“The name needs to be short.” “The name can’t be hard to pronounce.” “It has to have no more than two words.” If you’ve ever looked for tips on how to name your company, chances are you’ve come across phrases like these. Ready-made rules, straightforward, but do they actually make any sense? The truth is, little rules about what names should be aren’t the beginning of this story. You need to understand the company first and, from there, begin a journey full of whys and what-ifs.
“Audiences will better remember a name
if they understand its rationale.”
Lori Kapner
The name isn’t a technical detail, it’s strategic and emotional. Very often, it’s the first thing someone learns about your business. And you obviously want that first impression to be impactful. So forget, for a moment, the idea that names must be short and simple and come along with us. The good news is that freeing yourself from rigid little rules opens up many paths to finding the ideal name and that’s exactly what we’ll explore in this article.
1 – The Book Title
Imagine your company’s name as the title of a book. It’s much easier to come up with a good title when we already know the whole story. And with companies, it’s the same. Before trying to find “the perfect name,” it’s essential to look closely at that story. What were the first chapters of your company? What products or services does it offer? Who are the people it delights? What do they say after experiencing what you deliver? What differentiators make your business unique? Answering those questions helps uncover keywords and ideas that are closely tied to the name you’re seeking.
In our Beloved Brand project for Plumita, a child and adolescent psychology clinic, the name needed to convey the individuality of each child. The choice came from the word “pluma” (feather), which evokes the lightness of the feeling of being able to be who you are, and it gained a diminutive ending: Plumita. An invented name, with a pleasing sound, that connects with children and teens and carries the metaphor of flight and a little bird’s feather because, with emotional support, every child can flap their wings and fly in their own unique way.
The name Plumita is light, made to embrace each child’s unique way. See the full project.
2 – A Name and a Short Explanation
Sometimes, a very common doubt arises when choosing a more creative name: “What if people don’t understand it?” This insecurity makes sense because everyone wants the company name to be understood. But there’s a very effective way to solve this: the tagline. The tagline is that short phrase that appears next to the name. It’s like a hint for whoever sees the name, because it says: “this company does this”. This resource brings freedom to be bold in choosing the name because, even if it’s more abstract or symbolic, the tagline will be there, as a point of support, offering context.
An example is the name Catapulle, which we created for a marketing course company. The word is a playful take on “catapult”, but with a soft and friendly ending, “pulle”, that also sounds like the word “jump” in Portuguese. The word evokes movement, a leap of growth. And the tagline accompanying the name is: “marketing for growth”. This way, the name gains more meaning. Anyone reading it quickly understands the segment and proposition of the business. This type of combination, creative name with a short explanation, helps a lot when choosing the name, as it brings together personality with clarity, the best of two worlds.
+ Also read – Is It the right Time to Invest in My Brand Design?
Catapulle is a name full of movement, accompanied by the tagline “marketing for growth”. See the full project.
3 – Too Similar
When choosing a name for your business, a fundamental step that can even be fun is research. Browsing through social media, exploring search engines, and observing how other businesses in the same industry name themselves helps you understand the landscape where your brand will fit. This investigation reveals something important: many businesses end up choosing names that, although different on paper, sound very similar. This happens because people tend to follow paths they already know, repeating popular formulas without realizing it. But a truly beloved brand asks for something more: its own shine. And this is one of the most interesting moments of a naming project, when we manage to create a name that truly stands out in that segment.
That’s what happened with the luxury second-hand store that operated for a while under the name “Espichei”. The name referred to the rapid growth of children, an idea that many second-hand kids’ stores already explore. But the business dreamed of something unique and sought us out to find this new path. We then created the name Herdei o Look (I Inherited the Look), which brings a new meaning: it communicates that the clothes have emotional value, as if they were small heirlooms passed between generations. Seeing this concept born, take shape, and move those who receive it is one of the most rewarding parts of a project like this. This name also moved a jury of experts in the field, as it was featured on the shortlist of the Brazil Design Award 2022 in the Naming category.
Herdei o Look is a unique name was featured in the 2022 Brasil Design Award shortlist, in the Naming category. See the full project.
4 – Many Possibilities
Choosing a name is a process full of discoveries, but it also requires some practical considerations. After all, it’s not enough to find a name that’s beautiful, creative, and full of meaning. It’s important that the name can actually be used officially by your business. In Brazil, name registration happens at INPI, the National Institute of Industrial Property. It’s there that we find out if someone else is already using the name you’ve chosen. The process can be quite technical, with terms like “Boolean search” and “fuzzy”, which are not always easy to understand. That’s why it’s worth getting help from a specialized lawyer to ensure everything is in order. In our naming projects, we always assess the registrability of names before sending them out. And for this reason, we never create just one option; we create multiple possibilities so that the decision can be made with confidence.
In the project for Förena, for example, we were overjoyed to find a name with a delicate sound and a deep meaning. “Förena” is a Swedish word meaning ‘to unite’ or ‘to combine’. It reflects the brand’s proposal to care for the skin with a few products but many functions, blending technology and practicality. Only after confirming that the name was available for use did it become the official name of the brand. And what if it hadn’t? There were other ideas prepared, with analysis ready to go. That’s why having options is so important to speed up the process.
+ Also read – Cents or Millions? How Much Should I Expect to Pay for a Brand Design?
Förena is a Swedish word and carries meanings like unite, combine, bring together. Perfectly aligned with what the brand does. See the full project.
5 – You Need to Test the Name
Choosing a name involves emotion and strategy as well. But, it’s also important to put the name into motion. In other words: you need to test it. Before making your final decision, it’s worth imagining what it would be like to live with this name in the day-to-day operations of the company. How does it sound over the phone? How does it look in an introductory email or on a business card? Does it reflect the essence of your brand? Does it connect with the audience you want to reach? This testing phase can be invaluable. Ask your team, trusted clients, or business partners for feedback. See how each name is received, whether it’s easy to understand, spell, and pronounce. Ask: What does this name communicate to you? Which one was easier to remember? These tests help you notice nuances that might not be obvious just by looking at the names on the screen. More importantly, they make the decision-making process more collective, more in tune with reality, and more connected to the people who truly matter: the ones your brand wants to enchant.
That’s exactly what happened in the Opulim project, a company that creates creative children’s parties offering a unique proposal in the market. When we sent the first version of the brand, the client had some doubts. She told us that “it took a while to decide” and that she needed to talk to others before moving forward. She consulted people close to her and realized something important: they all shared the same perception and opinion as she did. The external validation strengthened her intuition, and then she wrote to us: “Opulim is unique!” In this case, seeking other opinions helped bring clarity and confidence to a more informed decision.
+ Also Read – Use Your Own Name for Your Business or Create a New One?
Opulim’s brand grew stronger through careful listening, validating the company’s heart. See the full project.
Conclusion: How to Choose the Ideal Name?
Creating a company name is a journey with a lot to take into consideration. There’s no magic formula, what exists is a process of discovery. It all starts with clarity about the company’s story, like writing a book before thinking about the title. Then, it’s time to think of names that open up possibilities, always with the support of a tagline to explain what the brand does. It’s also important to ensure the name is unique, stands out in the market, and can be safely registered. Finally, nothing replaces testing it with real people, listening, observing, and feeling how the name resonates is essential for making a confident choice.
A good name doesn’t happen by chance. If you’re feeling that choosing your company’s name is harder than you imagined, take a deep breath. Finding a name that represents everything your brand is can indeed be a challenge. But the good news is that there are professionals who love doing this and are here to help, like us. We work on Naming projects and would love to take on this passion-filled mission with you!
+ Also Read – Brasil Design Award: Naming and Branding Projects on the Shortlist
And you? Have you already created your company name? Did you have doubts along the way, struggle between options, or get stuck when it was time to decide? That’s more common than it seems, and we love helping businesses come up with beloved names. Does your business need one? Let’s create it together, request a proposal!