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Choosing a business name is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a founder. Your name is often the first touchpoint with customers, and it needs to work hard—conveying your values, being memorable, and looking good on a domain and social handles.
In this guide, we'll walk through a proven framework for finding a name that works.
The Psychology of Great Business Names
Research from Princeton psychologist Daniel Oppenheimer shows that names which are easy to pronounce are perceived as more trustworthy. This phenomenon, called "cognitive fluency," means our brains prefer things that are easy to process.
What Makes a Name Memorable?
Great names share common characteristics:
Simplicity
Easy to spell, pronounce, and remember. No complicated spellings.
Uniqueness
Stands out from competitors while still fitting the industry.
Meaning
Conveys something about what you do or your values.
Timelessness
Won't feel dated in 5-10 years. Avoids trendy suffixes.
Types of Business Names
| Type | Examples | Best For | Trademark Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | PayPal, YouTube, Booking.com | Clear positioning | ⭐⭐ Harder to protect |
| Invented | Kodak, Xerox, Häagen-Dazs | Trademark-friendly | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strongest |
| Metaphorical | Amazon, Apple, Nike | Storytelling | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strong |
| Founder | Ford, Dell, Bloomberg | Personal brands | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium |
| Compound | Facebook, Snapchat, WordPress | Tech startups | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strong |
| Acronym | IBM, BMW, UPS | Enterprise | ⭐⭐⭐ Depends on source |
Invented names like Kodak (created by founder George Eastman because he liked the letter K) are the most trademark-friendly but require more marketing investment. Descriptive names are easier to understand but harder to legally protect.
A Step-by-Step Framework
Define Your Brand Attributes
List 5-10 words that describe your brand's personality. Are you bold or subtle? Playful or professional? This guides your naming direction.
Brainstorm Widely
Generate at least 50 name ideas. Use word combinations, foreign words, metaphors, and invented words. Don't filter yet—quantity leads to quality.
Check Availability
For each name, verify domain availability, social handle availability, and basic trademark conflicts. Tools like namemyapp can do this instantly.
Test with Real People
Share your top 5 names with people in your target audience. Watch their reactions and listen to their feedback.
Make the Decision
Pick the name that passes all filters and feels right in your gut. Remember: a good name executed well beats a perfect name you never launch with.
Common Naming Mistakes
Pros
- ✓ Keep it simple and easy to spell
- ✓ Check domain availability early
- ✓ Consider how it sounds out loud
- ✓ Test with your target audience
- ✓ Verify trademark availability
Cons
- ✗ Using numbers or hyphens (24/7Fitness, e-shop)
- ✗ Picking hard-to-spell words (Xobni, Qwikster)
- ✗ Copying competitors too closely
- ✗ Overthinking for months
- ✗ Ignoring global implications
Real-World Success Stories
How Slack Got Its Name
Stewart Butterfield and team originally called their product "Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge." The acronym? SLACK. But they chose it because "slack" also means ease or cutting slack—perfect for making work communication less stressful.
How Stripe Got Its Name
Patrick and John Collison wanted a name that was short, memorable, and had an available .com domain. "Stripe" referred to the magnetic stripe on credit cards—subtle, but relevant to payments.
Names That Work
| Company | Name Type | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Slack | Acronym + meaning | Works as both acronym and word meaning ease |
| Stripe | Metaphorical | Visual connection to payment cards |
| Notion | Abstract | Suggests ideas without being literal |
| Figma | Invented | Short, from "figment"—something imagined |
| Linear | Descriptive | Suggests streamlined project management |
| Canva | Invented | Derived from "canvas"—where you create |
The Domain Availability Problem
Here's the hard truth: most good .com domains are taken. According to Verisign's Domain Name Industry Brief:
This is why availability-first naming is crucial. There's no point falling in love with a name you can't have.
Don't spend weeks perfecting a name only to find the domain is taken or costs $10,000. Check availability early and often. Netflix famously couldn't get netflix.com initially and had to negotiate with the original owner.
Our Recommendation
Stop spending hours searching for available domains. With namemyapp, you'll only see names that are 100% available to purchase. Our AI generates creative, brandable names tailored to your business—and you can register your domain in one click.
Ready to Find Your Perfect Domain?
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