How These Bands Came Up With Their Names

Band Name Etymology

One of the first questions any new band asks themselves is "what should we be called?" The band name is a very important part of being in a music group and picking that name isn't always easy. So, how did some of the band names that we all know and love come about? You might be surprised...

The Beatles

As you may imagine, there are multiple stories about how The Beatles got their name. As one story goes, the name was suggested by Stuart Sutcliffe as a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. It has also been reported that the name came from the Marlon Brando film, The Wild Ones, in which the rival motorcycle gang is called the Beetles.

Wikimedia Commons, Picryl

Radiohead

They were calling themselves On a Friday, but after signing with Parlophone records, they were told to change their name. They chose Radiohead, after the Talking Heads song "Radio Head"—which they called the "least annoying song" on the True Stories album.

Kenny Sun, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons 

Bee Gees

While many assume the name comes from the "B" and "G" initials of the Brothers Gibb, the BGs it’s referencing are band member Barry Gibb, radio DJ Bill Gates, and speedway driver Bill Goode.

Atco Records, Wikimedia Commons

3 Doors Down

We wish we could tell you that drummer/vocalist Brad Arnold, bassist Todd Harrell, and guitarist Matt Roberts lived three doors down from each other when they started the band, but the group's moniker isn't that obvious. It is pretty simple though. As a new group, they were touring around when, driving through Foley, Alabama, they saw a sign on a building that read "Doors Down" (there were a bunch of letters that had fallen off). Given that they were three in the band they came up with 3 Doors Down.

Justin Allen Hundsnurscher, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The 1975

Lead singer Matthew Healy was reading an old Beatnik art journal one day when he saw a date written like this: "June 1st, the 1975". Using the "the" in the date seemed odd, but it intrigued him to the point he thought it would make a good name for his band.

Jasminewallis24, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

ABBA

Sure, we all know that the name is an acronym for the first names of the band members: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. However, did you ever wonder why it's written in all CAPS like that? Well, that's because when they came up with the name, there was already a canned fish company using the name Abba. They asked, and were given permission, to use ABBA.

Fernando Pereira/Nationaal Archief, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ramones

It might seem obvious that the band got its name from the surname of the members: Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone, and Tommy Ramone. But those aren't their real names. The guys each took on a Ramone pseudonym after coming up with the band name—a name they chose because "Paul Ramone" was the alias Paul McCartney used to use when booking hotel rooms.

Danny Fields, Wikimedia Commons

Smashing Pumpkins

Be careful what you joke about. Years before Smashing Pumpkins was a band, Billy Corgan used to use that name as a joke when people would ask him if he was in a band. Well, the joke stuck after the band got together. Although, it is said that his bandmates weren't as fond of the name.

Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Rolling Stones

Not the Dylan song or the magazine (which obviously wouldn't make sense in an historic timeline either)—The Rolling Stones named themselves after the Muddy Waters song, "Rollin' Stone".

Jim Pietryga, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

AC/DC

It was actually Malcolm and Angus Young's sister who came up with the name. Having seen the AC/DC written on an electric sewing machine she said, "why not AC/DC".

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Queen

Before Freddie Mercury joined the band, they were called Smile. But after Mercury arrived, he came up with the name Queen. He would later say, "Years ago, I thought up the name 'Queen' ... It's just a name, but it's very regal obviously, and it sounds splendid ... It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations. I was certainly aware of gay connotations, but that was just one face of it".

Koh Hasebe, Wikimedia Commons

The Lemonheads

If you assumed the band was named after the Lemonhead candy...you're right.

Brad, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ace Of Base

When the band first started, they were recording in a studio in the basement of an automobile repair shop. Feeling like they were the "masters" of said studio, they derived their name Ace of Base from "Masters of the Basement".

CrushNush, Wikimedia Commons

The Black Keys

When they were growing up, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney used to get calls at their homes from a schizophrenic man who would ask for crayons, Diet Coke, and cigarettes. The man would always end the calls by saying, "...don't be a black key. Don't be a b-flat". Hence, The Black Keys.

Richard Abrahamson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Air Supply

Founding member of the group Graham Russell saw the name in a dream half a decade before the soft-rock duo were signed to a record contract.

Mkp20000, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Alexisonfire

The band named themselves after adult actress and worker at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch, Alexis Fire. Needless to say, she wasn't pleased and there was almost a lawsuit filed.

Andreas Lawen, Fotandi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The All-American Rejects

Two of the suggestions for band names were "All-Americans" and "The Rejects". They decided to bring 'em together.

Victoria Morse, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Arcade Fire

Win Butler, a co-founder of the band, had been told a story as a kid about an arcade that burnt down, and that the lives of many youths had been lost in the fire.

tammylo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lynyrd Skynyrd

The band's name is an original spelling of the name Leonard Skinner–a gym teacher at the guys' high school who was known for his strict enforcement of the boys-can't-have-long-hair policy at the school.

Andrew King, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bachman–Turner Overdrive

The Canadian rock band was formed by Randy Bachman, Robbie Bachman, Tim Bachman, and Fred Turner. So, not hard to see where they got the Bachman–Turner part from. As for "overdrive"—that came from the title of a magazine. The four guys all agreed it sounded cooler than just Bachman–Turner.

Håkan Henriksson, CC BY 3.0,Wikimedia Commons

Backstreet Boys

Formed in Orlando, manager and executive Lou Pearlman put the band together and named them after the city's Backstreet Market outdoor flea market.

Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

NSYNC

Yes, the name does reference the last letter in all of the guy's first names JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. But it has also been said that the band name came following a comment from Timberlake's mother about how "in sync" their voices were.

Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

Blink-182

The band was originally called Blink. But when they learnt that another band had that name, they just added some random numbers to the end of theirs.

Sony Music Entertainment Sweden, Wikimedia Commons

Bon Iver

Turns out the series Northern Exposure inspired at least one band name. Justin Vernon was watching the show and liked how the people would greet each other with, "bon hiver" ("good winter" in French) after the first snowfall. Based on how it sounded, Vernon initially wrote it as "boniverre". He eventually learned the correct spelling but decided to stick with Bon Iver.

danieljordahl, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cansei De Ser Sexy

Did you know that one of this Brazilian rock band's biggest musical influences is Beyoncé? Well, not only does she influence their music, but she influenced their name as well. Cansei de Ser Sexy is Portuguese for, "tired of being sexy"—a quote alleged to have been uttered by Ms Knowles.

Bertrand, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Childish Gambino

While at college, Donald Glover put his name into the online Wu-Tang Clan name generator and, voila: Childish Gambino.

MephistoPuck, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Imagine Dragons

The band name is an anagram for a phrase. What phrase? No one knows except the members of the band.

Danazar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kansas

Nothing fancy here. The band was formed in Topeka, Kansas.

PePzi NL, Wikimedia Commons

KISS

Before KISS, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were in a band called Wicked Lester. When that venture ended, they went looking to form a new group and ended up meeting and joining up with Peter Criss. Criss had been in a previous band called Lips. Which, through word association, led Stanley to say something to the effect of, "What about Kiss?"

Mercury Records, Wikimedia Commons

MGMT

The band's original name was Management. Take out all the vowels and what do you get? MGMT.

Mars3, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mötley Crüe

While playing with an old cover band, Mick Mars heard someone describe the group as a "motley-looking crew". Well, he loved that and kept it in mind as the name of a future band.

De-fexxx666, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Phish

Take drummer Jon Fishman's nickname, "Fish". Then take the sound of a brush on a snare drum, "phshhhh". Portmanteau them together and you got Phish!

Heather Katsoulis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Pixies

Guitarist Joey Santiago picked this one out at random from a dictionary and the band liked it and the definition: "mischievous little elves".

Angie Garrett, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Simply Red

The band's name was Red. But when a venue manager got confused, they told him their name was "Red, simply Red". Oooops! The name got printed on posters as Simply Red and it stuck.

payayita, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Charli XCX

After being discovered on MySpace, Charlotte Emma Aitchison was hired to play at illegal warehouse raves. Needing a stage name, she grabbed her MSN Messenger screen name: Charli XCX.

Anna Hanks, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons