How did Linkin Park get their name?

Linkin Park is a band name spelled to fit a web address.

The group went through two names first. From 1996 it was Xero, which put out a self-titled release with little success. After Chester Bennington joined as singer, it became Hybrid Theory and put out an EP under that name in 1999.

Then came the record deal. When the band signed with Warner Bros. Records, the label asked for another change. Wikipedia says the reason was to avoid confusion with Hybrid, a British band. Rejected ideas reportedly included "Plear" and "Platinum Lotus Foundation."

The winner came from a local landmark. The band formed in Agoura Hills, California, and Lincoln Park is a park in nearby Santa Monica. Wikipedia calls the new name a play on the park's name and a tribute to it.

The spelling was a practical decision. American Songwriter quotes Mike Shinoda on the choice. "When we came up with the name Linkin Park, we wanted to go with the presidential spelling but we chose L-i-n-k-i-n because we wanted to get the domain '.com.'" In the dot-com years, a free web address mattered more than correct spelling.

The old name did not disappear. The band's debut album, released by Warner Bros. on October 24, 2000, was titled Hybrid Theory. Wikipedia says the title nods to the band's previous name and to the idea of combining musical styles. It has sold about 32 million copies, so the discarded name reached a huge audience anyway.

There is a final twist. Santa Monica had already renamed the park in November 1997, for the late mayor Christine Reed. So by the time the band took the name in 1999, it was officially Christine Emerson Reed Park. The band's name preserves a place name that the city had already retired.