What was the original name of John Lennon's first band formed in 1956?

John Lennon's first band, formed in 1956, was originally called the Quarrymen.

Lennon started the skiffle group in Liverpool with school friends, including Pete Shotton and guitarist Eric Griffiths. The name came from a line in the song of Quarry Bank High School, which Lennon attended: “Quarrymen, old before our birth.” Lennon reportedly found the grand wording amusing, especially the reference to straining every muscle and sinew.

The early group played skiffle, a British style built around simple string instruments, washboard rhythms, and energetic homemade arrangements. Its lineup changed frequently, but the band gradually moved toward rock and roll. Paul McCartney joined in 1957, followed by George Harrison in 1958.

The group later tried names such as Johnny and the Moondogs, Japage 3, and the Silver Beatles. In 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison settled on the Beatles. The Quarrymen name therefore identifies the formative band that eventually evolved into the Beatles, not a later Beatles alias.