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Pop Culture | Music | 90s

8 True Stories Of How Our Favorite 90s Bands Got Their Name

MTV / Warner Bros

Regardless of what decade you grew up in, music was probably the foundation of your adolescent life. If you up on the latest trends in the 90s, it would be a shock if Destiny's Child and Green Day didn't make a coveted spot on your mix tapes.

But did you ever wonder were these popular groups got their iconic moniker? Well, if you're feeling intrigued, here are eight stories behind how bands got their names.

1. Backstreet Boys

This boy band's name was chosen by their infamous manager, Lou Pearlman, after Orlando's Backstreet Market, where the members used to hang out.

He wanted to create a group similar to the New Kids On The Block, and ironically, the two bands would eventually come together and record their joint album, NKOTBSB.

2. Blink-182

According to UPROXX, Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge, and Travis Barker originally only went by the name BLINK, which stood for "Boys Lusting Incredibly Nude Kids," in a bid to make mainstream media uncomfortable.

However, an Irish techno group went by the moniker "Blink" first, and in an effort to avoid a lawsuit, the band decided to add the number 182.

Why? Well it turns out the number was chosen because Al Pacino said "f*ck" in Scarface 182 times.

3. Boyz II Men

This smooth trio got their name from fellow R &B group, New Edition. On New Edition's 1988 album Heart Break, their final song is called "Boys to Men," and boy is it ever a jam.

4. Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child was a popular girl group where the one and only Beyonce got her start. It turns out the trio got their name straight from the Bible.

"We got the word destiny out of the Bible, but we couldn't trademark the name, so we added child, which is like a rebirth of destiny,” the Grammy Award-winning singer told CBS in 2002.

5. Green Day

Formally called Sweet Children, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong said the band's name was switched to become an ode to marijuana.

He told Time: "I wrote a song called 'Green Day' because I was smoking a lot of dope. Our drummer put Green Day on his jacket and said, 'Maybe we should call the band that.' And I said, 'That's a good idea.'"

6. Nickelback

Unexpectedly, these rock stars got their name from Starbucks. How exactly? Well, when bassist Mike Kroeger worked at the famous coffee chain, he'd often hand over his customers their change by saying, "here's your nickle back." Iconic, really.

7. *NSYNC

While we all knew *NSYNC was an acronym for something, it turns out the meaning is more clever than we thought.

Justin Timberlake's monther came up with the moniker by taking the last letter of each of the original members' first names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. While Jason Galasso was replaced by Lance Bass, the band decided to the initial name, since *NSYEC doesn't have the same ring to it.

"The first time we sang together, she goes, 'Man, you guys sound really in sync,'" Timberlake told Larry King. "And we were like, ding, ding, ding."

8. Weezer

According to Rule Forty Two, lead singer Rivers Cuomo suggested the group call themselves Weezer after a childhood nickname of his. Growing up Cuomo had bad asthma, and was often teased over his breathing problems. While other names were suggested, nothing stuck like their now famous moniker.

Which band's story were you most surprised about?