How to Name a Startup

You've taken the time to write a strong business plan for your business, so use your mission statement to hone in on the brand and image you want to portray. Come up with a list of keywords that best portrays the core of your company's mission.

Consider your customers' demographics, backgrounds, hobbies, and what they do on a daily basis. Make a list of keywords that describe the key themes that you find.

Skim through dictionaries and thesauruses, go through social media, look into movie and book titles, and use online name generators to build a visual list of keywords.

There are many ways to combine keywords to create mashups. You can use real words, misspell your keywords, create compound names, use phrases or blends, or use abstract words. Also try using a play on words, being metaphorical, using visuals, using foreign words or words with Latin, Greek, or Anglo origins, being poetic, or combining random words with an ampersand.

You can create entirely new words by adding prefixes, such as a-, be-, co-, de-, ex-, in-, un-, se-, and re-, or by adding suffixes such as -y, -ar, -o, -or, -sy, -out, -ed, -us, -oo, -ty, -ery, -er, -is, -a, -d, -ly, and -ory.

You can make it easier to find available domain names by swapping out letters or taking some out of your keyword. For example, the company Flickr simply removed a vowel. This is a great idea as constructed names are generally easier to trademark.

Even though your startup may be focused on something specific at present, in the future, you may want to expand. Avoid names that focus on a specific aspect or direction of your company, whether it's the product, location, or target market. Instead, aim for an allusion to create a more compelling name, but don't choose something that is random or obscure. Keep it relevant.

Avoid limiting yourself to a particular location by not using a specific town, city, or country in your business name. Instead, consider using a street name if you want to anchor your business geographically.

Long names are harder to remember, so simplicity is key. Try to limit your name to 5 to 10 characters, such as with companies like Apple, Nike, Nikon, and RayBan.

Avoid common names and aim instead for originality. You will want your name to be recognizable on its own without any confusion or association with other companies. Psychologically speaking, people also tend to look for companies that stand out from the crowd.

Research has shown that companies are often more successful when they have simple and human-sounding names. This is because you can make a deeper connection with your customers when you have a likable first-name brand. For example, Casper is the name of a mattress company in New York.

Your brand name and logo will be tied to your marketing efforts, so consider how your brand name will translate to your logo. Consider choosing a name that is easily applied in graphic design and that will complement your logo.

An ideal business name is one that conveys something meaningful and positive related to your business. For example, Nike is the Greek goddess of victory, so when the company chose that name, they were relating their business to the idea of winning.

Create a shortlist of your top names by ranking them from 1 to 5 according to intuitive, visual, sound, and emotional value. Cull out names with poor scores.

While the name may look good on paper, it could be difficult to pronounce. Say your chosen names out loud and test how they sound. Make sure they won't be confused with other words or sound like something inappropriate.

Use an online tool to check that your chosen name has an available domain name. If someone has already purchased the .com domain name, don't settle for another extension (like .org) of the same name. If the domain name is taken, remove it from your list.

Also, search social media profiles to see which social media handles (@[name]) are being used. You will want a name that is available across all social media platforms to avoid confusion.

To avoid problems with registering your business, check the Secretary of State records to ensure that your chosen name is available and not too close to a previously registered business.

You should also perform a trademark search on uspto.gov to check the availability of your name. Register your trademark to prevent other companies from using it.

Use family and friends, as well as social media contacts and your target audience, to test out your final name selections and gather feedback. Use a quick survey to see which names people prefer.

Once you have your final selection from the feedback you received, choose a name that both you and your customers like. Buy the domain name and trademark your name to ensure no one else can use it.