Choosing a New Brand Name: Process and Pitfalls
Naming a brand is deceptively difficult.
A name must be memorable, meaningful, legally available, domain-friendly, and work across cultures and contexts. The perfect name in a brainstorm session often fails legal screening. The available names often feel like compromises. And unlike logos or taglines, names are extremely difficult to change once established.
This guide covers the brand naming process from initial criteria through final selection, including common pitfalls that derail naming projects.
Why Naming Matters
The Weight of a Name
A brand name carries significant weight because it is the most frequently used brand element. It is what customers search for online and tell others about. It forms the foundation of your domain and social media presence. And it is often unchangeable once the business is established and equity has been built.
Names differ from other brand elements because of this permanence. Logos and taglines can be updated relatively easily. Names require fundamental business transition that affects everything from legal documents to customer recognition.
When Naming Is Necessary
Situations requiring naming include new business launches where no name exists, full rebrands that include name change, mergers or acquisitions that create new entities, product or service spin-offs that need their own identity, geographic or category expansion that requires name adaptation, and legal issues that make current name unusable.
When to avoid name change is equally important to consider. Avoid changing names when the current name has strong equity that would be difficult to rebuild. Avoid name change when it is not strategically necessary because the costs and risks may not justify the benefits. Avoid name change when resources are insufficient for the full transition that a new name requires.
A thorough assessment should precede name change decisions to ensure the investment is justified.
Types of Brand Names
Descriptive Names
Descriptive names describe what the business does. Examples include General Motors, The Container Store, and Toys "R" Us. Each name tells you immediately what the company offers.
Advantages of descriptive names include immediate category communication that requires no explanation. They can help with SEO because the business category is included in the name.
Disadvantages include difficulty achieving strong trademark protection because generic terms are hard to protect. Descriptive names limit future expansion if the business moves beyond the described category. And they tend to have a generic feel that does not stand out from competitors.
Invented or Abstract Names
Invented names are completely made up with no prior meaning. Examples include Google, Kodak, and Xerox. These names meant nothing before the companies gave them meaning.
Advantages of invented names include high distinctiveness that sets you apart from any competitor. They offer strong trademark potential because no one else has claim to the word. And they carry no existing associations that might conflict with your positioning.
Disadvantages include requiring significant investment to build meaning since the name communicates nothing on its own. There is no inherent communication of what you do. And there is risk of mispronunciation or confusion about spelling.
Evocative Names
Evocative names suggest a quality or feeling without describing directly. Examples include Amazon suggesting vast selection, Nike connecting to victory through the Greek goddess, and Apple suggesting approachable technology.
Advantages of evocative names include being memorable and distinctive while also communicating brand essence. They offer strong trademark potential because the connection to your category is indirect.
Disadvantages include connections that may not be obvious to all audiences. They require some explanation initially before the association becomes widely understood. And they can feel forced if the connection between name and brand is too tenuous.
Founder or Personal Names
Founder names are based on real people who started or own the business. Examples include Ford, Dell, and Johnson & Johnson.
Advantages include personal connection that humanizes the brand. They are often available for trademark because personal names are unique. And they carry heritage feel that suggests tradition and longevity.
Disadvantages include being tied to individual reputation, which creates risk if that reputation is damaged. They may feel dated if the founder is no longer associated with the business. And they create succession and sale complications when ownership changes.
Acronym or Initialism Names
Acronym names use initials or abbreviations. Examples include IBM, BMW, and UPS.
Advantages include being short and efficient, easy to say and remember once established. They can sound professional and corporate.
Disadvantages include having no inherent meaning that communicates what you do. They are hard to remember initially before significant brand building. And they are forgettable without major investment in establishing the acronym.
Compound or Portmanteau Names
Compound names combine two words or parts into a new word. Examples include Microsoft, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Advantages include the ability to communicate multiple concepts in a single word. They are often unique because the combination is new. And they can be memorable because of the creative combination.
Disadvantages include feeling manufactured or forced. They risk sounding dated if the naming convention becomes associated with a particular era. And their appeal can be trend-dependent.
The Naming Process
Step 1: Define Naming Criteria
Before generating names, establish the criteria against which names will be evaluated.
Strategic criteria clarify what the name must communicate and what feeling it should evoke. They determine what naming style fits the brand and what the name should definitely not communicate.
Practical criteria address length constraints, pronunciation requirements, international considerations for target markets, domain requirements, and trademark considerations.
An example criteria brief might specify that the name must be two to three syllables, easy to spell and pronounce, work in both English and Spanish, feel modern without being trendy, suggest innovation without tech cliches, and have a .com domain available or purchasable. It would also specify what the name must not do, such as sounding like direct competitors, limiting future product expansion, or requiring explanation to pronounce.
Step 2: Name Generation
Brainstorming approaches vary depending on your brand and category.
Word association starts with brand attributes and explores related words, synonyms, and metaphors that connect to your positioning.
Linguistic exploration investigates word roots from Latin and Greek, foreign language words, and combining forms that could create new words.
Category convention study examines naming patterns in your category and adjacent categories to understand what works and what is overdone.
Word manipulation combines words, modifies spellings, and creates portmanteaus to generate unique options.
The quantity goal should be generating one hundred or more candidates initially. Quantity enables quality by giving you more options to evaluate and refine.
Organized generation creates name candidates in categories including descriptive names, abstract names, evocative names, compound names, and modified real words. This organization ensures you explore diverse approaches rather than getting stuck in one direction.
Step 3: Initial Screening
First-pass filters quickly eliminate obviously problematic options.
Quick Google search reveals whether the name is already used prominently, what associations come up, and whether there are problematic uses you should avoid.
Domain check determines whether the exact .com is available, whether it is purchasable if taken, and what alternatives exist.
Pronunciation test confirms whether people can say it correctly the first time, whether spelling is obvious from hearing it, and whether there are unfortunate pronunciations.
The goal is reducing one hundred or more names to twenty to thirty candidates worthy of deeper evaluation.
Step 4: Linguistic Analysis
Detailed evaluation examines remaining candidates more closely.
Meaning check investigates what the name means in other languages, whether there are unintended associations, and whether it works across all target markets.
Sound analysis considers how the name sounds when spoken, whether it is pleasant to say, and whether it has good feel when pronounced.
Spelling analysis identifies whether multiple spellings are possible, whether people will misspell it, and whether it is searchable.
The goal is reducing to ten to fifteen strong candidates for legal screening.
Step 5: Preliminary Trademark Search
Before investing in full legal search, conduct knockout screening.
Knockout search reviews the USPTO trademark database, international trademark databases if relevant, and common law sources including business registrations and domains.
What to look for includes identical or very similar names, registrations in the same category or class, and similar names in related categories that could create confusion.
The goal is reducing to five to eight candidates worthy of full legal search investment.
Step 6: Full Trademark Clearance
Professional legal search through a trademark attorney provides comprehensive clearance.
The search covers federal trademark database, state registrations, common law uses, international registrations if needed, domain registrations, and social media handles.
Outcome options include clear with no conflicts found, moderate risk with some conflicts that are manageable, and high risk with significant conflicts that make the name inadvisable.
The goal is identifying three to five legally viable candidates for final selection.
Step 7: Stakeholder Testing
Internal testing presents finalists to leadership, gathers feedback on criteria fit, and identifies concerns or objections.
External testing, which is optional but recommended, includes customer perception research, A/B testing where possible, and focus groups or surveys.
Testing questions explore what the name makes people think of, how they would spell it after hearing it, whether it fits the category, and whether it feels appropriate for the intended positioning.
Step 8: Final Selection
Score finalists against original criteria, considering strategic fit with highest weight, legal availability, domain availability, stakeholder preference, and research results.
Making the call requires recognizing that names are subjective. Someone must decide, and perfect consensus rarely exists. At some point, analysis must end and commitment must begin.
Domain Strategy
Domain Priorities
The ideal domain is ExactName.com with exact match between brand name and domain.
Acceptable alternatives include ExactNameHQ.com, GetExactName.com, ExactName plus category word with .com, and country-code top-level domains like .co or .io.
Domains to avoid include hyphens which create confusion, unusual extensions for serious businesses, and numbers substituted for words.
Domain Acquisition
If the exact .com domain is taken, check whether it is for sale through registrar aftermarkets, domain marketplaces like Sedo or Afternic, or direct outreach to the current owner.
Evaluate alternatives by considering whether a modified domain is acceptable, whether an alternative extension is viable for your business, and whether domain acquisition is worth the premium required.
Budget reality is that good .com domains for real words cost thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Budget accordingly and factor domain acquisition into overall naming costs.
Common Naming Pitfalls
Process Pitfalls
Skipping legal search leads to falling in love with a name before checking availability. The fix is conducting knockout search early, before emotional attachment develops.
Committee naming with too many decision-makers creates compromise names that satisfy no one fully. The fix is defining criteria upfront and limiting final decision-makers.
Insufficient options means choosing from too few candidates. The fix is generating one hundred or more names and maintaining five or more finalists through the selection process.
Strategic Pitfalls
Trend-chasing produces names that sound current but will date quickly. The fix is aiming for timeless over trendy.
Over-limiting creates names that constrain future growth. The fix is considering where the business might go in ten years.
Competitor similarity creates names too close to established competitors. The fix is actively differentiating in naming style.
Practical Pitfalls
Pronunciation problems create names people cannot say or spell correctly. The fix is testing with real people unfamiliar with the name.
International issues create names with unfortunate meanings elsewhere. The fix is researching in all target markets before finalizing.
Domain afterthoughts mean finalizing the name then struggling with domain. The fix is including domain in selection criteria from the start.
Name Change Transition
When Changing Existing Name
If rebrand includes name change, several transition considerations apply.
Plan for a "formerly" period where messaging references the old name to help customers connect the old and new identities. Develop redirect and SEO strategy to protect search visibility. Create a customer communication plan to explain the change. Begin the legal name change process.
Timing is important because name changes need longer transition than visual updates. Plan six to twelve months for full implementation.
Protecting the New Name
Immediate steps include registering trademark to protect the name legally, securing domain to establish web presence, claiming social handles across all relevant platforms, registering variations and misspellings to prevent confusion and cybersquatting, and setting up monitoring for infringement.
Naming Checklist
Before Starting
Define strategic criteria that the name must meet. Determine naming style that fits your brand. Clarify domain requirements. Identify geographic considerations for international markets. Establish budget for domain acquisition.
During Generation
Generate one hundred or more candidates. Explore multiple naming styles. Complete initial Google search for obvious conflicts. Check basic domain availability. Identify obvious pronunciation issues.
During Selection
Complete knockout trademark search. Perform linguistic analysis. Check international meaning in target markets. Conduct full legal search for finalists. Gather stakeholder feedback.
After Selection
File trademark application. Secure domain. Claim social handles. Register variation domains. Establish monitoring for infringement.
The Bottom Line
Brand naming is a process, not an inspiration.
Keys to success include defining criteria before generating options so you know what you are looking for. Generate many options before evaluating to ensure you have quality candidates. Check legal availability early and thoroughly to avoid investing in unavailable names. Test with real people to validate assumptions. Make a decision and commit rather than endlessly deliberating.
The perfect name rarely exists. The goal is a strong name that meets criteria, is legally available, and can be built into something meaningful over time.
Names do not make brands. Brands make names meaningful.
Working on a naming project? Book a free CRO audit and we'll discuss your naming criteria, evaluate options, and help you develop a name that positions your brand for success.
