Making fun of music, one song at a time. Since the year 2000.
Check out the two amIright misheard lyrics books including one book devoted to misheard lyrics of the 1980s.
Names -> Band Name Origins -> I, Page 1
Do you know why a band picked out it's name? Feel free to let us know.
I can't verify all of these stories, so do take them with a grain of salt. I try and delete the ones that I know to be bogus, but I don't know the origins of every band name (and some bands intentionally tell different stories about picking their band name).
Latest Entries
There are 4775 Band Name Origin entries on the site.
Name | Origin | Submitted by: | ||
| I Am David Sparkle | The band's name is a direct literal translation from the name of a famous Malaysian singing legend – M. Daud Kilau. | Sarah J | ||
| I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME | It is a line from Back To The Future. Because this band is pretending to be forgotten tapes from the 80s. | Tessa C | ||
| I Dream | They appear on a TV Reality Show called I Dream. They were originally called S Club Juniors, and then S Club 8. | Shaun | ||
| I Mother Earth | The band name comes from the lyrics to their song Rain Will Fall, which states "four brothers make the mother." There are four members of the band, so together they make I Mother Earth. This lyric also relates to there being four elements of nature - fire, water, earth and air. Together they form Mother Earth. | Ben | ||
| I've Got The Bullets | From Dutch PopInstitute: Dutch band named after James Dean's famous last words in Rebel Without A Cause. | Mike | ||
| I-Sections | The band was formed by architecture students, and named after a type of steel beam. Also because of its similiarity to Bob Marley's backing band the I-Threes, their first song being a reggae song. | Mark T | ||
| Ian Zak Project | Named after lead singer Mike Zak, this Lincoln, Nebraska based band changed the singer's first name to Ian, after Spinal Tap's manager...sounded more British. | Vic Barry | ||
| Ice Nine Kills | Named after the Ice Nine isotope from Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle. It was a deadly weapon of mass destruction, and this post-hardcore band wanted to have the same impact. | Alex | ||
| Iced Earth | Jon Schaffer's childhood friend came up with the name. He died in a motorcycle accident in Indiana. Schaffer changed the name as a tribute to his friend. From the Dark Genesis box-set | TurdFerguson | ||
| Iced Earth | they were originally call褠''purgatory''.The name they now have was picked out by their song named''iced earth'' | ines | ||
| Icehouse | The band originally were named Flowers. Their first album was named Icehouse. They decided to go to America and try and crack the music scene there, but a band over there already had a similar name. So to save money on reprinting records and covers with a new name they just did a reversal. The band was Icehouse and the album was Flowers. | DJ | ||
| Icehouse | They were performing in Australia as the Flowers, when they decided to tour the USA they found that there was a band already with the name Flowers. They had just released an album called Icehouse so they took that name to tour America and decided to keep it. | Jot | ||
| Icehouse | Icehouse were going to name themselves 'flowers' However the name had already been taken and the first song on their first album was called 'Icehouse' and that's where the name came from. | Lisa | ||
| Icehouse | Just a slight correction to Lisa's entry. Icehouse were in fact called The Flowers when the album Icehouse was released. If I remember rightly, they also released a single as The Flowers too. | Kieron | ||
| Icehouse | "Icehouse" is Australian slang for "mental institution." | R.S.K. | ||
| Ides of March | Named after a line in the William Shakespeare play "Julius Caesar", in which a sooth-sayer warns "Beware, the Ides of March". | oldsong | ||
| Idlewild | Named after the airport that later became JFK | me | ||
| Idlewild | Named after the house in L. M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables". | PaintNothing | ||
| Idlewild | Lead singer Roddy was reading "Anne of Green Gables", in which the meeting place is called Idlewild. | Kenn | ||
| Idlewild | The band are named after the meeting place in book 'Anne of the Green Gables', the book Roddy the lead singer was reading at the time he named the band. | bob | ||
| Ikara Colt | OK. well, firstly it is NOT a race horse. The name came out randomly when the band got loads of books out and just picked two random names that sounded good together. It was from two entirely different books. But the books were about missiles, and both 'Ikara' and 'Colt' are guns/missiles. japanese ones. | Kara | ||
| Imagine Dragons | They claim that it's anagram of another name idea they had, which they refuse to reveal | dayna | ||
| Imani Asikari | In Swahili, Imani means Faith and Asikari means Soldier, hence the name Imani Asikari. | andres | ||
| Immature | Derived from the fact that when the R&B trio know as Immature debuted, they were between the ages of 9 and 11. | Tha Immaci flava | ||
| IMX | IMX was originally immature. The resurfaced 10 years later. X is the Roman numeral for Ten. IMX...Immature 10. IMX. | Bird4287 | ||
| IMx | The group originally know as Immature from 1992' - 1998' changed their name to "IMx" to signify the maturity and growth of the group. And that they were no longer little kids, as "IMx" stands for "formerly Immature." | Tha Immaci flava | ||
| Incubus | Greek creature that had sex with women while they slept. | Al Greely | ||
| Incubus | Kinda scary origin. Incubus means one of two things. Either: a: an evil spirt that is said to come in the night to rape sleeping women, or b: an oppressive nightmare. ( i found this info in the dictionary.) | timmy!!! | ||
| Incubus | Well, I've heard that the founding members of Incubus were trying to decide on a band name but they couldn't, so they threw a dictionary at a wall and whatever page it opened to, they would take the coolest word from it. | Christina | ||
| Incubus | Yeah, we (heard of) all that women-sex-stuff, but here's the story behind that: The church in mediaeval times wanted to explain sexual dreams that way so the "victims" didn't have to be punished for sinning. That's it. | The lucky one | ||
| Incubus | The members of the band, while in high school, were looking through a dictionary, hoping to find some weird off-color word or phrase (the pastime of many a bored teenage boy in English class). Incubus means "a daemon that descends on sleeping women and has sex with them". The guys thought it was cool and it stuck. | killer_roach | ||
| Incubus | Actually its the name of a demon that sleeps with virgins while they are sleeping. | Relle | ||
| Incubus | The band chose the name "Incubus" because it's original definition contains the word sex in it. | Natalie | ||
| Incubus | Brandon Boyd actually did refer to his nightly emissions of inspiration like a Succubus coming to extract his soul, and the name just sounded pretty good. | Elle | ||
| Incubus | Yes...the sex with women while they sleep thing is true. To help you understand this, in the south park episode where chef marries a "sucubus", the evil woman that wants to steal chef's soul by making him fall in love with her and then having sex with her,the incubus is the male version of the sucubus. | Mike | ||
| Incubus | Brandon Boyd feels his musical inspiration invades him in his dreams, like an Incubus copulating with its target while she sleeps. | Liam | ||
| Incubus | I read in an interview that it was because before their first show, the announcer asked them what their band name was. They had no idea so Brandon, the lead singer, took a dictionary out and picked a random word. Incubus stuck with them. | Eefs | ||
| Indecisive | They picked it because they couldn't decide a name! So, naturally, they were indecisive! | Erin and Ilana | ||
| Indigo Girls | In searching for a name, Ms. Amy Ray searched the dictionary looking for a word that sounded cool with 'girls'. She stopped at the I's and the rest is folkrock history. | Ms. Deevah | ||
| Indigo Girls | Indigo/purple indicates gay women...remember Lavender Jane? | joe jims | ||
| InDk | It is rumored they got their name because they thought America was in decay. It was just put into letter form, I guess you can say (INDK = In Decay). | punk fiend | ||
| Infinite Lives | this pukka jubbely name came from the east end of london originally, where the boys were hand-reared as chicks by a japenese arcade grandmaster called Pistachio Lives. And he was Infinite. | Jamie Oliver | ||
| Infinite Lives | In an interview I read the now disbanded (I think) Lives were quoting from an NME. Darlings of the music press about a year ago their first release was described as "like all the best music you love when you hear it for the first time - Beatles, Dylan, Wonder, Smiths - vital, life affirming, inspriring and infinite". It was notable because they were nameless before! | Winston Smith | ||
| Information Society | From Alvin Toffler's book "Future Shock." It means a post-industrial society that has moved from manufacturing and agriculture to managing information as its primary economic activity. | Nickster | ||
| The Ink Spots | Well in the 30's-40's There was much controversy about all 'black' bands. All the members of this band were 'black as the ace of spades' While being rebellious they named themselves the Ink Spots, suggesting black in itself | Cam Peckham | ||
| Inker And Hamilton | The band is a duo named for the last names of its two members --- Dave Inker (who is British), and Hilary Hamilton, a New Zealander | D. Melody Dole, MD | ||
| InMe | Simple enough, the band say that 'The Music Comes From Within Me' and they just took the last bit and made it into a name.........this was changed from Drowned........Also there is no sexual innuendo intended, so don't bother........ | Rumpleteazer | ||
| InMe | Joe thought "where does this music come from" and then he came up with InMe...pretty simple huh | Jamie | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | They were originally named Inner City Posse, which was a gang composed of Violent J, Shaggy, Jumpsteady(J's brother), Rude boy, Shaggy's brother John, and a few others. After pressure from rival gangs everyone dropped out and it was left to Violent J, Shaggy, and John. They decided they were going to become real serious rappers, full time. The were first the JJ Boys but this was never really pointed out alot. After, Violent J, Shaggy, and John KickJazz(shaggys brother) started rapping under the name Inner City Posse. But after Dogbeats, there first major(according to them) release,John left the group to live with his girlfriend. Shaggy and J decided to change the name but wanted to keep the initials because they fit. They came up with several ideas until Violent J remembered his dreams about the clown he chased in Delray, so they came up with Insane Clown Posse. | ninja | ||
| insane clown posse | Someone stated it was Violent J's brother. If he was in fact a Juggalo, he would know that it was Shaggy 2 Dopes brother named, Greezy E. Insane Clown Posse was the named they changed to after being the Inner City Posse whos focus was more on Gang Related -gangsta style rapping. | jeremy d | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | this band was originally a little gang of hethens in detroit known as Inner City Posse, then after realizing they were just always gonna get their asses kicked as a gang they decided to just go goofy wicked and keep the ICP logo and call them selves clowns, insane clowns that is | WADE | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | Originally Inner City Posse was the group's name consisting of Shaggy 2 Dope, Violent J and J's brother aka Jumpsteady, Jumpsteady dropped and the duo claim to have been visited by spirits with Joker cards, the name changed also because Inner City Posse was like their would be gang, but after targeting by serious gangs they chose to change it. | JC5150 | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | at first they were inner city posse and then d-lyrical and the misfits dropped and then it was violent j and shaggy 2 dope so they changed they're name to Insane Clown Posse becuz of the visit from the dark carnival and everyone elso dropped like wusses and thats how ICP came to be known | Raven | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | Straight from the book, Behind the Paint.... Violent J (Joe Bruce), Shaggy 2 Dope (Joey Utsler), and Shagg's older brother John formed the Inner City Posse, the name taken from their actual pseudo-gang. But, John was whipped and left for his woman, so Joe and Joey decided to form the Insane Clown Posse. They wanted to keep the initials ICPand felt that the gang name wasn't right for what they wanted to do. They tossed out some various names with their manager Double A.......Ice Cold Pimps, Inner City Players. Then J remembered the dream he had about a clown running around Delray, thus Insane Clown Posse was born. | Juggaleslie | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | A spin off of INNER CITY POSSE, which is a band Shaggy and Violent J used to be in. That band didn't like the evil clown ideas. | Bobo | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | Actually, J and Shaggy were in a gang called Inner City Posse. They eventually were the only ones left in the rap group of the same name. Tired of sounding and acting like every other ap group, they got the name from a dream J had about a carnival with a clown holding 6 jokers cards. | Domino_x | ||
| insane clown posse | The duo was originally called Inner City Posse, but when Violent J claimed that he was visited by the Dark Carnival, they changed their name to Insane Clown Posse because they thought it would help them relay the messages of the Dark Carnival | april | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | They were Inner City Posse, but Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope were visited by the Dark Carnival to deliver the 6 Joker Cards and become clowns (only Juggalos will know this). So they started wearing the makeup, changed the name, and you know the rest of the story. | Sugar Bear's Baby | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | They originally had 3 members, Shaggy 2 Dope, Violent J, and Violent J's brother, they were the Inner City Posse. When J's brother left to pursue another career, they changed their name. | Juggalo | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | Bobo is wrong, yes it is a spinoff of Inner City Posse but they changed the name because they were really trying to be a gang and musicians, they had a small gang called Inner City Posse but they were subject to gang violence and every other member fled Detroit. They changed their name to protect themselves and to regroup. | Adam | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | They were part of a group called Inner City Posse until Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope were visited by the Dark Carnival and were told to deliver 6 messages about the end of the world. So they left their group, and became Insane Clown Posse. | Sugar Bear's Baby | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | orginally called inner city posse shags 2 dope and violent jay from that band where the only ones left after the orginal members left because of a oncoming gang war while in jail 2 dope and jay saw a vision and told them to spread the message about a dark carnival the only better way to do this was to become clowns hence the name insane clown posse | hatchetryda | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | Their first group name was Inner City Posse, which was a gang Violent j and Shaggy 2 dope were involved in when they lived in Detroit. Members kept dropping out of the gang because the true Detroit city gangs were kicking their a**es. When it was down to just 2 members, j and shaggs, they decided to get out of the gang and start a rap duo. they then changed their name to insane clown posse since they often wore clown make up to their shows | Ninja101 | ||
| Insane Clown Posse | Still heavily involved with gang activities, these were turbulent times for the group. Between explosive gang-related conflicts and stints in county jail, ICP was looking for direction in their music. The turning point happened in 1991, when according to band front man, Joseph Bruce, he had a surreal dream about the Dark Carnival and six unique messages in the form of albums.Inspired upon waking, Joe gave Insane Clown Posse its name, and a new and purposeful direction. Band members totally latched onto this, quickly developing their wicked clown alter egos. They began painting their faces like clowns, in a trademark style that would remain unchanged until 2002, with the release of the sixth and final Jokers Card album. | Clown | ||
| Interpol | Some say it has to do with the ordered nature in which the band operates, similar to that of the international police. Before deciding upon the name Interpol, the band considered Las Armas and The French Letters. They also performed a secret show at Luna Lounge in New York under the pseudonym Cuddleworthy. http://www.interpolnyc.com/faq | Sana | ||
| INXS | Three of the band members are brothers (surname "Farris") and their mother worked in banking. "INXS" is a sort of "shorthand" phrase that bankers and tellers use to denote the phrase "in excess". Since another Aussie rocker suggested the name "In Excess" to them the Farris brothers and Hutch, Kirk and Garry Gary gave their new band that name with the abbreviation spelling. I showed one of INXS albums to my banker mom and she knew how to pronounced the band name right away : ) | INXS KIX ASS! | ||
| INXS | The initials were made solely to be pronounce "in excess". They apparently were a hard-partying group. | newave | ||
| INXS | When they got Gary Morris as manager he was always saying he didn't like their name, the Farriss brothers, as it sounded like a country western band. After Gary Morris saw XTC and was talking to Midnight Oil about being inaccessible he was watching an IXL Jam ad then he combined the three together and came up with INXS. | Roadrunner | ||
| Iron Butterfly & Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin & Iron Butterfly: The original Iron Butterfly (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida ) "album insert text" stated that the Iron Butterfly name was to indicate Something heavy in their music (Iron) while reflecting something free and light (butterfly). ANYONE WWITH THAT ALBUM COULD VERIFT THAT. ditto for Led Zeppelin and other 60's band of similar names. Thanks.... | RoJo | ||
| Iron Maiden | "Iron Maiden" was a medival torture where you would stand in a coffin that is standing up-right. The torturing would begin when you would shut the door on the coffin there were spike's on the door, as you apply's pressure you would deal more pain and suffering slowly killing them. Fun ain't it? | Kaio | ||
| Iron maiden | Hey, Bruce Dickensen is from Manor Park, East London, and a avid West Ham fan. They chose the name because West Ham Utd are known as the IRONS (also the hammers) and IRON MAIDEN sounded like a good metal name, incorporating "the Irons". | Geforce | ||
| Iron Maiden | A medievil torture device. People were put in a coffin filled with spikes. | YASMR | ||
| Iron Maiden | Although there was a torturing device kown as the iron maiden, the band's name was more directly taken from the 1939 movie "The Man In The Iron Mask." (Source: alt.rock-n-roll.metal.ironmaiden FAQ) | Bill M. | ||
| Iron Maiden | The iron maiden was a torture device back in the olden days. It was a sarcophagus with spikes on the inside of the door to impale the victim. | weirdo | ||
| Iron Maiden | Steve Harris, the band's bassist, knew of the midevil torture device called the iron maiden, and since he was creating a heavy metal band, he thought the name fit very well. | Justin | ||
| Iron Maiden | An Iron Maiden was a medieval torture device. The kings of NWOBHM picked up the name for their band. | Rocker75 | ||
| Ishtar | Ishtar's real name is Eti Zach. Her grandmother called her Esther, which became Ishtar because of her Egyptian accent. Ishtar is the Persian goddess of love. It means born under a star. | Melinda | ||
| IU (Lee Ji Eun) | Her stage name IU, is derived from "I and You" which symbolizes that we can become one through music. | Robert D. Arndt Jr. | ||
| Iyanden | Iyanden is Papua New Guinean for 'always violent'. It has nothing to do with the Warhammer Tabletop game | Oxxi |
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.
Submissions
Got something that should be added to this page? Check out the submission form.