Picking a name for your business can feel overwhelming. With countless options and many factors to consider, it can be challenging to know where to start.

Choosing a bad business name can be detrimental to your growth. It can confuse your audience and fail to convey your business’s unique value. The name you choose plays a significant role in how people perceive your brand, so the pressure to get your name right can be intense.

Many household brands have changed their names over the years. In 1996, Larry Page and Sergey Brin launched a search engine business called “BackRub” and rebranded it to “Google.” In 1893, Caleb Bradham launched a carbonated drink called “Brad’s Drink” and changed the name to “Pepsi” in 1898.

While renaming your business is not the end of the world, getting it right the first time will save you a lot of headaches, and this blog is here to help.

This article will guide you through a step-by-step process for how to name a business. From brainstorming strategies to tactical tips for ensuring your name is available, we’ll cover everything you need to avoid f’ing up your business name and landing on a name that resonates with your audience.

How to name a business in 4 steps
What makes a great business name
How to avoid a bad business name
Why you need to get your name right

⌁How To Name A Business In 4 Steps

Picking the perfect name for your business is a big deal, and it’s worth taking the time to get it right. You’ll want to brainstorm a bunch of ideas, refine them, and dodge some common naming traps along the way.

Don’t worry, though — we’ve got you covered with a simple, four-step process to make naming your business a breeze.

Step#1: Define Your Brand

Think about it: your business name is how people meet you and remember you. It’s a major component of your initial marketing strategy. Because of that, your business name should reflect your company’s mission, vision, and values.

If you haven’t already, create a brand document that outlines the following:

Mission: A short statement explaining why your company exists, overall goals, products or services you provide, and the primary market you serve.
Vision: An inspirational statement that outlines what the company aims to achieve in the future. The vision statement is the company’s north star, providing direction and purpose.
Values: The principles that guide your company’s actions and behaviors. Values represent characteristics of the company’s culture, influencing who and how you hire and make other critical decisions.

These guiding principles will help you understand the experience you want to give people and the emotions you want to evoke. This pre-work also ensures your brand and name align with your company’s purpose. Once you work through your mission, vision, and values, you can begin brainstorming ideas for names around those themes.

Tip: It might be tempting to skip this step, but don’t. Not working through your mission, vision, and company values risks choosing a name that doesn’t reflect you

Step #2: Brainstorm Ideas

Now, the fun begins. This is the idea-generation phase, where anything goes. The purpose is to get creative and develop as many ideas as possible.

Word dump: Ask yourself what objects, symbols, or words represent your brand. Start broad and then get more specific. Use mind mapping to generate more ideas, and don’t be afraid to consult a thesaurus or dictionary.
Research competitors: What types of names are already used in your industry? Understanding industry trends is essential to creating a name that resonates with your market but still stands out.
Name generators: Use online name generator tools and AI tools like ChatGPT to develop even more ideas.

Most of your ideas won’t be adequate, but even the bad ones can inspire some good ones. So, write down every idea that comes to mind.

Tip: Make it fun. Invite your co-founders, close friends, or colleagues to help generate ideas. The more, the merrier.

Step #3: Evaluate Ideas

Once you’ve developed many ideas for your business name, it’s time to hone in on the best ones. There are a variety of ways you can evaluate your ideas.

Apply the SMILE and SCRATCH tests: SMILE represents the five qualities of a good name (Suggestive, Meaningful, Imagery, Legs, Emotion), and SCRATCH represents seven common naming mistakes (Spelling challenged, Copycat, Restrictive, Annoying, Tame, Curse of knowledge, Hard to pronounce).
Get feedback: Talk to colleagues, business partners, family, and friends. Conduct polls using social media or survey tools to see which names resonate most.
Check availability: Check to see if the name is already trademarked and if a version of the domain name is available.
Cultural sensitivity: Avoid any negative connotations in other languages or cultures. You don’t want to launch a new brand only to offend part of your audience.
Flexibility: Ensure your business name doesn’t corner or limit you. Your name should accommodate future growth and expansion. As your offerings grow and change, your name should still be relevant.

This is the most essential part of the naming process. Take the time to inspect every idea you generate. You might even come up with additional ideas as you evaluate ones you’ve already developed. As you filter your ideas down to a shortlist, assess them to ensure there are no red flags or limitations before you move forward.

Tip: Try different extensions and get creative with domain names. For example, if “.com” isn’t available, maybe “.co” is. Use the USPTO database to verify trademark availability.

4. Secure Your Name

Once you’ve decided on a name and ensured it’s available, it’s time to make it official. In this final step, you’ll register the domain name(s) and legal entity name, get the trademark, and (optionally) register a DBA.

Entity name: The entity name protects your business name at the state level and represents how the state identifies your business. Most importantly, it ensures no one else in the state can register the same business name.
Trademark: The trademark protects your business name on a national level. Registering the trademark ensures that other businesses in a similar industry in the United States cannot do business under the same name.
DBA: You might need a DBA (Doing Business As) name if you want to operate under a name other than your legal business name. Some states also require a DBA to open a business bank account.
Domain name: An online presence is essential today. Claiming a domain name for your business gives you a brand-consistent web property to build a website.
Social media handles: Don’t forget to claim social media handles for your business name on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media networks you may want as part of your business marketing strategy.

This step establishes your business as a legal entity and gives you an official online presence.

Tip: Register multiple domain names to protect similar domains. You can even set up redirects so that multiple domains drive people to your main website.

⌁What Makes A Great Business Name

Great business names rarely just pop into your head. They take some serious thought and a bit of strategy to really connect with your customers.

To help you out, here are 7 questions you should ask yourself when naming your business.

1. Is it easy to remember?

You want your business name to be easy to remember. Your customers and potential customers should be able to recall your business name easily. The more memorable your name is, the more your business will be top-of-mind.

2. Is it easy to pronounce?

A business name should be easy to pronounce. Questionable or difficult pronunciations can confuse people and make it harder to remember the name of your business, so choose a name that most people can say confidently.

3. Is it easy to spell?

Pick a business name that’s easy to spell so people can type it into search engines correctly and refer to your name accurately when writing it out. A slightly varied spelling could point people to an entirely different business, so avoid any questions about how your business name is spelled.

4. Is it relevant?

Your business name should reflect the nature of your business and align with the industry or the products and services you offer. Relevant business names help customers understand what your business is all about.

5. Is it unique?

A unique business name sets you apart from competitors. Make it original so your business isn’t easily confused with other company names in the same market.

6. Is it available?

Conduct thorough research to ensure your desired business name isn’t already trademarked, and check website domains and social media handles to see if the name is available. This will help you avoid legal issues and ensure your business has a solid online presence.

7. Is it on brand?

A business name should be consistent with your brand in order to build trust with customers. It should be relevant to your products and services and represent your mission, vision, and values. Ensure your name aligns with the emotions you want your overall brand to convey.

Avoiding a bad business name is more important than picking a great name. Bad business names can confuse your customers, limit your growth, and cost you money.

For example, Sweet Crispy sells home and office furniture, but their name doesn’t speak to that.

Kids Exchange is a slightly alarming name until you dig into their website and realize they’re a consignment business for families.

Remember, a good name speaks to the brand’s mission. Sweet Crispy sounds more like a donut shop, and Kids Exchange sounds more like a children’s trading service, whatever that may be.

⌁How To Avoid A Bad Business Name

Avoiding a bad business name is more important than picking a great name. Bad business names can confuse your customers, limit your growth, and cost you money.

For example, Sweet Crispy sells home and office furniture, but their name doesn’t speak to that.

Kids Exchange is a slightly alarming name until you dig into their website and realize they’re a consignment business for families.

Remember, a good name speaks to the brand’s mission. Sweet Crispy sounds more like a donut shop, and Kids Exchange sounds more like a children’s trading service, whatever that may be.

Tips For Avoiding A Bad Business Name:

Avoid tricky spellings or names that aren’t spelled like they sound.
Don’t make it too similar to an existing business name.
Don’t make it restrictive to future growth.
Avoid industry jargon or technical language.
Avoid difficult pronunciations.

⌁Why You Need To Get Your Business Name Right

Your business name isn’t just a label. It’s the first impression people will have of your brand. It’s the initial handshake, the first glance, the beginning of your story. A strong name should clearly convey your brand’s identity and purpose, setting the stage for everything your business represents.

But let’s be real: if you mess this up, it can be a costly mistake. A poorly chosen name can confuse your audience, misrepresent your brand, or even limit your future growth. Rebranding is always an option, but it’s a hassle that can drain your resources and disrupt your momentum. So, it’s worth taking the time to get it right the first time.

If you haven’t nailed down the perfect name yet, don’t stress. It’s okay to start with a temporary code name while you focus on building your business or product. Just don’t let “good enough” be the final word — keep refining until you find a name that truly fits.

Remember, your business name is a big deal, and getting it right is crucial to setting your brand up for success. We hope this guide has given you the tools to avoid any naming disasters and land on something that sticks. Check back for more tips on starting a business, including creating a killer logo, setting up your bank account, and more. Don’t F this up — your business deserves a name that’s as awesome as what you’re building.

Key Takeaways:

First Impressions Matter: Your business name is the first thing people notice, so it needs to clearly reflect your brand’s identity and purpose.
Avoid Costly Mistakes: A poorly chosen name can confuse customers, misrepresent your brand, and limit growth. Rebranding is possible but can be expensive and disruptive.
Don’t Rush the Process: If you haven’t found the perfect name yet, start with a temporary one. Keep refining until you find a name that truly fits your brand.
Get It Right the First Time: Choosing the right name from the start can save you a lot of headaches and set your business up for long-term success.
Use This Guide: Follow the steps in this guide to avoid naming disasters and create a name that resonates with your audience.
Don’t F*ck It Up: Your business deserves a name that’s as awesome as what you’re building—take the time to get it right.