Is the band name beatles a play on words as in animal beetle but with beat instead?

The Beatles' name is not a play on words like beetle and beat. In fact, it's believed that the band's name was inspired by Buddy Holly and the Crickets, as John Lennon was a big fan of Holly's music. The name "Beatles" was initially chosen because it sounded similar to "Crickets," and the fact that it was also a pun on the slang term "beat," meaning "to defeat" or "to be exhausted," likely contributed to its appeal for the band.