How to Come Up With a Band Name

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Last updated on February 18th, 2022 at 09:55 pm

The journey of a music band member usually challenges them with several thought-provoking ordeals throughout their lifespan. However, coming up with a band name has to be one of the toughest among them.

You cannot just open up the dictionary and name the band with the first word your vision encounters (it may give you the best ever band name, though, if you are lucky).

A band name has to tell a story, the story of your band. In this article, we will discuss some ways that address the question, ‘how to come up with a band name?’ and are applicable for a rock band as well as any other kind of music band.

What Makes a Great Band Name?

The definition of a good band name has changed over the past few decades with the change of platforms on which people listen to music. In today’s music world, a band name has to tick the following boxes in order to be great:

It should be easy to find online
It should be easy to spell
A good music band name is easy to pronounce
And it should not be already in use; ANYwhere in the world.

By ensuring these four criteria, you can make your music band name future-proof and solidify its online presence. Let us now discuss the dos and don’ts of how to come up with a band name that is effective and cool.

AI is not Musical. Yet At Least

Using a music band name generator is not the ideal answer to the question ‘how to come up with a band name?’

Music band name generators are not a cool way to come up with your band name. Ignore the case for Post Malone and Childish Gambino, and you will not find many instances of them working in the bands’ favor. It would have been extremely fortunate for us had they struck gold every time we resorted to them for the task, but they can make you go round in circles for a long time as the AI is still pretty random in nature.

Other than that, it is not a very creative way to come up with a name that is going to stick with you throughout your musical career and beyond.

Get Inspired

A band name is something that reflects the identity of the band

There was a time when you could easily name your band after a song of your favorite music band without there being any consequences for it. However, now it will get you competing in the search results. A simple and cool technique to come up with an original band name is to look through the songs or discography of a band you like and resonate with your niche of music and your ideal audience. Pick out the words that attract you and fuse them together to come up with interesting phrases and titles.

Go through the process with a couple of different bands, and you will be amazed by the results. It is a way of giving the inspiration process a little push instead of waiting for it to come. ‘The chorus ‘your reject all-American’ from the song ‘Green Day – Reject’ is what inspired the band ‘All American Rejects’ to come up with the name for their band.

Make It Fit the Genre

A rock band should have a name that sounds rocking

The name of a music band gives off vibes of what the band is all about and what their music sounds like. It makes an impression and represents your image and sound as a group. ‘Clouds and beyond’ is not a resonating name for a rock band, for example. Originality and uniqueness are good only when they do not diminish your chances of success.

Make Notes

There are several ways to come up with a cool band name

Coming up with the name for your band does not have to be a single-sitting endeavor. Sometimes it is best to give the process some time and let the inspiration strike by itself when it is fully ripe. Whenever you come across an interesting or catchy phrase or word that resonates with your kind of music, make a note of it on your phone. It is a practice that songwriters should be accustomed to anyway.

This allows you to have the stuff to work with later. Believe it; our minds can tend to forget even the most incredible of ideas, so DO make a habit of noting things down. The process is not just an answer to ‘how to come up with a band name?’ but to ‘how to come up with a song title?’ as well.

Check it From Every Angle

When you are feeling tilted towards a band name, it is a good idea to check it from several different aspects before finalizing it. The search volume of the words within the name can give your band’s songs a boost. Some words or phrases sound really cool but are not that catchy to look at or read. Similarly, some words can mean something offensive or politically incorrect in another language.

Another perspective you would want to check the name from is its words without spacing between them. IT scrap, speed of art, and Mp3s Hits become ITscrap, speedofart, and Mp3shits, respectively. You get the gist, right?

Some other things to make sure of while coming up with your music band name include:

There should be a complete consensus between all the band members on the name, and no one should resent or dislike it, or it can nourish the possibility of different kinds of issues or a change of name in the future
Landmarks, locations, and city and street names are often great inspiration sources for band names
It is good to have a backstory that you can tell the world in future interviews for the process of naming your band
Using alliteration, combining different words, and using a portmanteau technique can do the trick.

Make sure the name is not already taken by not just a band but a brand as well.