How to Ride the Naming Rollercoaster for a Strong Finish

Naming a new business can make you feel like you’re strapped into a rollercoaster. You’ll reach soaring heights of brilliance. Then plummet when you realize another business already has the same name.

But with a good process and some creativity-starters, you can end up with a unique name for your new start-up, program, or product. There’s no magic formula to naming a business or product. But we offer 17 thoughts to help your naming process — and your brand — fly.

1. Lean on your village.
You’re about to begin a process with light bulbs over your head galore. At some point, they’ll go dim. It’s good to have people who can shine a light and brainstorm with you.

2. Write it down.
Like, with a pen. Get your hands inky and jot words on a notepad or hey, maybe even a napkin. There’s something about the old-fashioned way of writing that jogs a brain.

3. Include everything.
The ideas may just flow at first. Stream-of-consciousness is good, so write down the crazy words and cuss words and misspelled words even if you know they could never make the final cut. They might lead to another idea. Or at the very least, make you laugh.

4. Start with what you know.
You might start with things related to your business. What do you do? Why? What benefit does your audience get from you?

5. Expand your list.
Visit a thesaurus and find more words for the words that you’ve already written down. Scribble the ones you like on your notepad.

6. Play with words.
One tool we use is the idiom dictionary. Plug in words you like to see if they’re in any phrases. Rhyming words are good too. Cross-reference rhyming words with the idioms dictionary. Then substitute your word of choice. A silly example is taking the phrase “a real jerk” and changing the spelling to read, “Reel Jerks.” This could work for funny fishing guide business. Or “Near & Deer Lodge” for a cozy, short-term rental business that has animals with antlers nearby.

7. Look everywhere for inspiration.
Your hobbies, favorite books, poems, movies, music. What was the street your favorite author grew up on? What is your favorite hiking trail called? Do any numbers hold meaning? We named our business after a clearwing hummingbird moth. To us, ClearWing tells a story about what we do — we write clear and concise messaging that helps brands fly.

8. Create a name list.
Now look at your word lists and play some more. Which words speak to you? Mix and match them. Try creating new words by combining parts of words.

9. Check availability.
Get ready – this is the worst part of the process. Cross reference your name list against what’s out there. If a business in a similar industry to yours has the name you like, keep brainstorming. Here are places you can check:

Check to see if your idea is trademarked on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website. If not, it’s still not an all-clear. Many businesses are active online without trademarking.

• Google the name to see what comes up.

• Check to see if the URL is available.

• Look for the name in LinkedIn, Facebook and whatever the social media flavor of the month is (Tik Tok, etc.)

• If someone claimed a URL you’re interested in, but didn’t trademark or use the business name, you can still consider the name. You’ll just have to get creative with the URL if you can’t buy it. You might consider adding “WeAre…” to the front of the name or using your tagline for the URL.

10. Step away.
When you lose your creative juices, step away. Go for a run, see a movie or do something your love to do. Maybe that involves bourbon. You’ll be surprised how many more ideas come your way when you’re NOT thinking about it.

11. Say them out loud.
Once you’ve come up with a list of names that are available, narrow it down. Before you start reaching out to people for opinions, do an audio test of your favorites by saying them aloud. It’s helpful to record yourself and listen to the playback. For example, use a voice recorder app. “Introduce” yourself at a networking event using your new business name and title or give the elevator pitch for your new product with its new name. You’ll cross some names off your list just because they’re awkward to say.

12. Survey people in your ideal audience.
Consider whether those you’re surveying are in your demographic – are they in the right age group? Are they male or female? You can use SurveyMonkey for a more formal survey process or ask for opinions more informally by email, text, and social media. Ask people to vote for as many as they like.

13. Call somebody.
When we narrow the name down to the top three, we test it out loud with other people. When they have to ask too many questions about what you’re saying or the meaning of a word, it may not be a name that’s worth pursuing.

14. Let go.
You might need some time to think over your finalists, so if you can, give yourself time to just chew on it.

15. Trust yourself.
At some point, you’ll get opinion overload. During the survey process, opinions helped show which names resonated with a larger number of people. But now you’re comparing the top choices and typically people have different favorites. So, if you have a top choice, it’s available, and it got a lot of votes on your list, just do it. You will never make everyone happy.

16. Commit.
For businesses that have a good amount of lead time before the launch, you’ll have time to create, think, survey and repeat. But time is a luxury that many people don’t have. So go with your instincts and pick the name that you can own. And buy your URL as fast as possible.

17. Thank your village.
Thankfully, wonderful people will walk alongside you throughout this process. Colleagues. Family. Friends. They’ll make jokes to lighten the process. They’ll encourage you when you think you can’t go on. Make sure to celebrate with them —and thank them — when it’s all over.

Best wishes as you prepare to launch your start-up or new program or product. It may feel like a rollercoaster ride, but if you follow (and repeat) these tips, you can have a strong finish to the naming process.

Get help naming your business

Naming a new business or product is not for the faint of heart! If you would like professional help (the marketing kind), tell us about your naming project or call 404.409.7759.

See some of ClearWing’s brand identity work.