“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.”
–From Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
The perfect rap, country, emo, or rock band name is an elusive find. We expect too much, looking for good band name ideas that spontaneously explode, speak volumes about our rock personna, instill awe in those that hear it, and easily translate into memorable URLs. Meanwhile, the list of unused band names grows shorter…as the number of aspiring rock stars sprout about.
GarageSpin has laid out one possible path you can take to discover and own a good name for your band.
1. Think of a Cool Band Name
Ok, easier said than done. Find it within yourself to create the ultimate band name. Or, try a band name idea generator…
Random Band Name Generator Sites:
Leon’s Random Generators – Besides a random band name generator, Leon includes random generators for song lyrics, chord progressions, and other amusing nonsense.
Rock’n’Roll Generator – Simple, efficient…and not very helpful. The last run generated the band name “Rump-Shaking Unborn Folksingers”. My band name search continues…
Band Name Maker – This band name generator allows you to insert an optional word into the mix. I tried a run with “GarageSpin” inserted; “Garagespin Tsunami” was the best result. (Or worst?)
2. Conduct a Band Name Search
Conduct a Google band name search for your chosen name, to make sure it hasn’t been taken. Then, check…
Band Name Registry Sites:
ASCAP and BMI – Two performance rights societies with large rosters that collectively cover most active, signed bands, as well as many unsigned acts.
Band Name – This site seems to offer much more than just a band name registry, such as classifieds, newsletters, and digital store functionality.
The Band Register – A band registry, A&R Network, and band name trademark info (band names are trademarked, not copyrighted) are included in this resource.
Check independent music sites as well, such as GarageBand.com and SoundClick.com, Phonolog (a listing of published albums), and don’t stop there. You don’t want to have to change your band’s name after two years of building a fan base for it.
3. Protect Your Band Name
What if your name is being used by another band? Protection and ownership of a band name involve both “territory” (where is the band and its fan base located), and “priority” (who used the band name first?). The question is too large to cover here, so I’ll save the answer for another post. If you’re serious about your band, you will want to eventually trademark your band name.
In any case, band name creation is a blast, even if you have no intention of actually starting a group. Do you have any best/worst band name ideas? Submit them below! (My band’s name is probably going to be DreamSpin…but I’m still trying to figure that out.)
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Cool Band Names
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59 responses to “Cool Band Names”
I always considered band name creation more of a feat of serendipity than a fun pastime. The king, of course, is Dave Barry, who would stop in the middle of a story about, say, the randy behavior of shrooming weasels, and say “(‘Boinking Like Shrooming Weasels’ would be a great name for a band.)”
I feel the same way. Great band names, like nicknames and catchphrases, can’t be forced; they just happened to stick. (When you try to force it, you end up with a name like “N*SYNC” or “DOGFIGHT”. Need I say more?) Most of the time, they don’t make any logical sense, and nobody would want to take the blame for coming up with that. It should also be somewhat self-deprecating, since people who say they are cool invariably aren’t cool. Except that the pendulum may have swung far enough in that direction that people who think they can be cool by acting uncool are now actually uncool…I’m not sure anymore. All I know is that I’m naming my band “The Assmints”, and that’s that.
Crash,
What’s so bad about “DogFight” as a band name? 😉
I agree — there seems to be no gauge for coolness anymore in terms of band names. The classic example, The Beatles, is a fairly lame name, but it didn’t stop them. I only “got” the joke YEARS after I became a Beatles fan.
Misspelling commonly recognized words and incorporating single-letter abbreviations is popular in hip hop and R&B. Maybe a GarageSpin-derived band could be simply GS Zongz.
Or Assmints, as you recommended…
Picking out a name for a band should include a google search. If you pick out a unique name you’re gonna get more hits. If you pick out a cool name like “Black Widows” but it’s just a common word or phrase nobody will be able to find you. So, the Beatles are still trend setters! LOL
~Brin
—
http://bitzofbrin.blogspot.com – Listen to my podcast!
feed://feeds.feedburner.com/BitzOfBrin – Or subscribe to it!
I’ve been in bands with some of the WORST names imaginable that we’re neither cool, self-depricating or funny! Remember the movie Witchfiner General? Well we were Bushfinder General…get it? No, nor did the rest of the world and we were promptly and understandably ignored for the duration of our existence!
Your name is SO important its scary so you’ve gotta get it right first time. However, you’re doing well if you can find one that doesnt sound like a naff cabaret act, a geeky boy band, a poncified, posturing rap act, a 70’s disco outfit or 60’s beat combo.
I’m gonna call my band Sock Monkey for no real reason.
I actually think thats a great name. Snappy and sexy.
Did you like, find bushes? What did you do when you did?
dont be fooled by my email addy name i hate rap..okay…now is twited misery or Mary of the burned better
ummm. well im in a band and we play rock music and were bout to be on tv! and our bands name is called “The Band” yea so cool i play the piano so please email me if you have the time cause i always have spare time!
dammit! i have the best band ever, with the best name ever!! but…. i went on your band name availability, and it was taken!
~ne0
i lyk ham 😀
could you think of a cool band name for us please!
a band name for 4
dear person,
a band is a group of friends or co-workers that simply want to make music because they enjoy it.
A boy-band surprisingly enough, usually dont want a hard rockin’ name like “hard-crap” or somthing – they choose something calm or pretty. This choice would reguarly be used for a girl-band liking .e.g. Blue or Journey South.
A band name is a big affect on weither the particular band will go to the top or be just plain rubbish. Musicians choose a band they sometimes think is funny or different – such as “Echo And The Bunnymen” which my dad is a member of – so i should know a thing or two about band names!
Sometimes its just a name of the singer like “Dido” Then what is a band name all about? Do you REALLY need an actual band name?
sometimes i like to meow
ok i want to post a list of names for my band that are stil in the thinking faze please tell me which one you guys and girlslike? thanks:)
Teen Experience
Teen Taco
Teen Neighborhood
Teen Aftermath and the Realm
J.d: Confession(album name)
Filtered Rock
Malevolent Flame
Def Emotion
terminal emotion
sinister plan
independant five
fragile cause
Juvenile Story Fusion
Tragic Moon
Perfect Story
dawn of the pure five
dark horizon
tiple eclipse
mirror creek?
the micheal renner project
i zink ur names are all cool, i gonna give zthem to my frussian friends. there are many thouzand bands in russia looking for those names, thankz.
Inertia
It is totally metal!
We need a name for an all friend band. We play rock. We have four in our group. We need help. plz plz help us!
25 to life is the life scentence for a murder trial.
Hey, Hannah! A good name for your band would be “The Four Star Band.”
I hope Hannah gets it. Four star is a good rating, and if you guys make it big, you will be four stars!
this thing is so gay you want a good band name here are a few of mine “wheaties box Rejects” and “Blueprints of Something Great” jealous o yea
our new band name is the unforiving yeah man rock on!
The thing that sux for making a name for a band is when you dont want something that just sounds stupid. but everything you think of is just that. Then u look at famous bands and they all had crappy names and they are awesome anyways so just have fun with it i think. Like my band= Scarcasm
ya know what this site sucks you dont even get any sweet-a band names off here. I’m gonna go to a real site oh yeah what now. yeah im leaving now…peace..bye..i love you all my band is named Tuesdays Take Out, Wednsdays Make Out….yeah we have a drummer with a mullet.
My friend Jeremy was right you guys need to have just a lot of band names on the cover….Tuesdays Take Out, Wednsdays Make Out rocks out loud
I have alot of cool band names, but I wanna keep them to myself for now. If you wanna know a few, e-mail me at turk418@bellsouth.net.
Well i am back and Tuesdays Take-Out has officially made their first CD its freaking sweet you need to buy it. I am the lead singer/rythm guitar and i rock Our drummer has bung like 50 chicks since hes been in the band well peace out
Please Help us. Our band needs a name we play rock and we just cant think. We have the youth and Liberal nine
i need a band name we have 9 members and are still growing we play hard rock / easy metal sometimes emo help!!!!
ps. i had a coulpel in mind my personal favorite was back slash but the others didnt agree so do you think u could help us
we thought…..
back slash
9 freinds you shouldnt have 9 more idiots in the world
9 more pounds gained
opion plz or if you dont like those could you please think of one
where desperate!!!
HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOO.!!!! I love Napoleon Dynamite!!!
names are so hard to find
yeah we need a band name Pronto! we played our first Gig and now we don’t know what to call our band. ( it sort of Country and Rock) But hey we sound good all we need is a band name Any Suggestions Email me!
Dude why dont you call your band Pronto???
HOOBASTANK stole my album name!there newest one “Every Man for Himself”! seriously im NOT kidding
i think “Dreams Of Pain” is a cool name
im totally in loooooooooooooooove with the drummer(ibbe)band called FASY.this is a band in maldives.
i think a band name needs to be a bit random like yellow pill or moonfruit or somfin so when your choosen a name think twisted. put words together like purple and dragon to make purple dragon
You can’t be 35340 serious?!?
we’re thinkin bout makin a band…. we play rock and all of our first and/or last names start with a “T” we were thinkin T/Rock with a lightning bolt for the slash.. wudya think? if u have any cool, not stupid ones, email me pronto!!! thanks!!!!!!
Rock on dudes!
TDOG
people! need help here. which one of these names d’you think is/are cool?
1. The Midnight Rockers
2. The Zefyr
3. The Karma Police (i know, i know, its a radiohead song, but radiohead got their name from a song too)
4. The 97
i personally love the first one. what do ya’ll think?
hey i am in a band we played in our school talent show.we are a rock band an we need a kool name.got any suggestions?
he was up im startin a band and i can tell all the bwnd wannabies sumthin:
it iz hard makeing a band name kuz the other members most likely have to agree.
ours iz illusion reality
anuther iz convincing chemestry and the wannabie mack-lol
i like darke horizon thats it
nice sight i got a good name for ya’ll suckers.
Vampyric Addiction
whoo i feel the heat coming from that name(:
people are running out of good names just like they are running out of good songs. think about it, and yes it stands for blow job.
my band needs a name please someone where a punk band and we need a kick A name
So Im in this band and we had this name “For The Good Of The Film” but no one could remember it so we shortend it to “For The Film” and still no one could remember it. we would always get For the WHO???!? so Im thinking were gonna be “Adopt A Robot”
Shorten it to The Film or Robot Obssesions.
heyaa guyss me an mi bst m8s needs a band name wer both singers an we love things like drama n music n dancing please think thanx you x
ruin the year is a great name !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wooooooooooooooooo
ALRIGHT! LISTEN UP! IM IN A BAND CALLED ‘REGRETS AND ROMANCE’ AND YES IT’S COPYRIGHTED. EVEN CHECK WITH THE AMI. FINDING A BAND NAME WHEN U ‘PUSH’ YOURSELF DOES NOT WORK! relaxx. release your inner beauty, forget about finding a name. when u see sumfin catchy, take it! don’t wait! or go through ur iPOD and find a song name and use it.
BAND NAMES FOR U TO USE:
secrets don’t make friends
falling in december
ice cream, i scream
show me cold
mourning in secret
**NOTE** THEY ARE EMO NAMES!
GLAD I COULD HELP!
urs truly, joe
hey, its me again, JOE 🙂
if you guys need ne names for watso-ever band, i will be glad to help! i am 16, heres my e-mail:
my_stichface_sorrow@hotmail.com
just send me an email or sumfin. and i WILL REPLY!.
PUNK BAND NAMES FOR U:
An Old Begining
White Widow
When Destiny Falls
Sweet Sensations
Bottom of My Heart (emo)
CHEERS!
SINCERELY, JOE!
okay… first off i know that a band name is important, but i don’t think midnight rockers is that great of a name… it’s too plain… kinda boring… something like death confession… or falling out… or the year… or coalfire… i’ve had a bunch of awesome band names… i’ll tell you some of my old ones… dissidence is a really good one… stonecreed isn’t bad… from glory isn’t bad… stuff like that… that’s the kinda stuff i use
welcome distraction definetly
dude give me a sweet band name!
yo guts nam ur band the stars if pain its a wicked name thought of
yo guys i meant to say name your band
The Stars Of Pain!!
itrs sound and looks sweat witha logo
Hey all,
Have been in a U2 tribute band now for about 1.5 years and we need a new band name as we have found that there exists another U2 tribute band that has the same name …… who can come up with the best band name for us? 🙂
Names that are off-limits are “Achtung Baby”, “2U”, “Under a Blood Red Sky”, “Elevation”, “2U2”, “Desire”, “Feedback”, “Kite”, “Mysterious Way”, “October”, “One”, “Pride”, “Rattle and Hum”, “The Joshua Tree”, “Zoo Station”
hey y’all i really need help thinkin of a band name my band iz gonna have 5 members 4 gurlz n 1 boy we really need help thinkin of a name that sounds kinda hip-hop n R&B or pop like so if ne of u guys culd give me a couple of good and creative names that would rock (we will remeber 2 thank u when we r famous) lolz thanx
hey pplz i need help i am startin a band n we r havin a lil’ trouble thinkin of a name we have 5 members and hope 2 become a pop type band so if ya could think of some good name that would rock!!!
peace out xo~kc~xo