8 Bands Named After People Not In The Band

Bands like Van Halen, The Alan Parsons Project, Phish, and Santana all are named after members in the band. But what about bands named after people not in the band? Here's a look at eight of them.

1. Pink Floyd

Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. / Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

There’s a record executive in the song “Have A Cigar” that says, “Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?” Thing is, of course, this was the band responding to (and mocking) the often-asked question. But in reality, the name of the band comes from band member Syd Barrett, who took the name of bluesman Pink Anderson and combined it with Floyd Council, another bluesman. So if you’re ever trying to come up with a good name for another successful rock band, you might consider Anderson Council.

2. Lynyrd Skynyrd

Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd. / Scott Harrison/GettyImages

Nope, Mr. Skynyrd never played for the southern rockers. In fact, the band named themselves after their gym teacher and basketball coach, Mr. Leonard Skinner. After Skinner died, one of the surviving members of the rock band had this to say: “Coach Skinner had such a profound impact on our youth that ultimately led us to naming the band, which you know as Lynyrd Skynyrd, after him. Looking back, I cannot imagine it any other way.”

3. Hootie and the Blowfish

Darius Rucker and Mark Bryan of Hootie & the Blowfish. / Rich Fury/GettyImages

While some think that front man Darius Rucker was Hootie and his bandmates were the Blowfish, the truth is that Rucker was both Hootie and the Blowfish. As for the meaning: it came from two of Rucker’s college friends, one who wore glasses that made him look like an owl (Hootie) and another with puffed up cheeks (the Blowfish).

4. Tilly and the Wall

Neely Jenkins and Kianna Alarid of Tilly and the Wall. / Jim Dyson/GettyImages

Nope, there’s no Tilly here. The name comes from a kids’ book, according to an interview with Jamie Pressnall, the band’s resident tap dancer. “It’s actually the title of a children’s book. It’s just about outsiders overcoming obstacles, that kind of story,” she said. “We didn’t even think about the story that much, but it ended up fitting our band really well.”

5. Belle and Sebastian

Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian. / Greetsia Tent/GettyImages

No Belle. No Sebastian here. Just some band mates inspired by Belle & Sébastien, a 1960s novel by Cécile Aubry about a 6-year-old boy named Sébastien and his dog Belle.

6. Freddy Jones Band

Billy Morrison and Steve Jones of the Freddy Jones Band. / Chelsea Lauren/GettyImages

Sorry to disappoint again, but not only is there no Freddy Jones or Jones Freddy in the band, but apparently the band has never definitively revealed the name’s source.

7. Aiden

Will Francis of Aiden. / Jo Hale/GettyImages

This Seattle-based band doesn’t have an Aiden. Instead, the band members named the group after a character in the 2002 film The Ring.

8. Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper on stage. / Cole Bennetts/GettyImages

They were first called the Earwigs, then Nazz, before settling on Alice Cooper. The name is said to have been inspired by their Ouija board, which put them in contact with a spirit named Alice Cooper. When lead singer, Vincent Furnier, went solo, he took the name for himself.