<P> In 2010 , Niall Horan , Zayn Malik , Liam Payne , Harry Styles , and Louis Tomlinson auditioned as solo candidates for the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor . They failed to progress to the `` Boys '' category at `` judges ' houses '' but were put together to form a five - piece boy band at Wembley Arena , in London , England , in July 2010 , during the `` bootcamp '' stage of the competition , thus qualifying for the `` Groups '' category . Nicole Scherzinger , a guest judge , and Simon Cowell have both claimed to have come up with the idea of forming the band . In 2013 , Cowell said that it `` took him 10 minutes to put them together as a group '' . Subsequently , the group got together for two weeks to get to know each other and to practice . Styles came up with the name One Direction . For their qualifying song at `` judges ' houses '' , and their first song as a group , One Direction sang an acoustic version of `` Torn '' . Cowell later commented that their performance convinced him that they `` were confident , fun , like a gang of friends , and kind of fearless as well . '' Within the first four weeks of the live shows , they were his last act in the competition . The group quickly gained popularity in the UK . </P>
<P> In 2010 , Niall Horan , Zayn Malik , Liam Payne , Harry Styles , and Louis Tomlinson auditioned as solo candidates for the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor . They failed to progress to the `` Boys '' category at `` judges ' houses '' but were put together to form a five - piece boy band at Wembley Arena , in London , England , in July 2010 , during the `` bootcamp '' stage of the competition , thus qualifying for the `` Groups '' category . Nicole Scherzinger , a guest judge , and Simon Cowell have both claimed to have come up with the idea of forming the band . In 2013 , Cowell said that it `` took him 10 minutes to put them together as a group '' . Subsequently , the group got together for two weeks to get to know each other and to practice . Styles came up with the name One Direction . For their qualifying song at `` judges ' houses '' , and their first song as a group , One Direction sang an acoustic version of `` Torn '' . Cowell later commented that their performance convinced him that they `` were confident , fun , like a gang of friends , and kind of fearless as well . '' Within the first four weeks of the live shows , they were his last act in the competition . The group quickly gained popularity in the UK . </P>
where did the name one direction come from
where did the name one direction come from
Harry Styles
Harry Styles