Good band names are essential for a good first impression. It’s the one thing that will be with your band forever, so it better be good!
In this article, we cover hundreds of band names to help get you started.
Tips for Coming Up with Good Band Names
When brainstorming ideas for a band name, think about:
-Your musical style
-Your influences
-Your personality
-Your look
-Your fan base
-What you want your band to represent
Some other things to keep in mind when coming up with good band names:
-Avoid using inside jokes that only you and your friends will get.
-Don’t be too obscure. You want people to be able to remember your name and associate it with your music.
-Don’t make it too long. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
-Don’t use profanity or offensive language. This will turn off potential fans and limit your opportunities.
-Make sure you do a Google search and check social media to see if your desired name is already taken.
-Get feedback from friends, family, and fellow musicians to see what they think of your proposed names.
Catchy Band Names
If you’re looking for a catchy name for your band, here are some ideas:
The Struts
The 1975
All Time Low
5 Seconds of Summer
Fall Out Boy
Paramore
Twenty One Pilots
Maroon 5
Imagine Dragons
Panic! at the Disco
HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT NAME FOR YOUR BAND
Aesthetic Band Names
If you want something that sounds good and looks good on merch, here are some aesthetic band names for you:
The Lumineers
Lorde
Haim
Beach House
The National
Fleet Foxes
The xx
Death Cab for Cutie
Chvrches
Bon Iver
Best Band Names
Draw inspiration from some of the best band names.
1) The Beatles
2) Led Zeppelin
3) Pink Floyd
4) The Rolling Stones
5) Nirvana
6) Pearl Jam
7) Radiohead
8) Foo Fighters
9) Muse
10) Arcade Fire
11) Queens of the Stone Age
12) The White Stripes
13) Black Keys
14) Red Hot Chili Peppers
15) Kings of Leon
16) The Strokes
17) Vampire Weekend
18) LCD Soundsystem
19) Yeah Yeah Yeahs
20) Tame Impala
Generated Band Names
These band names are auto-generated:
1) Yes, No, Hello
2) Fall In
3) Brother We Are
4) Order Recubed
5) The Skunks
6) Skulduggery
7) Influence
Ideas for Band Names
1) Dazed and Confused
2) The Firm
3) White Tiger
4) Blink-182
5) Taking Back Sunday
6) Thursday
7) The Devil Wears Prada
8) Atreyu
9) A Day to Remember
10) Bring Me the Horizon
11) Pierce the Veil
12) Sleeping with Sirens
13) All Time Low
14) Dashboard Confessional
15) Mayday Parade
16) The Story So Far
17) Yellowcard
18) We Are the In Crowd
19) issues
20) Memphis May Fire
Band Names Ideas
1) Bueno Amigos
2) To the Sun
3) For the Moon
4) Riot Act
5) The Bad Decisions
6) From Here to There
7) Running on Empty
8) Chasing Ghosts
9) The Weight of the World
10) On a Prayer
11) Against the Grain
12) Swimming upstream
13) Climbing the Ladder
14) Staying afloat
15) Pushing Forward
16) Breaking through
17) Making a Name for Yourself
18) Establishing Your Place
19) Gaining Recognition
20) Going places
HOW TO COME UP WITH A GREAT BAND NAME
Good Band Names
1) Greatness
2) Pressure Cooker
3) The Unknown
4) The Underdogs
5) The Unsigned
6) Raw Talent
8) Perseverance
9) Passion
10) Self-Belief
11) Drive
12) Focus
13) Commitment
14) Hard Work
15) Dedication
16) Willpower
17) Resilience
18) Grit
19) Never Giving Up
20) True Potential
Rock Band Names
1) Stone Temple Pilots
2) Creed
3) 3 Doors Down
4) Nickelback
5) Godsmack
6) Seether
7) Puddle of Mudd
8) Breaking Benjamin
9) Shinedown
10) Chevelle
11) Papa Roach
12) Staind
13 )Disturbed
14 )Stereophonics
15 )Oasis
16 )Coldplay
17 )The Killers
18 )Snow Patrol
19 )Kings of Leon
20 )Foo Fighters
Alternative Band Names
1. My Chemical Romance
2. Paramore
3. Fall Out Boy
4. Panic! at the Disco
5. All Time Low
6. Mayday Parade
7. The Maine
8. We Are the In Crowd
9. Yellowcard
10. The Story So Far
11. Taking Back Sunday
12. Motion City Soundtrack
13. Brand New
14. Jimmy Eat World
15. Anberlin
16. Dashboard Confessional
17. Coheed and Cambria
18. Senses Fail
19. The Used
20. Blink-182
Famous Band Names
1) The Beatles
2) Nirvana
3) Radiohead
4) Pink Floyd
5) Led Zeppelin
6) The Rolling Stones
7) U2
8) Arcade Fire
9) The Strokes
10) The Beach Boys
11) The Kinks
12) Kings of Leon
13) Talking Heads
14) Interpol
15) Vampire Weekend
16) Grimes
17) CHVRCHES
18) Fleetwood Mac
19) Yeah Yeah Yeahs
20) Pixies
Bands with Numbers in Them
1) U2
2) Blink-182
3) 3 Doors Down
4) 30 Seconds to Mars
Band Names from the 80s
1) Bon Jovi
2) Guns N’ Roses
3) Def Leppard
4) AC/DC
5) Metallica
6) Iron Maiden
7) Kiss
8) Motley Crue
9) Journey
10) Van Halen
11) Queen
12) Poison
13 )Whitesnake
14 )Dokken
15 )Scorpions
16 )Twisted Sister
17 )Mötley Crüe
18 )Judas Priest
19 )Ratt
20 )Dio
Band Names from the 90s
1) Nirvana
2) Pearl Jam
3) Stone Temple Pilots
4) Soundgarden
5) Alice in Chains
6) Red Hot Chili Peppers
7) Foo Fighters
8) Green Day
9) Bush
10) Blink-182
11 )Rage Against the Machine
12 )NINE INCH NAILS
13 )Tool
14 )A Perfect Circle
15 )Stone Sour
16 )Puscifer
17 )Limp Bizkit
18 )Korn
19 )Deftones
20 )Coal Chamber
21st Century Band Names
1. The Strokes
2. Arcade Fire
3. The White Stripes
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. The Libertines
6. Interpol
7. Vampire Weekend
8. LCD Soundsystem
9. Fleet Foxes
10. Beach House
11. Arcade Fire
12. The National
13. Bon Iver
14. Tame Impala
15. Grimes
16 . CHVRCHES
17 . Lorde
18 . Haim
19 . The xx
20 . Foster the People
Cool Band Names that Aren’t Taken
1) The Clocks
2) The Spades
3) The Hearts
4) The Diamonds
5) Jack of Clubs
6) King of Hearts
7) Ace of Spades
8 )Two of Diamonds
9 )Three of Clubs
10 )Four of Hearts
11 )Five of Spades
12 )Six of Diamonds
13 )Seven of Clubs
14 )Eight of Hearts
15 )Nine of Spades
16 )Ten of Diamonds
17 )Jack of Hearts
18 )Queen of Spades
19 )King of Clubs
20 )Ace of Hearts
Boy Band Names
1) BTS
2) One Direction
3) 5 Seconds of Summer
4) Why Don’t We
5) PRETTYMUCH
6) In Real Life
7) The Vamps
8 )The Wanted
9 )Mindless Behavior
10 )One Call
11 )NKOTB
12 )IM5
13 )Super Junior
14 )Take That
15 )CNCO
16 )Why Don’t We
17 )PRETTMUCH
18 )In Real Life
19 )The Vamps
20 BTOB
Girl Band Names
1) Spice Girls
2) Girls Aloud
3) Little Mix
4) Fifth Harmony
5) All Saints
6) Sugababes
7) Girls’ Generation
8 )Direction
9 )The Pussycat Dolls
10 )TLC
11 )Destiny’s Child
12 )3LW
13 )Danity Kane
14 )Atomic Kitten
15 )SNSD
16 f(x)
17 2NE1
18 Wonder Girls
19 Mamamoo
20 April
Weird Band Names
1) The Beach Boys
2) Nirvana
3) The White Stripes
4) Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5) The Libertines
6) Interpol
7) Vampire Weekend
8 )LCD Soundsystem
9 )Beach House
10 )Tame Impala
11 )Pond
12 )Gorillaz
13 )Modest Mouse
14 )Death Grips
15 )Crystal Castles
16 Grimes
17 Animal Collective
18 Neon Indian
19 Wavves
20 Best Coast
Worst Band Names
1) Nickelback
2) Creed
3) Godsmack
4) Papa Roach
5) Seether
6) Breaking Benjamin
7 )Three Days Grace
8 )Shinedown
9 )Hinder
10 )Staind
11 )Flyleaf
12 )Saliva
13 )Puddle of Mudd
14 )Trapt
15 )12 Stones
16 Crossfade
17 P.O.D.
18 Hoobastank
19 Buckcherry
20 Saliva
Names for Band
If you’re still stuck, here are some general ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:
-Your hometown or region
-A landmark near you
-An inside joke
-A play on words
-An interesting word or phrase in another language
-A pop culture reference
-Your favorite book, movie, or TV show
-A band you love
-An object or animal
Some examples of bands who have used these techniques include:
Arcade Fire, named after a fire that burned down a video store the band’s founders used to frequent.
Radiohead, named after the song “Radio Head” by the band Talking Heads.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, named after a bowl of chili that guitarist Hillel Slovak ate before a show and then promptly threw up on stage.
The Grateful Dead, named after a dictionary entry on the word “grateful.”
So go ahead and get creative- the sky’s the limit!
FAQs – Band Names
What are some tips for coming up with a band name?
Get creative- there are no wrong answers!
Try thinking of something that represents your band’s sound or style, or that has personal meaning to you and your members.
You could also try looking to pop culture or other bands for inspiration.
Should we avoid using profanity in our band name?
That is entirely up to you and your band members.
Some people feel strongly that profanity in a band name is unprofessional, while others believe it adds an edgy flair.
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what you are comfortable with.
Is it better to have a one-word name or a multi-word name?
There is no right answer to this question- it is entirely up to you and your band members.
Some people feel that a one-word name is more powerful or easier to remember, while others believe that a multi-word name can be more descriptive or meaningful.
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what you are comfortable with.
My bandmates and I can’t agree on a name. What should we do?
If you and your bandmates are having trouble agreeing on a name, try using a voting system to narrow down the options.
You could also try brainstorming other options that incorporate elements from each of your favorite ideas.
Ultimately, the most important thing is that you and your bandmates are comfortable with the name you choose.
What if we change our mind after we’ve already picked a name?
If you change your mind about your band’s name after you’ve already chosen one, don’t worry!
It is not uncommon for bands to change their names, and there is no shame in doing so.
Simply pick a new name that you and your bandmates are happy with, and start using it going forward.
Good luck, and have fun!
Conclusion – Band Names
Your band name is an important part of your identity as a musician, so it’s important to choose something that you and your bandmates are happy with.
Don’t be afraid to get creative- there are no wrong answers!
If you’re having trouble agreeing on a name, try brainstorming other options that incorporate elements from each of your favorite ideas.
And if you change your mind down the road, don’t worry- it’s not uncommon for bands to change their names.
Simply pick a new name that you and your bandmates are happy with, and start using it going forward.
Good luck, and have fun!