Prior to debut, most K-pop groups go through multiple name changes until they find the one that will suit their image perfectly. Their stage names could either come from the members themselves or their agency. Here are eight K-pop acts who had other group name choices apart from their current one.
8 K-pop Groups Who Almost Debuted Under Different Name
1. GOT7
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GOT7 was supposed to debut under the group name GET7, which was suggested by their company JYP Entertainment. However, the name sounded like a curse in Korean (그 새끼). So the members had a brainstorming until they came up with "GOT7."
2. ITZY
Next is another JYP group, the five-member girl group ITZY. In August 2019, the girls appeared on SBS PowerFM's "Cultwo Show" and revealed the three other names that were considered for their group.
ITZY shared that their agency wanted their name to reflect their "girl crush" image. Hence, the names lined up for them were "Purple Heart," "Triggle (Trigger + Giggle)", and "Queendom." But, the label's founder J.Y. Park ended up giving them the name "ITZY."
3. VIVIZ
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When they appeared on "Weekly Idol" in February 2022, VIVIZ revealed that they had so many options for their group name besides their current one. But, they only shared two names during the show.
The members revealed that VIVIZ could have been "Three Friends" (which the superiors at the agency suggested) or "Soulmate" (which they said was fine but not catchy).
4. STAYC
At the time they appeared on "Hyosung's Dreaming Radio" back in 2020 when they were promoting "SO BAD," STAYC revealed the other potential group names they had prior to settling with "STAYC."
The rookie idols shared that the other candidates for their name were "Oriental Girls," "Favorite," "Bookmark," and "Molar" (back teeth). It is said that they had actually considered using "Molar" because it means they would "chew up the K-pop industry with their talent."
5. Stray Kids
During their appearance on SBS PowerFM's "Choi Hwa Jung's Power Time" back in August 2018, the group's leader Bang Chan shared that they received a suggestion from JYP Entertainment regarding their group name.
Bang said, "With a meaning of 'a new start,' 'Trigger' was one of the final candidates. However, in the end, it was decided that Stray Kids would be our group name."
6. (G)I-DLE
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In different TV shows in the past, (G)I-DLE revealed the other options for their group name. On" Inkigayo Check-In Live," the members revealed that they could have been called Tiramiss-u. Soyeon said that she found the name so bad that she started to dislike the cake tiramisu.
The two other options were "Any Color" (because each member had a color and animal associated with them) and "Black Rose."
7. INFINITE
Before the boy group was called INFINITE, the CEO of their agency, Woollim Entertainment, gave the band a series of names, such as "Supersonic," "Blackberry," "The Big Dipper," "Icons, and "I-Pop." But, the members didn't like any of these names. Luckily, their CEO suggested the name "Infinite" right before their debut.
8. TVXQ
Finally, SM Entertainment's boy group TVXQ almost debuted under the name "The Five Visceras," which refers to the five internal organs and doesn't sound catchy at all. Another one of their pre-debut names is "What That Eats Legends," which absolutely seemed weird. But they did have some nice ones, like "Eastern Invincibility" and "SM5."
These eight K-pop acts are just a few of the examples of idol groups who had other potential names prior to debut. If you know other examples, comment down below!
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Written by Maria Scott
