How To Name Your Startup
The ultimate startup naming guide by branding strategists and business experts. Get inspiration for your startup name and learn expert tips on how to shortlist your best ideas. Be sure to try our startup name generator before you start!
Video Tutorial for Creating Startup Name
Unique Startup Name Ideas
If you are considering starting a business, it’s wise to use a startup name generator to help you come up with a unique and creative business name. Here are 20 unique names you can use based on actual companies.
- Floria
- OpTech
- Dream9
- samespace
- Findr
- Stack
- Lanlink
- Connex
- Limited
- SmartLink
- hexa digital
- Bendr
- Expedyte
- simpletech
- InterV
- Veriphy
- playhub
- PeakForcee
- WANlink
- LOGYK
Startup name generators are a vital tool that helps companies choose the proper names for their businesses.
For example, if you are starting a tech company and wish to select cool names, consider a startup name generator.
With the startup name generator, you can determine whether your preferred name is available before you start using it.
This will save you the headache of choosing another name after realizing that you have picked one that is already in use, which will cost you time and resources.
How top Startups create an appealing brand name
Creating unique startup name ideas is never easy.
The right name helps position your startup, it helps tell your story, and it should be available.
Finding a name that does all this is extremely hard.
That’s why some startups spend a lot of time and money on finding the right name for themselves.
There are three different ways most startups approach the process of selecting their business name.
1. They create the name internally.
They usually create a task force of a team that is in charge of creating the name.
Sometimes, it’s the founder that creates the name if the startup doesn’t have any employees.
This approach is often time-consuming. Since people in the team aren’t trained in brainstorming name ideas, it usually takes a lot of time before they agree on a name.
It’s vitally important that startups that take this approach ensure that the name they create can be legally used.
They should hire a trademarking attorney to give them the green light to use the name. You can use our startup name generator if you’re creating your name internally.
2. They buy existing names from domain marketplaces.
A popular website that lists startup names for sale is domainify.com.
The great thing about this approach is that you can see a lot of different names before making a decision.
The downside is that you have to check if the names can be legally used.
Owning a domain name doesn’t mean you own any rights to the business name.
You have to check if the name is already trademarked.
3. They hire naming consultants and agencies to do the work for them.
This approach is great for startups that can afford the fees associated with the approach.
Naming consultants and agencies cost money. The positive side is that they can help you save a lot of time.
There are many companies out there that offer these kinds of services. As you see, there are different ways to approach naming your company.
If you’re a small startup with limited resources, creating a name on your own is probably the best way.
I strongly suggest that you use our startup name generator.
It will help you save time so you can focus on growing your business.
How to Name a Startup
Using a startup name generator can help you quickly develop cool names that will resonate with your customers.
Our name generator is made specifically for startups. This ensures it provides relevant and interesting names that follow the latest trends in the startup world.
It’s the best option if you want a modern name that sounds and looks great.
You want your name to be easily recognized and appealing since this can result in more products for your company.
There are a few things you need to consider when picking the right name for your startup.
We gathered some of the things you need to be aware of when creating startup names.
Following these tips will help you create the best possible names for your startup.
It’s more than first impressions
Your brand name gives the first impression of your business. This changes as your brand grow.
The more people know about your startup the more they start noticing other things that define your brand.
But your name still remains the introduction to each new person (or business) that does business with you.
Because other brand elements gain importance over time, you need to make sure that the name you pick works with them.
The last thing you want to end up with is a name that doesn’t fit what your brand has become.
Consider your name as the first thing your potential customers know about you. And make sure it’s in cohesion with everything your brand stands for.
First impressions matter, but they are worthless if they don’t paint the right picture about your brand.
Keep it short, sweet, and memorable
The best startups names in the world are easy to write, pronounce, and remember. Think of some of your favorite startups and list down their names.
There’s a good chance they have these things in common. The more complicated the brand name, the harder it is to remember.
You have to make it easy for potential clients to remember your brand. You don’t want to be the startup that no one remembers.
If you want a strong following and create loyal customers, you need to keep your brand name simple and likable.
Short names are usually very easy to remember. But you also have to make sure they are simple and easy to spell and pronounce.
Startups often make the mistake of picking a short name for the sake of having a short name.
A very short will do more harm than good if it’s hard to spell and remember.
The bottom line is this – make your name as memorable as possible.
Research Your Sector
Every good brainstorming session starts with research. We suggest you start by researching existing names in your sector.
List down some of the big players in your market. Chances are you’ll notice trends and common words that companies use.
This will help you pick the name that helps you position your startup.
Do you want to stand out from your competition? Pick words and name types that are different from existing brand names in the market.
Do you want to blend in and position your startup as one of the big players in the market?
Pick popular words and copy name types of other companies in your sector.
Keep in mind that you have to legally check all names before you start using them.
You don’t want to be breaching any existing trademarks and get your startup into legal trouble.
It’s usually best to hire a trademark attorney if you have the funds for it.
They will help you research trademark databases and they will tell you if you can use the name that you picked for your startup.
Get Feedback
Once you have a list of a few cool startup names, discuss them with potential customers or people working within that industry to get their opinion and feedback.
Ask them what comes to mind when they hear a particular name. This will help you determine if the names you picked represent the brand you’re building.
We don’t recommend asking your family and friends for feedback.
They are not your potential clients and they will probably have a hard time giving you objective feedback since they are too personally involved.
Keep in mind that you will never find a name that gets the thumbs up from anyone.
This is almost impossible to do. The more people you ask, the more likely they are to disagree.
We suggest you limit the number of people you ask for feedback to ten people. This is enough to give you solid results yet not too much to overwhelm you.
Avoid Limiting Names
Don’t choose a name that limits your business to one product or service.
Instead, go for a brandable name that can accommodate your business growth without losing its meaning.
Your startup will grow and you will start adding services and products to your offering.
You might even completely pivot the company and start something completely different.
Having a name that is tied to a single product or city can be very limiting in that case.
Brandable names are usually very memorable and can be used for almost any service or product.
They capture the personality of your brand instead of explaining what you sell.
Your startup is a new company. Keep this in mind when creating names.
And remember that there’s a good chance that your company will change as it grows.
Best Startup Names 2021
In this section, I’ll break down a list of notable startups and help you get a better idea of why the name works and ideas on how you can produce a name relevant to your own startup.
AimBrain
This company works with biometric authentication. Facial, voice, and behavioral recognition.
It was primarily developed for banks to help prevent fraud. It is an intelligent system that you control, thus the use of the term brain.
The name is easy to remember and spell. The name takes away some of the seriousness behind the product.
As a back-end system to prevent serious banking fraud the light-hearted nature of the name could be limiting in its growth.
Oxbotica
This is a startup developing autonomous vehicles.
The first part of the name is Ox, based on the companies located in, Oxford England. ‘Botica’ derives from robotics.
One thing to note in this name is that without knowing where they are based the ‘Ox’ a the beginning could relate to other things, like the animal.
This abbreviated place name mixed into a compound word makes a phonetically interesting word, that is easy to remember and unique, but the meaning behind it doesn’t hold up under closer scrutiny.
Rootine
This company cleverly tailors supplements to their customers based on genetic data. The name is the smart combination of root and routine.
Root in this instance refers to both the natural ingredients of the supplements, plus suggests the company is addressing the ‘root’ of the issue.
‘Routine’ refers to the supplements becoming part of your daily routine.
However, the purposeful misspelling will mean explaining how to spell it to potential customers and investors.
Graphcore
Developing a powerful IPU accelerator for AI applications.
This compound word uses the terms ‘graph’ and ‘core’. ‘Graph’ in the name refers to graphic and ‘core’ implies an internal, central computing system.
It also implies essential.
Improbable
A startup developing a comprehensive platform for creating virtual and alternative reality applications.
The name refers to the improbable nature of virtual reality, as well as suggesting the company is doing something improbable.
It is easy to remember, short and isn’t restrictive at all.
The Clear Cut
This is a New York startup that offers a service to consumers to design their own engagement rings.
Clear refers to the color of diamonds and cut refers to the action of shaping precious gems for jewelry.
The name doesn’t restrict them to just engagement rings, meaning down the line they could easily expand to creating high-end luxury personalized jewelry.
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