Someone once called evolution the single best idea anyone has ever had.  That very well may be true. But by it's very teaching, the idea of evolution must have evolved from some simpler form of the idea, no?  In fact, almost everything in the world has evolved to where it is by some combination of trial, error, refinement and application.  Band names are no different.  I've done some extensive research - *cough* Wikipedia *cough* - to uncover some of the best Band Name Etymologies. You can view the full list here, but allow me to pick out a a few favorites. 

Ace of Base - I, along with the rest of the world, assumed the name was a cute little play on the notes of the lower register (the bass).  However, it turns out the band's first studio was in a basement that they considered themselves masters of.  They are, therefore, Aces of the Basement, or Ace of Base. 

The Beatles - Everyone knows that story of how the name came to John Lennon in a dream, right?  Well, they went through a ton of variations on that name before landing on the one we know and love today.  But before they were any of those, they were The Quarrymen, which someone pointed out, is a much, much better band name that the terribly pun-ny "Beatles."

Bee Gees - The popular story is that the band was named for the phrase the ' Brothers Gibb.'  However, it's actually much sweeter than that.  They named the band after two guys who helped them out early on: Bill Goode and disc jockey (not software mogul), Bill Gates

Nine Inch Nails - I post this one not for the great meaning behind the name, but for the lack thereof.  According to leader Trent Reznor, he chose Nine Inch Nails because it could be abbreviated easily and for no other reason.  Now, I was pretty good friends with a serious Nine Inch Nails fan growing up and he swore - swore - the name somehow referred to the length of the nails Jesus was crucified with.  He even went to the store to try to buy 9" nails, only to find out that that size is not made anywhere. 

+44 - Out of the ashes of Blink 182 rose +44, which was founded by two former members, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.  The story goes that the notion of a side project between the two first arose while they were in England.  And what better way to pay tribute to land that birthed such a good idea as naming the new band after the International Dialing Code for that country? 

The Rolling Stones - There is often confusion regarding which came first: the band, the magazine or the Bob Dylan song.  The answer is, none of them.  The term comes from a 1948 song by bluesman Muddy Waters.  Never has one song given rise to such an array of culturally significant entities. 

Steely Dan - Perhaps the funniest name on the list, the band is unabashedly named after a dildo.  Wonderful.