Which UCL friend gave Coldplay their final band name?

Coldplay’s final band name was suggested by their UCL friend Tim Crompton.

Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland met at University College London in September 1996, and Guy Berryman and Will Champion joined the developing group soon afterward. Before adopting Coldplay, the musicians used temporary names including Big Fat Noises and Starfish.

Crompton, a fellow UCL student and friend, had considered “Cold Play” for his own band after encountering Philip Horky’s 1997 book Child’s Reflections, Cold Play. He abandoned the name, and Martin’s group adopted it, eventually closing the space to become Coldplay.

The question’s wording simplifies the handoff: Crompton suggested or supplied the name, rather than formally naming the band through an official process. The other options are associated with different parts of Coldplay’s story—Phil Harvey became a manager and creative collaborator, while Tim Rice-Oxley was considered as a keyboardist.