In short
- Decide what you stand for first. The name should fit the positioning, not the other way round.
- Generate many names across five styles before you judge any of them.
- A name passes the radio test: someone who hears it once can spell it.
- Check the domain, social handles and a trademark search before you fall in love.
Start with positioning, not names
Write one line about who you serve and why you are different before you brainstorm. A name for a playful snack brand and a name for a payments company need very different sounds. If you have not written that line yet, start with our guide to the positioning statement.
The five kinds of names
| Kind | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Says what you do | Clear from day one, but hard to own and to trademark |
| Compound | Two real words joined | Memorable and often still available |
| Metaphor | A real word that suggests the feeling | Strong brands with a story to tell |
| Invented | A new word | Easy to own, but needs more marketing to mean something |
| Altered | A real word with changed spelling | Available domains, but risky if people cannot spell it |
Aim for at least ten names in each style. Quantity first; judgement later.
If you have to spell your name every time you say it, the name is costing you customers.
Shortlist with four tests
- Say it: can people pronounce it the same way, in Hindi and English and any other language you sell in?
- Spell it: say it to a friend over the phone. Can they type it correctly?
- Remember it: tell five people your shortlist, then ask them a day later which ones they remember.
- Grow with it: will it still fit if you add a second product or a new city?
Check before you commit
- Domain: the exact .com or .in, or a clean variation like get[name] or [name]hq.
- Handles: Instagram, LinkedIn and X, ideally the same everywhere.
- Trademark: search the trademark registry in every country you sell in, in your class of goods or services. A lawyer's check is worth the fee before you print anything.
- Meaning: look the name up in the languages your customers speak, to make sure it does not mean something unfortunate.
01
Naming after the first product
Fix: Choose a name that leaves room for what comes next.
02
Clever spelling nobody can type
Fix: Pass the phone test before you shortlist.
03
Buying the domain first
Fix: Check the trademark first; a domain is cheap, a rename is not.
04
Voting by committee
Fix: Test with real customers, then the founder decides.
Then build the brand around it
Once the name is chosen, the logo, colours and voice should all grow from the same idea. Our guide to logo types explains which kind of logo suits which kind of name.