HISTORIC REVEAL: How ABBA Got Their Name After a Gothenburg Newspaper Competition
In the early 1970s, as Sweden’s newest pop group began to rise, a Gothenburg newspaper decided to hold a competition to help find them a name. Thousands of readers submitted entries, ranging from the whimsical to the bizarre. Among them were suggestions like “Alibaba,” “FABB,” and even “Baba” — names that made the band laugh but never felt quite right.
The contest captured the public’s imagination, but when the dust settled, the winning name didn’t come from the readers at all. Instead, that summer it was officially announced that the group would be called ABBA — a simple acronym formed from the first letters of its members’ names: Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid.
What began as a practical solution quickly became one of the most iconic names in music history. Within just a few years, “ABBA” was no longer a set of initials — it was a global brand synonymous with glittering pop perfection, Eurovision triumph, and some of the most enduring hits ever written.
Looking back, the Gothenburg contest is remembered as a curious footnote — a moment of playful public involvement before the band took control of their own identity. In choosing their acronym, ABBA not only found their name but also laid the foundation for a legacy that continues to resonate worldwide.