British boy band One Direction and a US musical group of the same name have reached an agreement that allows the UK group to continue use of the name.

The two groups issued a news release from London saying the California-based group will change its name to Uncharted Shores.

It says both parties are pleased with the resolution.

The quintet of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson came together in 2010 after trying out individually for the British version of The X Factor.

They've since become a sensation and their album Up All Night was the first by a UK act to debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre albums chart.