How to name your business: a practical guide
A step-by-step way to name your business or brand: what makes a strong name, how to test it and what to check before you fall in love with one.
Naming is the shortest piece of writing a business will ever do, and often the hardest. Everyone has an opinion, the good domains have gone and every idea sounds strange at first.
It helps to treat it as a process, not a brainstorm. Here's how to name your business without losing your mind.
Know what the name has to do
Before you list a single idea, write down what you want people to feel, who needs to remember it and where you might grow. A name that's perfect for one product can trap you if you're planning to do more later.
Generate far more than you need
Aim for hundreds. Real words, invented words, founders' names, places, metaphors, odd references from your industry. The first fifty are always the obvious ones. Don't judge anything yet. The strong ideas tend to arrive after the easy ones have run out.
What makes a strong name
Can someone spell it after hearing it once? Can they say it without feeling silly? Does it stand out in your category, or does it sound like everyone else? Does it give you something to build on? A name doesn't need to explain what you do. It needs to be easy to repeat.
Nearly every good name sounded strange the first time someone said it.
Don't test it by committee
Ask a group what they think of a new name and they'll tell you what's wrong with it, because the unfamiliar always feels wrong. Instead, put your shortlist into real sentences, on a mocked-up sign or an email signature. Live with them for a week and see which one you still want to say.
Check it before you commit
Search your name. Check that it's free to register as a company and as a trade mark in your markets, and take proper legal advice on that. Check the domain and social handles. Check what it means in other languages. It's far better to lose a favourite now than after you've printed it.
Types of business name
It helps to know your options. Descriptive names say what you do, which makes them clear but hard to protect and easy to forget. Founder names feel personal and established, though they can be harder to sell on. Invented words are distinctive and easier to register, but it takes more effort to give them meaning. Real words used in a new setting often work best, because they're familiar and surprising at once.
None of these is the right answer for everyone. Choose based on what your market is like. In a crowded category full of descriptive names, the one that doesn't describe anything is often the one people remember.
Then stop looking
No name will feel perfect on the day you pick it. They get their meaning from what you do with them. Choose the strongest option that passes the checks, and start making it mean something.