The idea of exactly what your business is going to do usually comes first. Second, most often, is giving a title to your idea. What exactly is going to be the name of your business? Some people turn to their childhood for inspiration or a beloved family pet. It could be a made-up word you dream of one night and feel has the right ring to it. Even still some people study foreign words for the perfect meaning behind their chosen business. Whatever the inspiration or relation may be, naming your business is one of the most important parts of becoming a CEO. Having a brand behind a strong title can make all the difference in the world.
Here is what some CEOs said about how they came up with a business name.
#1- Kept it easy to remember
When first starting out and trying to find the right business name I did a few different things independently before discussing options with the full leadership team. First, I created a list of individual words that were relevant to our product (data analytics consulting) and then tried putting them together to see what would be easy to remember. Next, I Googled “Business name generator” and obtained a few ideas from businessnamegenerator.com.
Thanks to Seth Thomas, iconanalytics.io!
#2- Made it simple to pronounce
In the property restoration business, speed and strategy make all the difference in successful projects. I wanted my company name to convey that, and that's how I came up with RocketPlan. A business name should be simple to pronounce and easy to remember, yet it should express the advantage your customers will receive versus a competitor's product. My clients know with this platform, disaster restoration claims will be accurate, projects will run smoothly, and all stakeholders will be paid on time.
Thanks to Joe Tolzmann, Rocket Plan Technologies, Inc!
#3- Described my character
It's pretty straightforward – the “rate” in RatePunk is for the price comparison, the technical, functional part of RatePunk, and the “punk” is what describes our character – against the system, hacking the travel industry, being innovative and different with a completely different and unique product. When it comes to company names, I believe it's best to keep it simple and clear.
Thanks to Justin Albertynas, Rate Punk!
#3- Made it meaningful
We love the name of our agency because it has multiple meanings. One, a dotted line means acceleration and you can pass another car when driving, it also represents a consulting company in an organizational chart which we certainly are. We form close partnerships with our clients. Lastly, you sign on the dotted line! We have been in business for 23 years!
Thanks to Aimee Clark, Dotted Line Communications!
#4- Made it distinctive
From day one, Henrik Muller-Hansen, CEO and Founder, had a global vision and wanted to choose a name that would excite and be easily understood around the world. With this in mind, he hired one of the best, David Placek (Lexicon Branding), the man behind brand names like BlackBerry, Swiffer, Pentium, OnStar, Dasani, and Outback. Together with David, Henrik took his values and vision and translated them into the name “Gelato.” When asked about the process, David said: “brand names should be both distinctive and noticeable.”
Thanks to Henrik Muller-Hansen, Gelato!
#5- Telegraphed my mission
It's really hard to name a company these days considering all of the good names have been taken. When we started thinking about the name for our startup in financial services, we wanted to telegraphically relay that our company would possess the ability to objectively, holistically, and transparently measure a consumer's financial health. Unlike credit score companies, we measure based on a consumer's financial experience, skills, performance, and health. Vera Score is a combination of two words Vera, Latin for true, and Score, for measurement. Easy to spell, it telegraphed our product and mission.
Thanks to Geff Woodward, Vera Score!
#6- A warmth feeling
The name “Livemocha” was originally a code name as we didn't want to tell anyone what we were building (a language-learning solution). We were in a Tullys (coffee shop) when we started brainstorming on names. At that point, I saw a poster for a Mocha. I decided to use it and added the term Live to create an active word. We then checked Register.com and no one had taken the name. We liked it because it created a warm feeling of a coffee shop where people could meet and learn a language with others.
Thanks to Shirish Nadkarni, Livemocha!
#7- A boost on our visibility
At Make My Shave, our brand name was carefully chosen with multiple factors in mind. Firstly, we wanted a name that would boost our visibility in search engine results, helping us grow our e-commerce business right from the start. Additionally, we aimed for a name that would be memorable and fun. If you‘re a woman who chooses to shave, then you‘ll understand the incredible feeling of being silky-smooth and the confidence it brings. That's why our call to action is simple yet empowering: Go Ahead, Make My Shave.
Thanks to Lindsay Kinniburgh, Make My Shave!
#8- Used philosophy
I founded my company 4 years ago, the name being See Me Aged Care Navigators. See Me is an acronym for Support, Education, and Enablement for Managing Elderlycare but also doubles as the philosophy behind my approach to my work, being ‘See Me' the person behind this old face, who has led an accomplished and full life. Society treats older people as invisible, hence the reason for my business name.
Thanks to Coral Wilkinson, See Me Aged Care Navigators!
#9- Named it on family
Being an innovator in mature women's swimwear, my business name needed to inspire women with the confidence to reclaim summer. Es Una is named after my grandmother, Una. She was a bright, intelligent, and practical go-getter.Es Una is also a Spanish term meaning ‘she is’, introducing a strong sense of readiness and enablement to my brand. ‘She is' enables us to define ourselves, which is what Una did, and her legacy lives on in my swimwear creations.
Thanks to Lyndal Sterenberg, Es Una!
#10- Talked about it
I had a few names on the list, though “INTACT” was ultimately the one that stuck. It came from a conversation with Dad in the paddock and I probably sat on it for a good twelve months before I went ahead and registered it. He said something about it ‘keeping it intact', in reference to the circular nature of the fiber, and as I continued working on the brand, and speaking to others about it, it naturally kept coming up in conversation.
Thanks to Gabby Neal, INTACT!
#11- Made it easy to say
I wanted a business name that was strictly five core things: easy to say, easy to spell, catchy/memorable, not my personal name, and available for domain purchase and social media handles. Fortunately, it didn't take long to mentally workshop and research something to hit that criterion. ‘Photogeek' was the final decision and though the ‘.com' wasn't available, I thought I'd just about struck gold when I found the ‘.com.au' was.
Thanks to Katrina Ferguson, Photogeek!
#12- Got into conversations
I struggled to find a name that expressed my focus on the standard of care we deliver that hadn’t already been taken. I was having an unrelated chat with an ex-colleague and she said ‘No one else delivers the exceptional care you deliver ‘. Out of this my business name Exceptional Care For You was born.
Thanks to Di Geddes, Exceptional Care For You!
#13- Kept it simple
“SKIN VIRTUE” The first letter S – for Skin – was a no-brainer for a skincare company. I wanted to keep it simple! Then I thought about what values our products stood for. When I summed up everything in my head, Virtue was born! Skin Virtue is all about us having excellence, morals, and intellect at our core.
Thanks to Nina Gajic, SKIN VIRTUE!
#14- Made it unique
Fresh by Friska is symbolized in its name – it's about a fresh take, a fresh perspective, a fresh voice, and a fresh approach. This is what has enabled me to differentiate myself in a homogenous world. My clients often remark the way I approach things or problem-solve is unique, literally like “a breath of fresh air”. My name is inspired by a combination of the word ‘fresca' fresh in Spanish and the day I was born – Friday.
Thanks to Friska Wirya, Fresh by Friska!
#15- Highlighted the importance of the business
The name “Digital Bond Marketing” came to me as I was brainstorming for a name that would perfectly combine digital and a connection to my clients. I knew I wanted a name that highlighted the power of digital technologies, but I also wanted to emphasize the strong, relationships we aim to build with our clients. Thus, “Digital Bond Marketing” was born. It's a name that speaks to our commitment to using digital tools to create lasting bonds with our clients, helping their businesses thrive in the digital age, and more lately using AI to help improve their businesses in many ways.
Thanks to Adam Stewart, Digital Bond Marketing!
#16- Tried a holistic approach
We came up with our name because we knew we wanted to use a healing herb that is considered a weed in most places. The Dandelion is well known around the world, grows with strength in unexpected places, and has a deep taproot as its power source. It is food for pollinators and healthy for humans! It resonated with how we want to operate our business. And we chose to use the term “branding” because we operate much more holistically than pushing our clients into using the latest marketing tactics
Thanks to Aub Wallace, Dandelion Branding!
#16- Converted hate into love
To put it simply: I hated ironing! And I knew a lot of people who felt the same way and expressed the same sentiment. It was a conscious decision to go with what is considered a ‘negative' brand name to really touch on a relatable and common point of frustration that many people have – and one that we wanted to offer a solution for. The point of what we do is to take the hassle and annoyance of laundry off people's hands and offer them more time in their day to focus on what really matters. We take away something they ‘hate' – spending time and effort doing their chores – and give them something they ‘love' – more free time in their day, and clothes professionally cleaned and ironed to perfection, ready to be put away or worn instantly.
Thanks to Matt Connelly, I HATE IRONING!
#17- Conveyed the idea of innovation
I came up with the business name Cosmetic Surgery Advancements because I wanted to convey the idea of progress and innovation in the field of cosmetic and plastic surgery. By using the term ‘advancements,' I wanted to emphasize that our site is dedicated to showcasing the latest techniques, technologies, and breakthroughs in the industry. Our goal is to provide reliable information and resources that empower individuals to make informed decisions with realistic expectations.
Thanks to Annabelle Baugh, Cosmetic Surgery Advancements!
#18- Made it sound cool
I came up with my business name as I changed my name and took my mum's maiden name Zelesco. I thought it sounded really sexy and feminine, paying homage to my Italian heritage. I believed Lucia Zelesco was a great business name and it sure has paid off. I have a full-service marketing agency and a women's empowerment business. After being in business for 10 years I have had many staff members, an office, and numerous awards and been featured in the media, the name worked!
Thanks to Lucia Zelesco, Zelesco Consulting!
#18- Took help from books
Last year I released a learning app and knew I'd have to come up with a friendly name for the product rather than for the company name. It was designed to help you retain and access things you read. Originally I called it Readinforce (as in read + reinforce). It wasn't obvious how to pronounce it and we quickly expanded to include more than just content from books. A friend recommended the book Hello My Name is Awesome. I went through the process in the book and came up with the name: Brain Bump.
Thanks to Mark Herschberg, Brain Bump!
#19- Experimented with combinations
Our business name is Ryokomun Pty Ltd, which reflects the fact that our travel blogging business focus is to help people to plan their trips to Japan and South Korea. In Japanese, Ryoko means to travel, and in Korean, mun means gate. After experimenting with many combinations, we decided that this intent and combination flowed well.
Thanks to Anne Sutherland-Smith, Japan Travel Planning!
#20- Used a different language
I derived the name of our new dating app, Paritae, through an unconventional yet strategic process. The core concept behind our application is to establish a balanced ratio of right swipes, ensuring parity between male-to-female interactions, and vice versa. This also applies to other user categories such as trans women seeking men, couples seeking singles, etc. In essence, the idea was to have a single-word name that encapsulates this equilibrium, thus “Parity” seemed a natural choice. Given that the semantic underpinnings of the Latin word “Paritae” seamlessly align with the objectives of a dating app and represent our primary USP, it seemed like an excellent choice.
Thanks to Christopher Graney-Ward, Paritae!
#21- Combined ideas
The name “Medimark” is a combination of two words ‘medical' and ‘marketing'. It seems pretty simple, but the interesting story was that the name was not available when I first thought of starting my business. Coincidentally, 7 or so months later, I was ready to start, and the name was deregistered 6 months prior, making it available. It was meant to be.
Thanks to Lin Chen, Medimark!
#22- Identified the essence
When deciding on our business name, the first thing we did was try to identify the absolute essence of what we wanted our business to bring to the world – which was “light” and “positivity”. Then identified some themes which were best able to communicate these mostly intangible concepts. We ended up being drawn to a celestial theme because they convey something which is bigger than ourselves. From there, we used common words in an unusual arrangement, and “Earthlight” emerged as the right choice for us.
Thanks to Lesley Naik, Earthlight Jewellery!
#23- Games helped in discovering
Weirdly enough, from a computer game! Our other co-founder and I were looking for a name that would represent our business values and our service proposition. We also knew that it had to be consistent with our brand messaging and positioning statement, plus be easy to say and not a tongue twister! Whilst brainstorming names one day, I had an email come through into my personal inbox from the developers of said game, advertising one of their characters. And voila – Octane Accountants was born.
Thanks to Dan Hanley, Octane Accountants!
#24- Aligned with my passion
Honestly, one day it just came to me! I'd spent days agonizing over the name – I was hopping between different options, but I didn't really like any of them. But then, I thought to myself: “What do I want people to think of my brand when they first hear about it? What image do I want the name to conjure in their heads?” And then, the name just came to me – Keen Fighter! It's short, easy to remember, and truly encapsulates me as a person – someone who's extremely enthusiastic about martial arts and is keen to share his experience with the world!
Thanks to Velin Dragoev, Keen Fighter!
#25- Showcased my information
I’m Brian Campbell. I'm the founder and chief water treatment expert. We help our audience identify and address their water quality needs at home. When searching for the perfect name for our blog, it was crucial to find something that resonated with our readers and conveyed trust. This led me to the creation of WaterFilterGuru.com. The name captures our expertise in water treatment and instills confidence in our audience, showcasing our dedication to providing valuable, accurate, insightful, and relevant information and guidance in this field.
Thanks to Brian Campbell, WaterFilterGuru.com!
#26- Motive helped
I chose the name Best Foot Forward for my consulting company because I wanted to differentiate it from the war-like approach that many court professionals use for their businesses. We help protective parents in a custody dispute with a high-conflict co-parent to get the custody arrangement that's best for their kids. We wanted to say, “Hey, you can win with honesty and by putting your best foot forward”…along with the strategy and evidence prep our consultancy helps clients with as well. So, it allows parents to know that we want to do things on the up and up.
Thanks to Reneé Rodriguez, Best Foot Forward Consulting, LLC!
#27- Timed it well
Our company name is Dark City Foundry, and we make and sell bottles and cans of cold drip coffee. We brew our cold drip coffee overnight while the city is dark and sleeping, which is where Dark City came from. Foundry was historically a place where metal was forged to create metal products, but these days the word is applied to many places that create things. We thought that the word Foundry embodied the idea of the physical labor that's involved in all the steps from growing the coffee plant to finally creating our finished product.
Thanks to Anita Brodian, Dark City Foundry!
#28- Interest led me to it
I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. I'm a fan of detective stories in general. When I launched the business and was thinking about what makes my writing unique, I knew it lay in the detective work I do to craft great writing. From tracking down keywords to deducing the best way to approach a subject, my love of writing and detective stories perfectly combined to form The Writing Detective.
Thanks to Lindsey Chastain, The Writing Detective!