How did The Libertines come up with their name?
12 March 2026, 16:39 | Updated: 12 March 2026, 17:02
Ever wondered how Pete Doherty and Carl Barât landed on the name The Libertines? Find out below...
Formed in 1997 in London's Camden Town by Pete Doherty and Carl Barât, The Libertines were at forefront of the UK garage rock revival and a crucial part of the early 2000s UK indie scene.
But how did the young rockers first come up with their name, and could they have been called something very different?
Radio X finds out below...
How did The Libertines form?
The band's co-frontmen Pete Doherty and Carl Barât met in London while studying at university and sharing a flat in Richmond with Amy-Jo Doherty, Pete's eldest sister. The pair formed a fast friendship and decided to ditch education, with Carl Barât quitting his drama course at Brunel University two years in, while Doherty threw in the towel at Queen Mary after a year of studying English Literature. The pair soon moved in together on their own in Camden, North London and started a band with their neighbour Steve Bedlow - aka Scarborough Steve - called The Strand. However, they soon ditched this name and began going under the Libertines moniker, meeting Hassall and soon-to-be Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell, who played bass for the band for a short period.
Where does The Libertines' name come from?
The Libertines' name was inspired by a controversial erotic work by french writer Marquis de Sade called The Lust of the Libertines, which was first published as part of his novel The 120 Days of Sodom- written in 1785. The unfinished book depicts four wealthy "libertines" who isolate themselves from society to commit extreme acts of depravity, torture and murder on victims in the Château de Silling.
The Albions, which comes from Albion - the archaic name for Britain - was also briefly considered as a moniker, but never got the green light as the band supposedly thought The Libertines sounded better.
Despite the William Blake-esque name never making the cut, it's still a major theme in Pete Doherty's writing and has followed the band around their career.
The Albion Rooms was the name Doherty and Barat gave their digs in Camden and their flat at 112a Teesdale Street, Bethnal Green- which became a location for many of their infamous guerilla gigs.
Doherty shared his notes, poems and musings under the title Books of Albion and exhibited his paintings under the the name Art of the Albion.
And the use of Albion didn't stop there...
Down in Albion was the title of Pete's Babyshambles band's debut album, and on it included a single entitled... you guessed it... Albion.
The Libertines' Margate hotel was also named the The Albion Rooms and in 2025 Pete Doherty embarked on a solo UK tour called Anywhere in Albion.
So despite landing on the name The Libertines, it's fair to say the band may have quite a fondness for its runner up...
Watch the band show off their Margate bed and breakfast and recording studios here:
See The Libertines' new hotel
Read more:
