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The Mysterious Origin of the Name “Imagine Dragons”

Because finding a name for your band is so difficult, people love hearing origin stories. Take Imagine Dragons, for example. Where did that come from? This is…tricky.

The name is allegedly an anagram, a couple of words scrambled to make sense from another couple of words. Okay, so what words were used to create the name “Imagine Dragons?”

The band will not say. The only clue they’ve ever dropped is that some apostrophes might be required, but then they walked back on that.

Fine. Be that way. Let’s go to the Internet.

Using an online anagram machine, we know there are about 107,000 different combinations for the letters in “Imagine Dragons.” Guesses include “Adoring Images,” “A Roaming Design,” and “God is in the Manager.”

  • Adorning Images
  • A Roaming Design
  • God is in the Manager
  • Diagnosing Mare
  • Ordaining Games
  • Mornings Aid Age
  • Insomnia Dagger
  • Groaning Medias
  • Mansion Ride Gag

The band appreciates the efforts, but they’re still not saying.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37969 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

13 thoughts on “The Mysterious Origin of the Name “Imagine Dragons”

  • Pingback: Listening To Music: Imagine Dragons – Hobbies

  • I think the original name of the band and the answer to the anagram is: Ragin’ Demons

    Reply
    • That’s a brilliant idea! However, “Ragin’ Demons” leaves out letters A,I,G from “Imagine Dragons.” Even if you put the extra G as Raging Demons, it still leaves out A and I. I scrambled it and I came up with “I am near God.” =)

      Reply
  • Good idea, but that’s still missing an I.

    Reply
  • gasing radiomen, managed origins, ragged insomnia, a rad gemini song, iron sing damage(? idk), one ring sad magi (again, idk?), mad raining egos

    Reply
  • It’s ragged insomnia

    Reply
  • True! It’s the OG band name. Regged insomnia even has a song called: ( -drumroll- ) imagine dragons!

    Reply
  • i mean that does make sense and it has all the letters too so that can’t be a coincidence. they had to have done that on purpose. i mean how could somebody just “happen” to name their song after another band. while both bands use the same letters as each other but in a different order. like no-one does that unless they are trying to copy off each other.

    Reply
  • Let me come up with “Is a raging Demon”.

    Reply
  • Has anyone ever thought of the idea Agonising Dream? Just throughing it out there.

    Reply
  • It may have something to do with Dan’s wife, Aja.

    Reply
  • It is an anogram for Ragged Insomnia

    Reply
  • A demon is raging. Whatever It Takes 2:41

    Reply

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