Getting Inspiration for a Unique Name

 


Use a musical reference. One old standby for any musician's name is to make a reference to a musical concept or piece of terminology. Some of the most famous artists of all time have used this well-worn trick (see: The Beatles, The Moody Blues, etc.). Ideally, if you do this, you might want to make reference to musical terms that are likely to be understood by a wide audience — for instance, while almost everyone knows what a "beat" is, not everyone will know what the term "syncopation" means. Below are just a few ideas for the types of words you may want to incorporate into your name:

• Musical terminology (beat, note, tempo, chord, song, symphony, etc.)
• Music genres (rock, disco, techno, etc.)
• Specific songs or bands (for example, Radiohead, Phoenix, and The Rolling Stones are all named after other bands' songs).

 

 Modify your own name. Some musical artists, including DJs, choose to simply use their real name as their stage name. Others, however, modify their name in a way that makes it catchy or memorable. Some even choose to change their name in a way that makes it a pun or play on words — your ability to do this, obviously, depends on what your actual name is.

• For example, M.I.A, the Sri Lankan rapper with international hits like "Paper Planes", uses a name that is a play on her own (Maya), as well as a reference to the abbreviation for the term "Missing in Action".
• Another well known example is Eminem — this name is a reference to the artist's initials (MM, for Marshall Mathers) as well as the phonetic pronunciation of his old stage name (M&M).

 

Include ideas that are important to you. If there are certain things, places, people, or ideas in your life that are extremely important to you, consider referencing them (or just outright including them) in your DJ name. There are a huge range of possible topics to draw from that range from silly to grim — whatever is important to you in life is fair game. Below are just a few ideas of the sorts of things you may want to consider using in your name:

• Religious references (see: Matisyahu)
• Political references (see: Rage Against the Machine)
• Literary references (see: Modest Mouse, As I Lay Dying)
• References to specific people or places (see: Lynyrd Skynyrd)

 
 

Be familiar with the world’s most famous DJs. Sometimes, it's easiest to come up with a good name simply by studying other people's name. However, when you're trying to get inspiration from the names of great DJs, remember that your ultimate goal is to stand out from the pack — not blend into it. Just a few of the most influential DJs and beatmakers ever from the worlds of dance music and hip hop are listed below — there are many, many more:

• DJ Shadow
• Tiesto
• Belleville 3
• A-Trak
• Grandmaster Flash
• Diplo
• Jam Master Jay
• Deadmau5