491+ Band Names (BEST & Cool Naming Ideas)

Tom Derbyshire

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If you are starting a band or considering it, you’re going to need to think of a great name that will fit your band and make it stand out.

Of course, the genre of music makes a massive difference to what you should call your band.

Some of the top band names include things like Epicenter, The Badlands, Goldmine, Chocolate Bunnies From Hell, and more.

Best Band Name Ideas

The best names for a band will vary depending on what you want your audience to think about you, but here are a few top choices you might want to use.

Think about how well the band name will fit on merchandise, as well as how it will look.

  1. Figure Out
  2. Naughty Nevada
  3. Burden of Proof
  4. Better Shot
  5. Fallen Flame
  6. Vermillion – simple, memorable, and descriptive, this is a great name
  7. Epicenter
  8. Meat Puppets
  9. Crimson Crypt
  10. Front Seven
  11. Soul Fun
  12. Dead Hands
  13. Stumble
  14. Giant Palms
  15. Slug Go
  16. Replacements
  17. Loophole
  18. The Badlands
  19. Second Hour
  20. Engine Creep
  21. Half a Percent
  22. Plasmatic
  23. Poetry Falling
  24. Wicked Lollipops – funny, cute, and intriguing, this would work for many band genre

Good Band Names

If none of those ones quite suit what you’re looking for, there are plenty of other great names. Consider things like:

  1. Midnight Buzz
  2. The Wolves of Yesterday
  3. Red Challenge
  4. Cyber Patriots
  5. Breaking News
  6. Justice is Served
  7. Top of the Hour
  8. Awesome Angels
  9. Strawberry Lumps – this is quirky and cute
  10. New Rule
  11. Payroll
  12. Intrepid
  13. Oxymoron
  14. Scarlet Oblivion
  15. Part Time
  16. If And When
  17. Vortex
  18. Skinny Bundle
  19. 3 Day Rain
  20. Rug Cutter
  21. Bullish Change
  22. Darwin’s Best – do you want to imply you’re the best that evolution has to offer? This is a clever name to do so!
  23. Sideline
  24. Goldmine

Cute Band Names

If you want your band to sound cute, you might want to try including an animal, as this is often an effective strategy.

While a lot of bad-boy bands focus on rats and other undesirable animals, there are plenty of cute options you can tap into too.

  1. Monkey Business
  2. Cool Capybaras
  3. The Red Turtle
  4. Green Beetles
  5. The Stick Insects
  6. The Kittens
  7. dog Day Dawn
  8. Buttercup Kisses
  9. White Lace Hearts – this is pure and pretty
  10. Cupcake Dreams
  11. Banana Gator
  12. Sweet Stars
  13. Lullaby Flutterfly
  14. Strawberry Mushroom
  15. The Teddy Bears’ Picnic
  16. Pine Tree
  17. Candy Cane Clique
  18. Spells Falling
  19. Green Gems
  20. Squirrel Darts
  21. Castles in the Clouds
  22. Lucky Cinders
  23. The Pink Puppies
  24. Angels and Apples
  25. Rowan Tree Avenue

Funny Band Names

Some people want a name that will make the audience laugh every time it is announced. The key to a successful band name is that it’s memorable, and funny names often are!

  1. Chocolate Teapot – this is a traditionally useless name that is bound to make your listeners smile!
  2. The Dead Plants
  3. Black Moth Super Rainbow
  4. Concrete Octopus
  5. Afraid Of Figs
  6. Baloney Pony
  7. Concrete Grass
  8. Beatnik Termites
  9. Dracula’s Milk Teeth – weird, funny, and unusual, this is great for a band
  10. Angry Salad
  11. Curl Up And Die
  12. Chocolate Bunnies From Hell
  13. Ball Point Banana
  14. A Band Named Bob
  15. Chia Pet
  16. Crazy Taco Cafeteria
  17. The Alien Puppets
  18. A Box of Fish with Tartar Sauce
  19. The Dairy Queens
  20. Box Spring Bongo
  21. Fabulous Amputators
  22. The Arrogant Worms
  23. Big Dead Fish
  24. Dirt Clod Fight
  25. The Band Formerly Known As Piglet
  26. Armed and Hammered
  27. BBQ Platypus
  28. Unhappy Mushroom
  29. Inflatable Dates
  30. Rolling Donut
  31. Hamster Sandwich
  32. Halo of Flies
  33. Individual Fruit Pie
  34. The Most Sordid Pies
  35. Mr. T-Rex
  36. Iron Liver
  37. Men Among Poodles
  38. Waffles Against Apples – food items often make entertaining band monikers, and this creates a highly entertaining image

Unique Names For A Band

Having a unique name for your band is really important. Nobody wants their band to be confused with others that might be similar – so how can you make yours stand out?

  1. Misplaced
  2. South Street Irregulars
  3. Benevolent Dreamers
  4. Aerobarn
  5. Screamer
  6. Broadway Fevers
  7. Going Minnesota
  8. Isley Brothers
  9. Uncertain Outcome
  10. Fact Of The Matter
  11. Customer Service
  12. Red Alert
  13. Astro cat
  14. Ready Made Success
  15. Humble Love
  16. Data Market
  17. Million Dollar Daze – the alliteration makes this a great name that will stick in your fans’ heads!
  18. Bonesaw
  19. Run First Wonders
  20. Paddling Start
  21. Savage Groove
  22. Blood In The Water
  23. Dubious Devils
  24. Right Most Of The Time
  25. Road to Nowhere
  26. American Grit
  27. Incendiary

Cool Band Name Ideas

What about some particularly cool name ideas? If you want your band to sound on-point and part of the action, consider some of these options.

  1. Decades of Experience
  2. Incite
  3. Crazy Daze
  4. High Frequency
  5. No Explanation
  6. Monarch
  7. Random Sass – sass is often the best way to be cool, so why not stick it in your band name?
  8. Red Square
  9. Lucid Angels
  10. Ratoon
  11. Incredibly Upset
  12. 1-800-Wicked
  13. Moxie
  14. Dreamers Three
  15. Eastern Sons
  16. Fight or Kill
  17. Galapagos
  18. Techno Drone – it’s hard to say what makes something cool, but there’s no doubt that drones tick the box!
  19. True Taffy
  20. Bounceback
  21. Wise Yanks
  22. Low Level
  23. One Party
  24. The Other Fish
  25. Justified
  26. Clockwork
  27. Old English
  28. Red Bison
  29. Way of the Pole
  30. Mix Princess
  31. New York Nomads

Badass Names For A Band

What about names that sound totally badass, that the crowd will love screaming as you step onto the stage?

  1. Wounded Robot
  2. Roar
  3. Thrill Ride
  4. Ice Age
  5. The Curve
  6. Laces Out
  7. Bleeding Stone
  8. Smart Aces
  9. Corruption Crackdown
  10. Fang Domination
  11. Fractured
  12. Unlucky!

Rock Band Name Ideas

Rock bands need particularly striking names. Think about the lyrics you usually use in your songs, and decide whether these could inspire a great name!

  1. Velvet Concord
  2. Zombie Hoax
  3. Elaborate Constellations
  4. Stage Revolution
  5. Ecstasy
  6. Tokyo Lights
  7. Boys of Creation
  8. Titan Walk – this is a powerful name for a rock band
  9. Afternoon Daydream
  10. Double Helix
  11. Lies and Lullabies
  12. Greatest Day
  13. Kinetic Street
  14. Ghost Town
  15. Pretty Ugly
  16. Perpetual Sorrow
  17. Armageddon Day
  18. Turning Jane
  19. Ultraviolet
  20. Hero of Refusal

Alternative Rock Band Name Ideas

What about if you’re forming an alternative rock band? You might be wondering how to set your band apart from the other popular music groups out there.

  1. Big Science
  2. Only Fools
  3. Batman’s Cousin
  4. Big Asteroids
  5. Black Wax
  6. Real Life is No Life
  7. Flumes
  8. Dreamdances
  9. Marino
  10. Day Breakers
  11. Bellion
  12. Cantalope
  13. Onslaught
  14. The Left Hand
  15. Destination Ecstacy
  16. Disharmonica
  17. Circus Fire
  18. Frankenstoner
  19. Danger Diabolik
  20. Crawl from the Wreckage

Metal Band Name Ideas

A metal band needs a fantastic name to suit the intense, virtuosic music that this genre is known for!

  1. Rivals of Tomorrow
  2. Throne Crusher
  3. Attica
  4. Overdose
  5. Rage Nation
  6. Life Souls
  7. Jupiter Moon
  8. Phantom
  9. Agents of Insanity
  10. Drumstick Junkies
  11. Ash of the Kings
  12. Inside the Dying Warrior – what could be more metal than this image?
  13. The Cold God
  14. Silver Bullet
  15. Radical Ideas

Name Ideas For A Goth Band

Gothic bands need to think carefully about their aesthetic, and if you are part of a goth band, choosing a great name is critical.

What are the best images out there to reflect your band?

  1. Sixteenth Empty Door
  2. Our Frozen Bones
  3. Arcane Pretence
  4. In the Empty Howl
  5. This Bitter Wasteland
  6. This Spider Club
  7. Resist the Arcane Sigil
  8. The Empty Church
  9. Spoken Tale
  10. The Mourned Curse
  11. Empty Echoes
  12. Velvet Illusion
  13. First Bitter Sign
  14. Darkest Den
  15. Turn Back The Stars
  16. Our Fallen Heart

Name Ideas For A Country Band

A country band also needs a great name to represent the genre. It should be fun, memorable, and unique – so here are some top ideas!

  1. Ole Fiddler
  2. Candy Corn
  3. Better Than Us
  4. Crimson Carnation
  5. Equilibrium
  6. Just Beautiful
  7. Knight’s Darkness
  8. Sons of a Sinner
  9. Small Town Heroes
  10. Montana Sunrise
  11. Bootleggers
  12. Dirt Circles
  13. Big Fish
  14. Mustang Dreams
  15. Two Bit horse
  16. The Good Ones
  17. Hometown Halls
  18. Tennesse Dreamin’
  19. The Whiskey River Rats
  20. Cowgirl Revolution
  21. Crickets and Crawdads

Indie Band Name Ideas

A lot of Indie bands are popping up these days, but it can be really challenging to find a good name for your band. Here are a few excellent choices!

  1. Electric Colors
  2. Lighthouses
  3. Rusty Trinkets
  4. The Succulents – succulents are immensely popular right now, so why not use that imagery?
  5. Woodsmoke
  6. The Tumbleweeds
  7. Pamplemousse
  8. The Variables
  9. Zodiac Groove
  10. Dark Matter
  11. Imminent Release
  12. A Pumpkin Looming
  13. The Hunter and His Arrow
  14. Giving Sunday
  15. The Finders
  16. The Haunting
  17. Plant Matter
  18. The Monsteras
  19. Coffee Stain
  20. Brewing Backs

Pop Band Name Ideas

A pop band should have a fun, funky name that will get your fans excited to see it. Let’s look at a few top favorites to consider!

  1. Secret Keepers
  2. Bubblicious
  3. Sour Candy
  4. Dreamers Beamers
  5. Pipettes
  6. Pink Slip
  7. Golden Butterfly
  8. Crystal Code – cute and alliterative, this should be easy to remember
  9. Matriarchy
  10. Flower Pot
  11. Eden’s Crush
  12. Elemental
  13. The Killed Magic
  14. Uncanny Paradigm
  15. Faster Faster
  16. Over Top
  17. Tornado Discharge
  18. Later Daze
  19. Ashen Eyes
  20. Frisky Bears
  21. Double Move
  22. Laser Date
  23. Fair Worry
  24. Structural Remedy
  25. Earthbound
  26. Type 2
  27. Subtle Notions
  28. Rich Penny
  29. Soft Skin
  30. 2 Much Fun

Pop Punk Band Name Ideas

With a genre like pop punk, it can be particularly tricky to figure out what you’re going to call the band – but here are a few solid choices to consider.

  1. Popunkers
  2. My Friends Are My Friends
  3. My Sophomore Year
  4. Evasive Maneuvers
  5. Gotham City Police Department – If you love Batman imagery, this would make a great name!
  6. Pizza Platoon
  7. Minor Inconvenience
  8. Small Town Heroes
  9. Silver Spoon
  10. Fall in Line
  11. The Sleep Overs
  12. Burritos and Best Friends
  13. How to Live
  14. Tonight We Dance
  15. Trophy Case Kids
  16. Black Tie Optional
  17. Left to Riot
  18. Not to be Consumed
  19. Fact or Fiction – Personally this was my personal favorite idea growing up. If you become famous please give me a shout-out! To go with it here’s a track name that you may also like “Another Prediction”. It rhymes with the band’s moniker!

Punk Band Name Ideas

A punk rock band also needs an amazing name, but it’s a popular genre and it can be pretty challenging to find one!

Here are some ideas to help you out.

  1. Lawn Flamingos
  2. Suddenly Found
  3. Amusing Pattern
  4. Mutiny of Myth
  5. Drilled Spikes
  6. Abacus
  7. Basement Gig
  8. London Jackets
  9. Expired Days
  10. Iron or Steel
  11. Bad Decisions
  12. Sequence of Grace
  13. Hazard
  14. Sequence of Grace
  15. Rotten Lies
  16. American Thieves
  17. The Cold Wind
  18. Wildly Baron
  19. Rewind

Post-Punk Band Name Ideas

  1. Velvet Shadows
  2. Neon Noir
  3. Concrete Echo
  4. Digital Anarchy
  5. Midnight Circuit
  6. Ashen Reverie
  7. Analog Apocalypse
  8. The Urban Disconnect
  9. Steel Silhouettes
  10. Silent Uproar
  11. Synthetic Rebellion
  12. Static Spectrum
  13. Postmodern Paradox
  14. Bleak Boulevard
  15. Subterranean Sunrise
  16. Fractal Fringe
  17. Obsidian Overture
  18. Darkwave Drifters
  19. Retrograde Resonance
  20. Monochrome Mirage

R;B Band Name Ideas

If you have an R;B band, you probably want a name that is meaningful and deep, but how do you find the right one?

If you can’t immediately think of anything meaningful yourself, check out some of the below ideas for inspiration.

  1. Depressive Alpine
  2. Hypnotic
  3. Dipper Eightball
  4. Smooth Neo Soul
  5. Rainy Day
  6. Faith of the Mill
  7. Failing Stoked
  8. Canary Jungle
  9. Slum Room
  10. Faith of the Mill
  11. Glee Over Unity
  12. Since Vigor
  13. Lower Brew
  14. Through Glazed Consent
  15. Except by Invitation
  16. Hyperactive Face
  17. Meditation Creators
  18. Hyacinth Dreams
  19. Rocky Etchings
  20. Urban Chics

Hip-Hop Band Names

  1. Urban Prophets
  2. Rhythm Raiders
  3. Beat Nomads
  4. Rhyme Syndicate
  5. Groove Gangsters
  6. Sonic Boom Squad
  7. Lyric Legion
  8. Street Scholars
  9. Vibe Visionaries
  10. Word Warriors
  11. Flow Fusion
  12. Rhythm Rebellion
  13. Sonic Sages
  14. Pulse Pioneers
  15. Sound Sovereigns
  16. Echo Emperors
  17. Cadence Cartel
  18. Melody Militia
  19. Harmony Hustlers
  20. Tempo Titans
  21. Resonance Renegades
  22. Beat Barrage
  23. Verse Vandals
  24. Sonic Silhouettes
  25. Rhyme Revolutionaries

Christian Band Name Ideas

Christian bands, perhaps more than any others, need to make sure that their name reflects their ethos and faith.

How do you choose a name that will show this?

  1. Zealous for Jesus
  2. Be the Light
  3. We Are One
  4. The Collective
  5. Always Steadfast
  6. Finding Comfort
  7. Faith Factor
  8. A Place for Truth
  9. Opening Belief
  10. Shelter in the Storm
  11. Regeneration
  12. We Found Hope
  13. Overcomers
  14. We Are Changed
  15. Flock of Believers
  16. Pathfinders
  17. Because of His Love

Jazz Band Name Ideas

  1. Velvet Harmony
  2. Blue Note Breeze
  3. Syncopated Souls
  4. Jazzy Junction
  5. Rhythm Mystics
  6. Brass Mirage
  7. Groove Gentry
  8. Swingin’ Serenades
  9. Bebop Boulevard
  10. Cool cat Collective
  11. Twilight Tones
  12. Crescent City Cadence
  13. Saxophone Sirens
  14. Midnight Marauders
  15. The Jazz Jamboree
  16. Bluesy Beats Brigade
  17. Harmonic Highways
  18. Riff Raff Radiance
  19. The Melodic Mavens
  20. Syncopated City
  21. The Improv Impresarios
  22. Serendipity Swing
  23. The Dixieland Dreamers
  24. The Uptown Umbra
  25. Freestyle Fusion Friends

80s Band Name Ideas

If you’d like your band to have a retro vibe, that’s something you’ll want to convey straight away – so how do you go about doing that? An 80s name is the most important step!

  1. Members Only
  2. Spandex Antics
  3. Bad Hair Night
  4. The Fiesta’s
  5. The Thundercats
  6. Viami Mice
  7. Fill Callings
  8. Rocket Science
  9. Johnny 5
  10. Preppies
  11. Tubular Noids
  12. Maverick Mondo
  13. Bodacious Mr. Brownstone
  14. Chunk Boys
  15. Chill Pills
  16. Wicked Skeezers
  17. Freddy Gnarly
  18. Magnum Mohawks

Famous Band Names

You might also want to check out some of the most famous names ever, so you can compare your potential ideas with bands that have hit the right note in the past.

The best names are often weird and wonderful.

  1. Aerosmith
  2. Def Leppard
  3. Guns N’ Roses
  4. Green Day
  5. Red Hot Chili Peppers
  6. Jonas Brothers
  7. Queen
  8. Rascal Flatts
  9. Led Zepplin
  10. The Rolling Stones
  11. The Monkees
  12. The Police
  13. Smashing Pumpkins
  14. The Beatles
  15. Mumford ; Sons
  16. Nine Inch Nails
  17. Pearl Jam
  18. Pink Floyd
  19. The Velvet Underground
  20. U2
  21. Coldplay
  22. Spice Girls
  23. The Sex Pistols
  24. The Ramones
  25. Pixies
  26. ABBA
  27. The Moody Blues
  28. Metallica
  29. The Eagles

One Word Band Name Ideas

Sometimes, you want a simple, snappy name that’s just one word – that’s all you need to express yourself.

One-word names for a band can be particularly memorable, as long as you choose the word with care!

  1. Macro
  2. Navarro
  3. Showrunner
  4. Soundbite
  5. Zenith
  6. Wonderland
  7. Stitcher
  8. Bumps
  9. Analysis
  10. Obelus
  11. Baxter
  12. Nomad
  13. Obelisk
  14. Decree
  15. Bounceback
  16. Honeydew
  17. Mudslide
  18. Ghost
  19. Secrets
  20. Ironbound
  21. Pulse
  22. Zion
  23. Unmarked

Real Names Of Bands For Inspiration

You might find it helps to see some other real names that have been chosen, so let’s have a look at a list of bands.

Remember, it doesn’t have to belong to a famous band to be a fantastic name!

  1. Blur
  2. Joy Division
  3. The Andrews Sisters
  4. The Clash
  5. Toots and the Maytals
  6. The Weavers
  7. Steely Dan
  8. Sonic Youth
  9. Smashing Pumpkins
  10. Santana
  11. Roxy Music
  12. Rage Against the Machine
  13. Puffy AmiYumi
  14. Poco
  15. The Platters
  16. New Order
  17. OutKast
  18. The Mekons
  19. Ladysmith Black Mambazo
  20. The Kinks
  21. The Judds
  22. Genesis
  23. The Ink Spots
  24. Dire Straits
  25. The Doors
  26. Alice Cooper

Band Naming Tips

So, with all of that material in your back pocket, what are our top tips for naming your band?

The best way to find a great name for a band is to look for something that inspires you, whether that comes from the real world or from a film or another band that you love.

If you’re struggling with this, remember that the famous band All Time Low took their name from the lyrics of a song made by New Found Glory. It comes from “Head on Collision.”

This is a great example of how another song might give you just the image or phrase you need for your band.

The same is true of the band Bring Me the Horizon. This band paraphrased its name from the “bring me that horizon” line in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Your band’s name doesn’t have to come from something very meaningful in your own life. Find a phrase or line that you love, and tweak it to fit exactly what you need.

Remember too that you can change a name even if you want to name your band after one of the members. Bob Dylan, for example, was originally called Robert Allen Zimmerman.

He began using “Dylan” instead, after the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. This is a great example of how you can take inspiration from another artist and create your own persona.

Band name generators may also help if you’re really struggling to come up with a name you like. There are plenty out there to check out!

Spend some time thinking about what your fan base would respond well to, as well as what you yourself love. Are there creatures, images, phrases, or concepts that are particularly associated with your genre and fans?

Once you’ve settled on a name you like, it’s really important to find out if the name is legally available. The last thing you want to do is start building a following with a name, and then find out that another band already owns and uses it.

Always thoroughly check that a name is free, and then protect it once you’ve decided to use it. This might be a boring step, but it’s key to making sure your band retains its identity, especially if you start to get famous!

Conclusion

Hopefully, you found that list helpful and you now know what to call your band! Good luck with the naming process, and remember to think about what kind of music you play so you can determine what word or phrase would best represent your band.

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