“I’ve had a thousand ideas, I’ve racked my brain, and I still haven’t found the perfect name for my business”. If you’ve been through this before, you’re in the right place. Choosing a business name often turns out to be way harder than it looks. That’s exactly why there’s a whole multidisciplinary field dedicated to this process: Naming. We create names professionally, but we understand that many people try to tackle this step on their own or with the help of someone close. After all, naming your company, that is also your dream, feels deeply personal.
“We believe that names need to be provocative. Even the most complicated messages can be distilled into a form that grabs people’s attention and holds it.”
Danny Altman
To make things a bit more complicated, it’s important to remember that your company’s name also needs to be eligible for registration, in other words, it must guarantee exclusive rights of use. There are several authorities responsible for trademark registration worldwide. In Brazil, it is handled by the Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI); in the European Union, by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO); in the United States, by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); and in China, by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).
So now what? How do you choose a name that makes your company stand out while also making sure it can be officially used? Before answering these and other questions, you need to understand a few key concepts and that’s what we’ll cover in this article.
1 – Watch out for what’s called a “weak trademark”
If we had to choose just one word to explain what makes a name legally protectable, it would be this: differentiation. Having a unique name helps your business stand out in the market and it also increases your chances of securing legal protection. But not every name can do that. If the name is too generic, purely descriptive, or just something people hear all the time, it might work for communication, but it usually won’t pass the trademark registration process. That’s what’s known as a weak trademark names that simply aren’t distinctive enough to be protected by the INPI (Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property).
But how can you tell if the name you’re considering has this issue? “A weak trademark” is one that directly describes what your business does, without any uniqueness. For example, “Good Tire” for a tire shop, “Projects” for an architecture firm, “Japan House” for a Japanese restaurant, or “Dry” for a diaper brand. These examples were shared by trademark attorney Moysés Remma, and they clearly illustrate what we should avoid. So here’s our advice: try to avoid names that describe exactly what your business does, in the same way everyone else already does. It might seem simple and straightforward, but this path almost always closes the door to trademark registration.
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2 – Naming: the power of the “magic word”
Now that you understand what a weak trademark is, the next question naturally follows: So how do I come up with a strong name that actually has a chance of being registered? One possible answer lies in what we affectionately call magic words. These are names made from words that don’t really exist as we know them, they’re often born from a fusion of other words, a new expression, or even a completely invented term. The magic happens when this new name comes to represent only your company: the originality that weak trademarks from the previous topic lack. This kind of choice brings two big advantages. First, your business name gets a unique identity, which makes it stand out much more in the market. And second, the chances of successfully registering the name increase significantly.
When we created the name Orbitato, the goal was to bring a sense of lightness to a topic that usually feels quite heavy: financial management. The name is a fusion of “órbita” (orbit) and “tato” (touch), suggesting a gentle kind of guidance, someone who helps place a business on the right path with sensitivity. This name didn’t exist before, but it was born to belong to this company alone. And from the very beginning, it already carried a piece of the brand’s purpose: to turn financial chaos into something smooth and natural, like a planet in motion. Orbitato is a magic word because it’s unique, memorable, fits the service perfectly and was successfully registered.
+ Also read – Naming: How to Pick the Ideal Name for Your Company
Orbitato is a name created as a magic word. See the full project.
3 – What is a tagline and why does it make a difference?
Some names are beautiful, catchy, and unique, but they don’t really say much about what the company does. What makes the difference in these cases is using a tagline, a short word or phrase that accompanies the name and makes the proposition clearer from the very start. A tagline works as a strategic complement. It can help your business position itself better, explain what it does, and connect more quickly with people who are encountering your brand for the first time. A tagline is different from a slogan, which is typically used in specific campaigns and can change over time. A tagline, on the other hand, tends to stay the same and accompanies the name across various brand materials. It becomes part of the identity. But there are also cases where a slogan becomes so successful that it turns into the official tagline, like Nike’s famous “Just do it”.
A good example of this is the Fatéri project. The name comes from Latin and means “admitem” (to admit). It sounds beautiful, is unique, and strong, but on its own, it doesn’t reveal what the company does. That’s where the tagline comes in: “gluten-free life”. With this short phrase, the brand’s proposition becomes clear: Fatéri is a bakery and snack bar that is entirely gluten-free and free from cross-contamination. The tagline captures the brand’s mission in a few words, creating a bridge between the name and the company’s value proposition.
Fatéri is a Latin word that means “admits”. A name that invites people to live a gluten-free life. See the full project.
4 – What are the Nice Classifications?
When you think about protecting your company’s name, it’s important to know that the registration depends not only on the name itself but also on the area where your business operates. This is because the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property) organizes registrations into classes, representing different market sectors. These are the Nice Classifications. It’s worth mentioning that the Nice Classifications are not unique to Brazil. Many countries around the world, including the United States, the European Union, and others, also adopt this classification system when needed. This makes international brand protection much more organized and consistent across different markets. The good news is that, thanks to this system, two businesses can have the same name as long as they operate in different segments and there is no confusion for consumers. This may seem like a technical detail, but it makes all the difference to ensure the safe and exclusive use of your brand where it really matters: in your field of operation.
It’s the same principle we applied when creating the name Plumita, a psychology clinic for children and adolescents. Since the service is related to healthcare, the registrability search considered Class 44, which includes medical and psychological services. After registration, the business was protected and secure to keep growing, just the way it believes and desires. Now, if another company wanted to use the name Plumita to sell clothes, for example, it could register under Class 25, which is for the apparel industry. Since these are very different fields, it’s unlikely that someone would confuse a psychology clinic with a fashion brand. In this case, both could coexist in the register, each with its own business, without interfering with each other.
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Light as a feather, strong as a well-registered name. Plumita is a child psychology clinic protected under Class 44. See the full project.
5 – Specialized help in naming makes a difference
Choosing your company’s name involves research, creativity, cultural repertoire, and attention to technical details. And it’s perfectly okay if that feels like too much to handle on your own. That’s exactly why there are professionals prepared to walk this path with you. On the creative side, working with a specialized Naming team (like ours) ensures the name is compelling, aligned with your brand, and full of potential to win people over. On the legal side, you need specialized guidance to assess whether the name is strong enough to be registered, advise you on the Nice Classification classes, and guide you safely through the entire process.
When you choose to do your Naming project with us, the technical side is already included. We work with partner legal advisors throughout the whole process, so you don’t have to worry about any of that. Once the name is defined, we deliver everything ready for registration and, if you’d like, we can also recommend trusted professionals to support you through this final step.
+ Also Read – Use Your Own Name for Your Business or Create a New One?
Conclusion
Choosing your company’s name is an important step to ensure your brand has identity, authenticity, and the security it needs to grow. As we’ve seen throughout this article, there are several details that deserve attention before making the final choice, from avoiding a weak name to understanding which Nice Classification classes your business will operate in. And yes, all of this might seem a bit complex at first. But you don’t have to go through it alone. We create names that connect, that inspire, and that have the technical attention necessary to go far. We’ve created award-winning projects that have won the hearts of many, and we take pride in seeing each of them flourishing out there.
And you, how has this process been for you? Do you already have a name or are you looking for a creative, unique, and registrable name? If you’d like, we can create that together. Request a proposal!