Names are more than words. They’re anchors, first impressions, and long-term assets. But if you’ve ever tried naming a startup, product, or even a newsletter, you know how brutal it can be. You bounce ideas around, Google everything, check domains, and by the end, you’re either staring at a list of mediocre leftovers or irrationally falling in love with something that doesn’t make sense to anyone else.
Welcome to the naming nightmare.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Great naming is part art, part strategy, and a whole lot of discipline. This post breaks down how to avoid naming disasters, make smarter choices, and build names that actually work.
Why Naming Is So Hard
Let’s start with the pain points:
The name needs to be unique, memorable, and meaningful.
It must resonate with your audience and differentiate you.
You’re fighting for digital real estate: domains, handles, trademarks.
Everyone has an opinion—usually contradictory ones.
Plus, names are sticky. A bad logo can be redesigned. A clunky feature can be patched. But once you start printing business cards or pushing a domain, names lock in. And if the name sucks or misfires, it drags everything down with it.
What Makes a Bad Name?
Let’s define what we’re trying to avoid. Bad names tend to:
Confuse people. (Hard to spell, say, or remember.)
Sound too similar to existing brands. (Legal trouble or brand dilution.)
Mean something unfortunate in another language or culture.
Box you in. (Too narrow or literal.)
Try too hard. (Overly quirky or forced.)
Age poorly. (Trendy today, cringe tomorrow.)
In short, a bad name isn’t just annoying—it can kill momentum, hurt SEO, make you look amateurish, or invite lawsuits.
The Naming Spectrum: 6 Name Types That Work
Descriptive: Clear, direct, says what it is.
Examples: PayPal, Whole Foods, General Motors.
Suggestive: Evokes a feeling or benefit without spelling it out.
Examples: Uber (superior), Slack (less stress), Tinder (sparks).
Abstract: Made-up or repurposed words that become brands.
Examples: Google, Hulu, Kodak.
Experiential: Tied to a story, experience, or mission.
Examples: Airbnb (air mattress + BnB), Patagonia (place, values).
Evocative/Metaphorical: Taps into imagery, emotion, or myth.
Examples: Nike (Greek goddess), Amazon (biggest river).
Acronyms/Initials: Risky, but works if the brand is strong.
Examples: IBM, HBO, UPS.
The best names tend to balance memorability, relevance, and room to grow. They don’t have to say everything—they just have to open a door.
1. Start With Strategy, Not Wordplay
Too many people jump straight into brainstorming clever names. That’s backward.
Before you name anything, define:
What are you naming? Product, company, feature, podcast?
What is its purpose and promise? What value does it deliver?
Who is it for? Define your audience clearly.
What emotion or impression should it create? Trust, speed, creativity, power?
What space are you in—and how are others naming themselves?
Think of this as your naming brief. It keeps you grounded when the word salad starts flying.
Example: If you’re naming a password manager targeting freelancers who hate corporate tools, you might want something simple, clever, non-intimidating. That’s your filter.
2. Create a Massive, Messy List (Then Ruthlessly Cut)
Now comes the creative burst. You need quantity before quality.
Brainstorm at least 100 names. No judging. Use these techniques:
Word association. Start with your core idea and branch out.
Thesaurus dive. Explore synonyms and related terms.
Metaphors. Think animals, tools, nature, mythology.
Foreign words. Especially Latin, Greek, or languages tied to your brand’s roots.
Name generators. Use them not for final names, but to spark ideas.
Mashups. Combine words or parts of words in new ways.
Alliteration or rhyme. For memorability, but use sparingly.
Don’t stop early. Often, the best names come after you’ve exhausted the obvious.
Once you’ve got your list, brutally filter using this checklist:
Easy to spell and say?
Visually clean (no weird symbols)?
Available domain or reasonable alternative?
Not already trademarked or confusingly similar?
Doesn’t carry bad or unintended meanings?
Feels true to your brand?
Sleep on it. Names sound different the next day. Let the bad ones rot overnight.
3. Validate With Real People, Not Just Your Team
Don’t make the mistake of naming in a vacuum. Your team’s opinion isn’t enough. Your mom’s opinion doesn’t count either (unless she’s your target audience).
Test your finalists with real users or customers:
Ask them to say it back to you. Did they remember it? Spell it right?
Ask what they think it means.
Show them multiple options and ask which stands out and why.
Watch for confusion, associations, emotional reactions.
It’s not about voting. It’s about seeing how people interpret and respond.
4. Check for Traps: Legal, Linguistic, and Digital
Before you get too attached, run your names through the gauntlet:
Domain check. Can you get a clean .com or smart variant (.co, .io, etc.)?
Social handle check. Can you own it across major platforms?
Trademark search. Do this before you go public. A cease-and-desist can ruin everything.
Google test. Are there existing brands, scandals, or competitors with similar names?
Urban Dictionary / Translation check. Make sure it doesn’t mean something offensive somewhere else.
This part is tedious—but it’s the difference between a clean launch and a branding disaster.
5. Don’t Overthink (But Do Think Long-Term)
Some people get stuck because they’re searching for the perfect name. Don’t fall into that trap.
A great name doesn’t need to be magic on day one. Context, repetition, and brand equity make it great over time. Think about how weird “Google” or “Spotify” sounded at first.
That said, avoid names that:
Lock you into a niche or product you might outgrow.
Depend on a joke or pun that wears thin.
Require constant explanation or correction.
Aim for a name that can scale—one that grows with your ambition.
6. When to Rename: Fixing the Mistake
What if you’re already stuck with a bad name?
Here are signs it’s time to rebrand:
People constantly mispronounce, misspell, or misunderstand it.
You’re getting legal pressure or user confusion with another brand.
It no longer reflects your mission, audience, or product scope.
You’re embarrassed to say it out loud.
Renaming is painful, but sometimes it’s the smartest move. Brands like Slack (formerly Tiny Speck), Buffer (formerly BFF), and Instagram (formerly Burbn) all renamed early—and flourished because of it.
If you rename, be transparent. Tell the story. Explain why it matters. Turn it into a brand moment, not a mistake.
Examples of Naming Done Right
To ground all this in reality, here are a few brands that nailed their names:
Notion: Suggests ideas, organization, and flexibility. Clean, broad, elegant.
Dropbox: Evokes something simple and useful—drop your stuff, access it anywhere.
Figma: A short, unique name that feels modern, techy, but friendly.
Calm: Emotion-forward, benefit-focused, and beautifully simple.
Robinhood: Story-based, rebellious, and instantly clear on its mission.
These names work because they’re both strategic and emotional. They say something and feel right.
The Bottom Line: Name With Purpose, Not Panic
Naming doesn’t have to be a nightmare. It’s a challenge—but a solvable one. Treat it like a creative strategy project, not a random word hunt.
To recap:
Start with a clear brief. Know what you’re trying to say and who you’re saying it to.
Generate generously. Don’t settle for the first five names.
Test and validate. Find out how your audience reacts.
Run legal and digital checks. Clean availability is crucial.
Think long-term. Leave room to grow.
Fix bad names early. Don’t wait until it hurts.
The right name won’t do all the work for you. But it will open the door, create a feeling, and set the tone. Get it right, and you’ll never have to explain it twice.
Don’t let fear freeze you. Your name doesn’t need to be iconic from day one—it just needs to be clear, available, and aligned with your goals.
