We all recognize an excellent brand name when we see one, whether we’re founders or ordinary customers.
Companies like Tinder, Uber, and Amazon aren’t simply exciting and refreshing; their peculiar, catchy, and brandable names are so attractive that customers don’t hesitate to patronize them and suggest them to their loved ones.
When starting a business, every entrepreneur aims to develop creative and original brand name ideas. And while some companies successfully find one, many others wind up with mediocre brand names.
And, just in case you’re still looking for a fantastic name, here are some helpful hints for creating colorful, catchy, and original brand names for your company.
- Embrace Intriguing and Short Words
Captivating brand names are often short, memorable, and intriguing. And with our daily activities and businesses converging online, you can be sure that a memorable name will make your company stand out and easy to locate.
Modern businesses are attempting to reduce their company names to no more than two words. Brands such as Dunkin Donuts reduced their brand name to Dunkin, Quantum Computer Services became AOL, and Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo became Sony.
- Don’t Ignore Rhythm and Rhymes
Using rhymes to create a unique business name is a trusted way to ignite your creativity. Company names that rhyme are generally attractive, catchy, and melodious.
Rhymes are also an excellent method to convey your company’s good brand identity and establish a pleasant business tone. Using rhyming words will give your company a joyful, young, and contemporary touch.
Rhymezone.com is a fantastic resource for finding alternative words that rhyme with your company’s name. GrubHub, Mars Cars, World of Warcraft, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Krispy Kreme are just a few examples of brands that used Rhymes to their advantage.
- Use Prefixes and Suffixes to Your Advantages
If you’ve already identified a standard root word that encapsulates your company’s basic values. Adding a catchy prefix or suffix is one strategy to turn it into a distinctive brand name.
Prefixes such as ‘my,’ ‘we,’ ‘meta,’ and ‘you,’ as well as suffixes such as ‘home,’ ‘now,’ ‘central,’ and ‘street,’ are all brilliant options. Also, adjectives such as ‘smart,’ ‘micro,’ and ‘best,’ as well as foreign words such as ‘mono,’ ‘Ubi (when),’ ‘bis(twice),’ ‘io (I in Italian),’ or ‘pax (peace)’ are all great options.
Shopify, Spotify, WeWork, BestBuy, Grammarly, and Onesies are just a few examples of brand names that were created using prefixes and suffixes.
- Using Metaphors
Another effective method for creating a memorable brand name is to use metaphors. Apple, Amazon, Nike, and Red Bull are examples of successful metaphoric brand names.
Finding a concrete word—with deep meaning—that represents your company’s values is the ideal route to choosing a business name metaphor. Metaphoric names offer your consumers a sense of what they may hope from your business and the position you want to play in their life.
Keep in mind that the best metaphorical word for your brand is one that can connect your company, products, and users.
One reason why metaphorical names like Nike, RedBull, Apple, and Amazon are so beloved is that customers can easily connect with these names seeing that the ancient Greek goddess of victory is Nike, Bulls are highly competitive, while an Apple is mostly part of our daily lives, and the Amazonian forest and rivers of South America are a critical part of the earth’s ecosystem.
- Communicate Your Brand’s Goals With Descriptive Words
Descriptive words are similar to metaphoric words and will help you establish a clear image of your business and the items and services it provides.
WeWorks, Beyond Meat, BestBuy, Toys ‘R’ Us, Whole Foods, and General Motors have descriptive names that effectively communicate their primary business aims. Another example is Plate Recognizer, which does automatic license plate recognition software.
However, try to come up with a unique twist while utilizing a descriptive name, as generic descriptive words may bore your audience.
- Utilize Jokes and Funny Words
Choosing funny names for your company is an excellent approach to making a positive impression on your consumers.
Careful, though, as funny names are more likely to be perceived as unprofessional and immature by certain individuals. So, ensure you’re not overdoing it.
Names like Tequila Mockingbird, Sailor Seek Horses, and Big Ass Fans are excellent instances of funny brand names.
- Try Misspelled Words
Misspelled names are popular because consumers perceive brands with these names to be stylish and trendy. But, removing a letter or tweaking how a word is spelled can save you a lot of naming headaches.
However, before picking this name, know that you’ll need to focus on developing your brand’s image, so buyers don’t make spelling or pronunciation errors.
Google, UNKNWN, Flickr, Fiverr, Digg, Reddit, and Tumblr are all cases of misspelled brand names.
- Foreign Words are Cool
Most entrepreneurs trying to build a strong brand name overlook the simple truth that countless foreign words create good brand names in English.
Words like Uber, Zappos, Lego, and Aramco are just a few examples of clever and unforgettable brand names derived from foreign words.
- Acronyms: The Best of Both Worlds
Acronyms are an exciting approach to combining the finest of the branding world. With acronyms, you can craft a brief and fascinating abbreviation of your business name that lets you preserve your name’s true meaning and also rebrand your name to whatever you desire.
Companies like Slack, which stands for ‘Searchable Log of All Conversion and Knowledge,’ and YAHOO, which stands for ‘Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle,’ are two of our favorite acronym-based companies’ names. IBM, BP, HP, UPS, and BMW are some more famous acronym-based business names.
Brainstorm Options
Brainstorming an ideal brand name is a difficult task that requires intense dedication, and we’re convinced that these tips we’ve shared here will assist you in finding the right name for your company.
Grant Polachek is the head of branding for Squadhelp.com, 3X Inc 5000 startup and disruptive naming agency. Squadhelp has reviewed more than 1 million names and curated a collection of the best available names on the web today. We are also the world’s leading crowdsource naming platform, supporting clients such as Nestle, Dell, Nuskin, and AutoNation.
