What’s in a Name?

That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. - William Shakespeare

A great name can be an invaluable tool, especially in your earliest stages, when you need to present the public with as many memorable aspects about your act (besides the music) as possible. But a "bad" or controversial name may not kill you. After all, the past few years have seen massive mainstream success from bands called Barenaked Ladies and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. That being said, there are still a few important things to remember about choosing -- and more importantly, keeping-- a name.

“Great” Names

A great name:

1. Is memorable
2. Is easy to say and spell
3. Lends itself to a cool logo
4. Is unusual

Your name should be in line with the vibe of your act, complementing the sound of your music and the attitude of the band members. When you have a potential name in mind, ask a few friends and trusted advisors what kind of artist they think that name would belong to. If you keep getting answers that are out of line with your act, then perhaps it’s not the appropriate name for you.

Ease of spelling is particularly relevant for Internet applications. If possible, your website address should be the same as the name of your act (assuming that address isn’t taken), and that address should be easy to write and spell in order to ensure that your site users have minimum difficulty finding your site on the web. We deal with Internet-related name concerns in great detail within our section dedicated to the Internet.

While these Websites aren't serious ways to come up with good names, you’ll have fun with these “random name generators":

1. http://www.joescafe.com/bands/bands.cgi

2. http://www.leonatkinson.com/random/index.php/band.html