its measurable impact on your performance!
Data & User Search Behavior
Our data team conducted a comprehensive review of user search patterns and discovered clear trends in how fans search for their favorite Models. Notably, users tend to include spaces between words in stage names, rather than searching for compounded names.
Take the following for example:
- Users search for “Ruth Lee” more than “RuthLee.”
Additionally, users rarely use underscores or special characters when searching. For instance:
- Users search for “Sweetie Fox” more often than “Sweetie_Fox,”
- “LeoLulu” is searched for more than “Leo_Lulu.”
What does this tell us?
- These findings indicate that simplicity is crucial.
- Users search for Models using straightforward, non-compounded terms without extra characters.
By aligning your stage name with these user behaviors, you can significantly improve your searchability and ranking on Pornhub and other platforms.
Case #1: Ruth Lee
Ruth Lee’s experience demonstrates the impact of optimizing a stage name to match user search habits.
Previously, Ruth performed under the stage name “ruthlee.” Our team identified an opportunity to add a space to her name, aligning it with how users were searching for her on Pornhub. We shared this insight and suggested the update, which Ruth enthusiastically agreed to try. The results were overwhelmingly positive.
After updating her stage name to include a space on February 7, 2025, Ruth Lee saw a significant boost in discoverability:
- A Model rank of 333. After the change, it rose to 55 in July 2025.
Our team found there were 750% more searches for Ruth Lee’s name with a space, helping her Model rank surge. She now maintains a Top 100 Model rank on Pornhub.
Ruth Lee’s success is further underscored by her industry recognition. She won the Favorite Collab award at the 7th Annual Pornhub Awards and has been featured in the AVN article Joy Ride: Inside the Rapid Rise of Ruth Lee, which highlights her impressive growth and rising stardom within the industry.
These achievements, coupled with her strategic stage name update, demonstrate how even minor changes can have a significant impact on visibility, engagement, and career trajectory. When we asked Ruth Lee about this impact, she said:
“I’ve been putting in the work for a while, and it felt so rewarding to see that effort reflected. My Model rank eventually reached as high as 11 and my subscribers grew nearly 17% in a month, but what really stood out was the community response. I started getting more DMs on Instagram with fans saying, “I just discovered you on Pornhub, can’t believe I hadn’t seen you before, you’re amazing!’’
Freedom (Pornhub’s Content and Community Manager), Ruth Lee, and Sweetie Fox at Venus Berlin 2025.
Further elaborating on her career trajectory, she said, “Being featured in the Trending Models section gave me even more visibility, and it opened real doors. I was contacted by AVN Magazine, interviewed, and became the cover of their June issue. That was such a huge moment for me and helped me connect with my audience on a deeper level.”
“If I had to sum it up,” Ruth said, “I’d say sometimes a small detail can open a world of possibilities. It’s about consistency and not giving up, because the results really do come.”
In Ruth’s case, a minor adjustment to her stage name triggered a positive impact on her Model rank that increased visibility and fan engagement.
To break it down even further, here’s what it means for:
- Pornhub Users: A high-ranked Model is more likely to appear in recommendations and trending sections, making it easier for users to discover fresh, high-quality content and connect with rising stars.
- Talent Agents: High rankings signal a Model’s strong fan engagement and growth potential, making them more attractive for representation, collaborations, and promotional opportunities.
- Production Companies (Studios): Models with high ranks have proven audience appeal and established fanbases, making them valuable partners for content production, brand collaborations, and marketing campaigns. Their popularity can help drive traffic and increase the success of collaborative projects.
Case #2: J Mac
J Mac is a Brazzers contract star, popular Pornstar on Pornhub, and widely recognized for his signature position, The Full Nelson.
On Pornhub, he has 252 uploads and is tagged in 784 videos, amassing over 1.3 billion views. Originally listed as "JMAC" without a space, his stage name was updated to "J Mac" on October 10, 2024..
Following this change, his Model rank saw a dramatic increase, rising from 9,048 on the day of the change to 249 in July 2025.
We asked J Mac if he was surprised to learn people were searching for him with a space after all this time in the industry. He said, “I didn’t put much thought into it until I saw my rank being lower than I expected it to be after 20 years in the biz. I reached out to Pornhub and with their help we figured it was best to link my account to all searches with or without the space. Once I got word that my ranking was going up, I was very happy and have continued to grow since.”
J Mac continues to climb in Model rank each month, illustrating the substantial impact a simple adjustment to a stage name can have on visibility and success.
How to Update your Stage Name on Pornhub
To update your stage name on Pornhub, go to your Core Settings and locate the section for your Stage Name under the Profile Details tab. Enter your new stage name, ensuring it follows the best practices outlined above. Save your changes.
If you are a Professional Model and your stage name is already taken by another user, please contact Model Support for assistance.
Our team uses search data to determine whether changing your stage name would be helpful. In some cases, it’s better to keep your current name and we can validate that. For example, HottiesTwo is a well-known and established couple with a Model account on Pornhub, and people commonly search for them without a space. In this situation, we would advise against adding a space to that name.
To request a stage name review, please contact models@pornhub.com (note: it can take up to 3 days to prepare all the data and provide recommendations tailored to your content and profile).
Tips for Choosing a Stage Name
Our SEO team has provided updated guidelines for selecting an effective stage name in today’s evolving digital landscape. While SEO tricks were once a primary focus, the current environment prioritizes authenticity, memorability, and brand consistency. Here are some key dos and don’ts:
DO:
- Choose a memorable, easy-to-pronounce name that users can recall and search for effortlessly.
- Keep your stage name simple and with strong branding. Your unique personality and content are more important than keyword stuffing.
- Build recognition through consistent branding across all platforms, rather than relying on outdated SEO tactics.
- Conduct thorough searches on Google, Pornhub and other major sites to ensure your chosen name isn’t already in use or too similar to another performer’s, which can cause confusion among fans and industry professionals.
DON’T:
- Include explicit body parts or overly niche terms in your stage name, as these can limit your appeal and searchability.
- Use generic search terms as your name in an attempt to manipulate algorithms (e.g., “big tit milf,” “goth teen,” “real amateur couple”). This approach is no longer effective and can dilute your brand identity.
TL;DR
- Do not use special characters in your stage name.
- Do use straightforward, non-compounded names for searchability and Model ranking.
- Choose memorable, easy names to pronounce.
- Don’t use terms for body parts in your stage name.
We hope this information can help you choose a stage name that best suits your brand and makes it easier for users to discover your content. Want to read more case studies on Model success? Let us know what you want to know more about in the comments!
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