Name (song)

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title: "Name (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1994-songs", "1995-singles", "goo-goo-dolls-songs", "post-grunge-songs", "songs-written-by-john-rzeznik", "warner-records-singles"] description: "1995 single by Goo Goo Dolls" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1995 single by Goo Goo Dolls ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Name
cover	Name (Goo Goo Dolls single - cover art).jpg
type	single
artist	Goo Goo Dolls
album	A Boy Named Goo
released	September 26, 1995
* Alternative rock<ref name	"spin"
* post-grunge{{cite web	last
writer	John Rzeznik
producer	Lou Giordano
prev_title	Flat Top
prev_year	1995
next_title	Naked
next_year	1996
misc
::

| name = Name | cover = Name (Goo Goo Dolls single - cover art).jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Goo Goo Dolls | album = A Boy Named Goo | B-side =

• "Burnin' Up"
• "Hit or Miss" | released = September 26, 1995 | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre =
• Alternative rock
• post-grunge | length =
• 4:30 (album version)
• 4:03 (single edit)
• 4:15 (2007 re-recording) | label =
• Metal Blade
• Warner Bros. | writer = John Rzeznik | producer = Lou Giordano | prev_title = Flat Top | prev_year = 1995 | next_title = Naked | next_year = 1996 | misc = "Name" is a song by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in September 1995 as the third single from their fifth studio album, A Boy Named Goo (1995). "Name" became the band's first major hit, topping both the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and the Album Rock Tracks chart. It also reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, "Name" peaked at number two on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number one on the RPM Alternative 30.

Composition

The song's unusual guitar tuning, D-A-E-A-E-E, is accomplished by replacing the B string with a high E string. In an interview with Guitar World Magazine, the singer and songwriter Johnny Rzeznik explained: "Both the top strings are high E strings. Whenever I tried tuning a regular B string up to E, it would pop. It was really tough on the tension. I've seen guys play 'Name' with regular tuning. It doesn't sound right." Rzeznik says that the song's unusual composition happened "quite accidentally". In an interview with KFOG, he explained: "It was weird, I was just sitting on my couch randomly twisting the tuning pegs, and I couldn't figure out what notes the guitar was tuned to, so I had to grab my tuner to find out, and then I jotted them down on a post it. ... I just sat there and let my fingers play the fretboard openly, and that is what became the progression of 'Name'."

In her book The Kennedy Chronicles, former MTV VJ Kennedy claimed that the song was actually about her complicated relationship with Rzeznik, with the lyrics referring to their time together and her full name being a secret to most. Rzeznik admitted to the inspiration in the book, saying, "I was trying to capture a moment...it was pretty interesting to have a song inspired by a moment. And I thought it was a very sweet song."

Rzeznik acknowledged Name is inspired by Kennedy's life and personality in a 2025 interview with Zach Sang.

Reception

In October 2012, "Name" was ranked number 24 on Billboard's "Top 100 Pop Songs 1992–2012" chart. This chart also featured the Goo Goo Dolls' hits "Slide" (ranking at number nine) and "Iris" (which topped the chart). The Goo Goo Dolls are the only musicians to have three songs chart on the list, two breaking the top 10 and all three falling within the top 25. They are also the only musicians who have back to back singles ("Iris", 1998 and "Slide", 1999) featured on the list.

Track listings

US cassette single and Australian maxi-CD single :A1. "Name" – 4:29 :B1. "Burnin' Up" – 2:29 :B2. "Hit or Miss" – 2:43

European CD single

1. "Name" – 4:29
2. "Nothing Can Change You" – 3:11
3. "I Wanna Destroy You" – 2:34

Japanese CD single

1. "Name"
2. "Burnin' Up"
3. "Falling Down"
4. "Naked"

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="{{sronly|Weekly chart performance}}"] | Chart (1995–1996) | Peak position | Australia (ARIA) | European Alternative Rock (Music & Media) | Hungary Airplay (Music & Media) | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | Quebec Airplay (ADISQ) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 64 | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | 14 | | | | | | | | 35 | | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="{{sronly|1995 year-end chart performance}}"]

Chart (1995)	Position	Canada Top Singles (RPM)	US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)	US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)
36
32
5
::

::data[format=table title="{{sronly|1996 year-end chart performance}}"]

Chart (1996)	Position	Brazil (Crowley)	Canada Top Singles (RPM)	Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)	US Billboard Hot 100	US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)	US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)	US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)	US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)
51
24
64
24
25
5
32
89
7
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table title="{{sronly|Release dates and formats}}"]

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.	United States	Australia	Japan
September 5, 1995	Contemporary hit radio
September 26, 1995
November 27, 1995	CD	Warner Bros.
May 25, 1996
::

References

References

1. (August 6, 2015). "The 95 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1995".
2. Unterberger, Andrew. (August 6, 2004). "Top Ten Mediocre Post-Grunge / Alternative Bands".
3. Miers, Jeff. (October 12, 2018). "Timeline: Goo Goo Dolls, through the years".
4. (April 16, 1996). "As Goo As It Gets".
5. Dolls, G. (1996). Goo Goo Dolls - ''a Boy Named Goo''*. Milwaukee: HAL LEONARD.
6. "''Guitar World Magazine'', May 1996 "Goo Vibrations"". NewBay Media, LLC.
7. "''Guitar World Acoustic'', Issue 29 "A Simple Twist of Fate"". NewBay Media, LLC.
8. Kennedy, ''The Kennedy Chronicles'', 2013, Macmillan, pp. 103–105.
9. "Goo Goo Dolls Reveal the Real Story Behind "Name" - YouTube".
10. Trust, Gary. (October 3, 2012). "The Top 100 Pop Songs 1992-2012, From No. 100 To No. 1".
11. (1995). "Name". [[Metal Blade Records]], [[Warner Bros. Records]].
12. (1995). "Name". Warner Bros. Records.
13. (1995). "Name". Warner Bros. Records.
14. (1995). "Name". Metal Blade Records, Warner Bros. Records.
15. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 24 Mar 1996". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
16. (3 February 1996). "European Alternative Rock Radio". Music & Media.
17. (March 30, 1996). "Major Market Airplay – 1996".
18. (February 10, 1996). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (10.2. – 16.2. '96)". [[DV (newspaper).
19. "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec". [[Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.
20. "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995".
21. (December 23, 1995). "The Year in Music: Hot Album Rock Tracks".
22. (December 23, 1995). "The Year in Music: Hot Modern Rock Tracks".
23. (April 3, 2018). "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1996". [[Crowley Broadcast Analysis]].
24. "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks".
25. "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks".
26. "Billboard Top 100 – 1996".
27. (December 27, 1996). "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks".
28. (December 27, 1996). "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks".
29. (December 27, 1996). "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks".
30. (December 27, 1996). "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks".
31. (December 27, 1996). "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles".
32. (September 1, 1995). "Selected New Releases".
33. (November 26, 1995). "New Releases – Product Available from : 27/11/95: Singles".
34. "グー・グー・ドールズ {{!}} ネーム". [[Oricon]].

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