How to Name a Company: The Ultimate Guide

How to Name a Company: The Ultimate Guide

Naming a company is one of the most vital decisions any business person can make. If you get it right, you will have come up with a brand name that is both catchy and memorable. Get it wrong, and… Well, let’s just say that you may end up hating yourself for years.

So, no pressure! This definitive guide will take you through every step in creating a fantastic company name. By the time we’re done here, you will be a professional brand-name generator armed with plenty of tips and tricks on how to give your enterprise the perfect trading title.

Intrigued? Then, let’s get started!

Why Does My Company Name Matter So Much?

That’s a great question! Your company name is more than just words on a website or shop sign – it’s your brand’s first point of contact with potential customers. It’s the initial impression they form about what kind of business you are and whether or not they should care about remembering anything else concerning who or what you represent.

Consider this: would “The Pencil Company” ever make anyone think ‘innovation’ or ‘buy me!’? But “Scribblers”? Now we’re talking! Do you see the difference?

In general terms, the correct name can:

1. Make an organisation appear professional but approachable
2. Reflect its character and values
3. Create curiosity among people who hear it so they want to know more about this enterprise called…
4. Stay lodged in someone’s mind because they heard something interesting about [insert company name here]
5. Distinguish itself from competitors’ names within overcrowded markets such as ours where there seems to be one new _____ (fill blank) released every other day!

Pretty important, then! Let's consider some proven strategies for dreaming up outstanding ones, shall we?

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Brainstorm a Host of Name Ideas

The opening phase is reasonably straightforward. Brainstorm different name ideas. The more you can think of at this point, the better your chance of finding a great one.

Don’t overthink it or be too critical during brainstorming. That comes later. Right now, just let your imagination run wild and jot down any decent idea that comes to mind.

Here are some techniques to help get the ball rolling:

Word Association Games

Think of a core word related to your business, product or service. For example, if you’re starting a coffee shop, it could be “brew”, “roast”, “aroma”, “java” etc.

Now open up a thesaurus and list any synonyms, related terms, evocative adjectives – anything that word makes you think of. You can come up with some exciting name concepts this way.

Free Writing

Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and write continuously, following any tangents or random thoughts that come to mind around your business idea. The aim is to loosen up and tap into your subconscious, where the best nuggets often lurk.

Mix and Match Root Words

Take two positive-sounding words that go well together and blend them into one new term. Some ideas could be:

• Eco + Power = Ecopower
• Flex + Dine = Flexdine
• Spark + Brain = Sparkbrain

Don’t worry about them making literal sense right now – just try to create as many hybrids as possible.

Foreign Language Dictionaries

Searching words in other languages can reveal hidden treasures with built-in stories and positive associations. Just think of names like Häagen-Dazs (it doesn’t mean anything!) or Sula Vineyards, which took inspiration from the Sanskrit word for “wine”.

Once you’ve got a long list of options, it’s time to start narrowing them down and putting the most promising contenders through their paces in real-world testing.

8 Criteria To Name a Company Successfully

Not just any old moniker will do for your pride and joy business! To ensure you end up with a real winner, put your shortlisted names through this rigorous testing process:

1. Is it descriptive yet intriguing?

Your name should give potential customers a sense of what you do while piquing their curiosity to learn more. Names like Burger King and Candy Crush achieve this nicely.

2. Does it sound good out loud?

Say your name ideas repeatedly, really letting them roll off the tongue. Avoid ones that are awkward to pronounce, spell or prone to mispronunciation.

3. Is it unique and memorable?

Your business needs to stand out from the competition, so aim for a highly original name that sticks in people's minds. Simple and catchy usually wins, e.g. Apple and IKEA.

4. Does it align with your brand personality?

Ensure your chosen name fits the tone, style and values you want to convey. A playful name like Innocent Smoothies works great for a fun, cheeky brand personality.

5. Can you get a decent website domain?

In our digital age, getting a .com or .co.uk domain matching your name is necessary. Use a domain checker to explore availability.

6. Is it future-proof?

Avoid anything too trendy or restrictive that could date quickly or limit your growth potential, e.g., BerlinBakers would be unwise if you plan to expand nationwide.

7. Does it have positive/benign connotations?

Steer clear of any names with negative meanings or distasteful double entendres, no matter how oblique! Research your ideas thoroughly.

8. Is it visually appealing?

Finally, consider how your name's letters, syllables and structure will look and feel in a logo, packaging, website, etc. Some names are more visually striking.

Name Creation Strategies to Try

Once you've refined your list to a handful of significant names, ticking all the above criteria, it's decision time! If you're still torn between options, here are some alternate naming routes and tactics to explore:

Make Up a Brand New Word

This imaginative approach allows you to create a unique term with your desired positive associations and auditory qualities. Think Kodak and Xerox – meaningless words that took on powerful brand meaning.

To make up your word, you could blend linguistic roots from other languages, transpose syllables and tweak spellings until something magical emerges.

Or you could select an appealing combination of letters and vowel sounds and shape them into your new lexical creation. It's like naming an entirely new species!

While making up a word lacks explicit descriptiveness, it gives you a blank slate to build your desired brand identity.

Tweak Names with Prefixes/Suffixes/Abbrevs

If you love a core name concept but feel it needs to hit the mark, try tweaking it with different prefixes, suffixes or abbreviations until it has more charisma.

For example:

• Prefix: e-MegaTech, OpenField
• Suffix: StressFreely, MobileWise
• Abbreviation: FliXair (from “Flexible Air Travel”)

This approach allows you to build a new layer of meaning and distinctiveness onto a name.

Put Words Together in New Ways

As explored in the brainstorming techniques, combining whole words or truncated root words into creative new terms can unlock serious name gold.

Look at the inspired combos: Instagram, Volkswagen, Microsoft and TripAdvisor. These unique name mashups are supremely brandable and jam tons of relevant meaning and personality into one neat package.

Use Your Founder's Name

This classic technique lends an automatic air of credibility, familiarity and authenticity – think Walt Disney, Mercedes-Benz, Mars and Hewlett-Packard.

You can use the founder's name as-is or creatively tweak it by extracting compatible sounds, syllables or initials. John Smith could become Smitty's, JS Solutions or a whole new combined word.

Adding “& Co.” after the name is another established way to convey tradition, reassuring gravitas and personalise your brand identity.

Case Studies: Creative Company Name Examples

For some real-world inspiration on how to name a company, let's have a look at how three very different businesses nailed their name games:

Häagen-Dazs

Now a giant ice cream brand, Häagen-Dazs was originally a made-up name with no meaning! Its Polish-Danish styling was purely concocted to evoke an aura of decadent, Old-World indulgence.

The name has such a lyrical, exotic ring that decades later, the brand is still perceived as luxurious and sophisticated thanks to its ingenious name alone.

SoulCycle

For their premium indoor cycling studio concept, the founders cooked up the evocative blend “SoulCycle” – fusing the ideas of a soul-nourishing experience with a cardio cycle workout.

It's the perfect name embodying their core philosophy of combining physical fitness with inner journey and spiritual nourishment. “SoulCycle” instantly communicates sophisticated self-care whilst being energetic and unique enough to stand out from any regular old “spinning studio”.

Travelodge

When launching its new budget hotel chain in the UK, the company deployed multiple savvy naming tactics. The term “Travelodge” combines:

1. The high-value concept of “travel” invokes holidays, adventure and going places.
2. The word “lodge” implies cosy, rustic accommodation and affordable pricing.
3. The construction of the trendy compound name was made newly famous by brands like Motel and Richelodge.

Blending these appealing attributes into one neat package, the name “Travelodge” struck the ideal balance. It sounds affordable yet enticing – the perfect moniker for budget hotels catering to holiday travellers.

So, as you can see, there's an art to skilfully bake meaning, personality, and strategic advantages into a company name. With imagination and lateral thinking, you can make your name do some weighty heavy lifting for your brand!

The Company Naming Toolkit

By now, you'll understand what makes a fantastic company name tick and plenty of inspiring name-creation methods to try out yourself.

But to be sure you nail this all-important first step of starting your business, here's my roundup of top company naming resources to have in your toolkit:

Wordsmith Software

• Thesaurus dictionaries
• Multilingual translation tools
• Rhyming resources
• Anagram creators

Name Generators & Idea Books

• BNG
• Wordoid
• Hello, My Name is Awesome

Name Checking Tools

• Company name search (your region)
• Domain availability checkers
• Social media handle availability
• Trademark screeners
• Name evaluation scoring

These resources will turbocharge your brainstorming abilities and ensure you get all the linguistic tricks that could unearth a world-class name.

In Conclusion

There you have it – a comprehensive deep dive into the art and science of naming genius! While it's one of the most agonised decisions for any new business, you can turn it into a fun, creative challenge with the right approach.

Your company name is your first hugely influential hook to intrigue and attract customers. So, by approaching the naming process with diligence and open-minded ingenuity, you'll put your best foot forward right from the start.

You could dream up the next Google, Lego or Netflix – an iconic name that travels far and makes the world notice! So get those creative juices flowing, and best of luck with your fantastic new brand.

How to Name a Company (FAQs)

Last update on 2024-12-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API