Jethro Tull Got Their Name From a Real-Life Historical Figure After Considering a Few Colorful Alternatives

Bands turn to a variety of sources of inspiration when it comes to their names, from pop culture and classic literature to the members’ names and inside jokes. For progressive rock band Jethro Tull, they went with what worked.

By the band’s own account, their name changed on a weekly basis because they were struggling to get repeat bookings. “[W]e were so bad that we had to pretend to be some new band in order to get re-booked in the clubs where we aspired to find fame and fortune,” their website reads. Some of the names they tried out include Navy Blue, Ian Henderson’s Bag o’ Nails, and Candy Coloured Rain.

The band’s booking agent, who had studied history in college, suggested the name “Jethro Tull.” That name came from a real person. He was an English agriculturalist who perfected the horse-drawn seed drill in the 18th century. He was a key figure who helped kickstart the Agricultural Revolution.

And that was the name the band was using when the Marquee Club finally invited them back for a weekly residency on Thursday nights.

Frontman Ian Anderson never liked the name, however. He didn’t realize it was someone’s name—he assumed their agent had made it up—and has said if he could, he’d change it to “something less historical.”

“I was a little embarrassed a few weeks later when I realized this wasn’t an original name, but the name of a historical character,” Anderson said in a 2006 interview.

Despite his misgivings, Anderson was grateful for the success that came after. “Whatever gives us the gig—I’ll be whoever you want, even Jethro,” he said in 2021.

The Name Was Misprinted on the Band’s First Single

The band’s very first single, “Sunshine Day,” actually credited them under a different name. They were mistakenly listed as Jethro Toe, which Anderson has suggested may have been a way to avoid paying them royalties.

Jethro Tull went on to release their debut album, This Way, in 1968. They released the most famous of their beloved albums, Aqualung and Thick As A Brick, in the 1970s. They continued releasing music through the 1990s. Their most recent album was released in 2021. Anderson has also continued to release music under his own name.

(Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)