Fans of the legendary rock band AC/DC have often wondered.
Where did the band’s name come from? And, what does it mean?
Now members of the rock band are finally dishing some insights into the origins and meanings of its unmistakable name.
It turns out that name, created by band founding members Angus Young and his brother Malcolm – who died in 2017 from the effects of dementia – were brainstorming names for the band ahead of a New Year’s Eve show at a night club when their sister-in-law, Margaret, suggested the name AC/DC, which was inspired by her sewing machine’s AC adapter.
She also suggested they use a lightning bolt as their logo.
“Her sewing machine had AC/DC on the back of it,” Malcolm shared in a “Behind the Music” VH1 documentary. “We were tossing around names for weeks and she just said it one night and everyone went ‘That’s good.’”
“I thought it’s an easy name to remember and it was on the side of a lot of electrical appliances,” original singer Dave Evans said during a recent interview on the Podpokas Podcast.
An AC adapter “is a device that converts alternating current (AC) from a wall outlet into direct current (DC) that can be used by electronic devices such as computers, laptops, and smartphones” according to the tech company Lenovo.
One social media user suggested people thought AC/DC stood for “anti-Christian Devil children” but it turns out actual origins are much more innocent.