I just stumbled upon this interview with Tom Rowlands from 1997:
http://www.nyrock.com/chemical.htm
There's a funny quote:
Quote
We called us the Dust Brothers first because we really liked the U.S. Hip Hoppers but then we settled for Chemical Brothers. Sounds good, doesn't it? I think it's a pretty cool name but somehow I can't see myself playing in a band called the Chemical Brothers when I'm 30.
15 years have gone by and he's still playing in this band.