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Irish Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
The 'Cringe' reason behind U2's Bono unusual name
To the world he is Bono, the frontman to the iconic band U2, but before his global fame he was Paul Hewson, a teenager growing up in Dublin. So how was Bono born? The answer lies in an artsy street gang, a hearing aid shop and a Latin phrase. Like Cher, Shakira and Sting, the Irish frontman only ever needed one name, and alongside his guitarist, the Edge, the two created a global brand from their stage names. It all started nearly 50 years ago as a kid in the capital. When he was younger, the soon-to-be-superstar was part of a group called "Lypton Village" alongside childhood mates and future rock band members Guggi and Gavin Friday. They grew up on the same few streets. In classic child-like fashion, the group would often come up with ridiculous and far-fetched nicknames for each other, and Bono was no exception. First being dubbed the long-winded "Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang", the name unsurprisingly didn't stick, so it was soon shortened to just "Huyseman". The nicknames soon evolved and "Houseman" was born. It again progressed into more elaborate monikers, finally merging into "Bon Murray" with the penultimate stage "Bono Vox of O'Connell Street". The name Bono Vox came from a Dublin hearing aid shop just off the Irish capital city's famous O'Connell Street, although it's not quite known how Bono picked up the name from the shop. The star initially hated the moniker, but after finding out its Latin meaning, he soon came around to the idea. Bono Vox translates to "good voice", a name which seems somewhat apt, but when you've sold more than £170 million records worldwide, it's a rather fair appropriation of the term. Soon shortening the full Latin to just Bono, Paul Hewson adopted the nickname at just 14, with his friends and family slowly using it over the years it became a part of himself. Speaking to Chris Evans on Virgin Radio, the U2 singer revealed: 'I've been called a lot of things over the years! !I was three years old and my friend was four, and we had a sort of street gang into our teens, and I had many nicknames. I'm very pleased that I qualified for Bono, even though it is tricky in some quarters.' And as U2 began to rise to fame, the stage names of him and his bandmates became a part of their identity, believing it was a way of getting closer to the audience. Bono added: "The really significant thing is, I suppose, that we decided to be called by those names when we went out into the public, because it implies a kind of intimacy with your audience, which is nice. "Some people will occasionally come up to me and say, 'Hey, Paul, how are you doing Paul?' as if that's getting close. The last person to call me Paul was my dad, and he's dead. So don't call me Paul.'
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
U2's Bono finally explains why he has such an unusual name
Bono is one of the most recognisable stars on the planet thanks to his years in U2, but the frontman was once called something very different before he became famous Globally recognised as Bono, U2' s celebrated frontman was once Dublin-born teenager Paul Hewson before his ascent to international stardom. So where did the moniker 'Bono' originate? The creation of Bono is an intriguing tale involving a bohemian street gang, a local hearing aid store, and inspiration from a Latin phrase. Like other one-name music legends such as Cher, Shakira, and Sting, Bono – alongside bandmate the Edge – turned their unique stage names into a worldwide phenomenon. The journey began nearly five decades ago with a young lad in Dublin. The future icon was a member of "Lypton Village" alongside future rock figures Guggi and Gavin Friday, who all lived around the same neighbourhood. During their youthful escapades, this group indulged in crafting extravagant and imaginative nicknames for each other, with Bono being no exception to this ritual. Initially, they labelled him with the cumbersome "Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang", but it became evident that nickname wouldn't last, leading to a shortening to just "Huyseman". This evolution of nicknames didn't stop there, with "Houseman" soon making an appearance, reports the Irish Mirror. The nicknaming process continued, giving rise to the elaborate "Bon Murray" and the even more refined penultimate version "Bono Vox of O'Connell Street". And so the handle "Bono Vox" has its roots tied to a hearing aid shop located near the famed O'Connell Street in Dublin, though the exact story of how Bono adopted the name is somewhat shrouded in mystery. The star initially loathed his nickname, but upon discovering its Latin meaning, he warmed to it. Bono Vox, which translates to "good voice", seemed fitting for someone who has sold over £170 million records worldwide. Paul Hewson embraced the moniker Bono at just 14, and over time, it became an integral part of his identity. On Virgin Radio with Chris Evans, the U2 frontman shared: "I've been called a lot of things over the years! I was three years old and my friend was four, and we had a sort of street gang into our teens, and I had many nicknames. "I'm very pleased that I qualified for Bono, even though it is tricky in some quarters." As U2's fame grew, the stage names of Bono and his bandmates solidified their public personas, fostering a sense of intimacy with their fans. Bono further explained: "The really significant thing is, I suppose, that we decided to be called by those names when we went out into the public, because it implies a kind of intimacy with your audience, which is nice." He also addressed the use of his birth name: "Some people will occasionally come up to me and say, 'Hey, Paul, how are you doing Paul?' as if that's getting close. The last person to call me Paul was my dad, and he's dead. So don't call me Paul."
