Ensuring that your brand is timeless starts with the name. However, coming up with one can be tricky, as you’ve likely found out. We’ll share tips and proven creative strategies to help you create a unique, memorable name that stands out.
Whether you’re launching a new venture or rebranding, we’ll explore key elements and best practices to ensure your brand name resonates with your target audience. Let's take a closer look at the process of choosing a brand name and what you should consider to ensure it remains memorable.
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How To Create a Brand Name
Creating a strong brand name requires a blend of creativity and strategy, with your audience at the center of all of your considerations. Research shows that 59% of consumers prefer to buy products from a brand they know and trust.
Your name is one of the key brand elements that will help customers and the general public remember, recognize, and trust your business.
As you brainstorm your brand name, you need to first accomplish the following:
- Focus on your audience
- Find your brand archetype
- Reflect the tone and the function of your offering
- Check the availability of a potential business name
1. Focus on Your Audience
A Google Cloud survey showed that 82% of buyers purchase from brands whose values align with theirs. Before you can choose your brand’s values, you must first know who your brand is for. Knowing your target audience will help you:
- Find inspiration: Identify your target market’s favorite brands and draw inspiration for your own.
- Find a voice: Let your audience help you find your identity and voice. This will play an important role in name selection.
- Connect: Basing your name on your target market’s preferences will increase your brand’s likeability.
Knowledge also plays a key role in naming a brand. Brands with high-knowledge shoppers have muted names that allow customers to focus on the quality of their offerings. For example, luxury fashion brands are often named after their founders (Louboutin, Dior, Chanel), highlighting the prestige and the intrinsic quality of their items.
In contrast, brands with demographics who don’t know much about their offerings prefer to convey specific moods or associations. A straightforward, friendly name is accessible and relatable, which cultivates trust. Dollar Tree, Old Navy, and Walmart attract broad audiences and make their offerings easily understood.
2. Find Your Brand Archetype
The concept of an archetype is derived from Jungian psychology and is frequently applied to branding ideas. It refers to a universally familiar character that infuses brands with human personality traits that customers can relate to.
To apply this naming strategy, consider how your brand’s persona resembles your ideal customer profile (ICP) and the demographics you want to capture. You can choose one of the primary brand archetypes and their defining qualities:
- The Innocent (the desire for safety)
- Everyman (belonging)
- Hero (mastery)
- Outlaw (liberation)
- Explorer (freedom)
- Creator (innovation)
- Ruler (control)
- Magician (power)
- Lover (intimacy)
- Caregiver (service)
- Jester (enjoyment)
- Sage (understanding)
To find your archetype, ask yourself these questions:
- What brand values do you want to communicate?
- Is there a historical or mythical personification of the said values? (For example, Nike is also the name of the ancient Greek goddess who personified victory.)
- Do you want to exude a sense of luxury or affordability?
- What are the non-verbal and emotional associations you want to create for your brand? (For example, doves conjure images of purity and softness, which are qualities of the Innocent archetype. Dove’s logo is a golden image of a dove.)
3. Reflect the Tone and the Function of Your Offering
Your brand name can set a certain tone to build your character and attitude. Your brand tone should speak to your audience and reflect your business goals and needs. A defined tone will give you control over brand perception and recognition in the long run.

Some examples of brand tone include:
- Emotional: Brands evoke empathy, passion, nostalgia, and other strong emotions to resonate deeply with audiences on a personal or sentimental level.
- Intriguing: Clever, thought-provoking language and visuals draw audiences in by hinting at something exciting or mysterious.
- Playful: A fun, lighthearted, and humorous tone makes the brand feel approachable and carefree.
- Pragmatic: Straightforward branding focused on practicality appeals to reason and logic, providing solutions that speak to functionality and efficiency.
- Innovative: This tone uses language that highlights progress and is associated with brands pushing boundaries and revolutionizing industries.
- Prestigious: Luxury brands use refined imagery to convey sophistication and quality, appealing to customers’ aspirational desires.
4. Check the Availability of a Potential Business Name
When contemplating your new brand name, remember the importance of ensuring its availability across various platforms. Here are a few things you can do:
- Perform a domain name search with multiple providers.
- Look for companies using similar names on different channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Make sure your potential options are not trademarked.
- Think carefully about the extension of your internet domain: make .com, .net, and .org a priority, if they are available.
What Are the Different Types of Brand Names?
There are various types of brand names commonly used by businesses. A good brand naming strategy includes using these different types:
- Descriptive: These names describe the product, service, or essential features. For example, "SportsDirect" or "Pizza Hut."
- Suggestive: These suggest or evoke qualities, benefits, or associations related to the brand without directly describing it. Examples include "Netflix" and "Airbnb."
- Abstract or invented: These are made-up words or combinations of letters that do not have a specific meaning. Brands like "Google" or "Kodak" fall into this category.
- Acronymic: These are brand names formed by using initials or abbreviations of longer words. Examples include "IBM" (International Business Machines) and "BMW" (Bayerische Motoren Werke).
- Founder/personal: These use the brand’s founders' name or other important individuals associated with the company. Examples include "Ford" or "McDonald's."
- Evocative: You can also create an emotional or imaginative connection with your brand name. Brands like "Apple" or "Dove" have done this.
- Compound: Combine two or more words or industry-related terms to create a unique brand name. Examples include "Facebook" and "Snapchat."
What Makes a Good Brand Name: 3 Important Tips
Your brand name is crucial for business branding, as it sets you apart and creates a lasting impression. These tips will help you critically assess your options and guide you in your brand naming process:
- Good brand names are simple and memorable
- Successful brand names are futureproof
- Strong brand names are original
1. Good Brand Names Are Simple and Memorable
A big part of creating a powerful business identity and branding strategy is finding a name that your target audience can remember. Statistics show that simple brand names tend to perform better because they are easier to remember.
There are many examples to support this:
- Dove
- Olay
- Twix
- Pepsi
- Nike
- Reebok
- Apple
- HP
2. Successful Brand Names Are Futureproof
When coming up with brand name ideas that won’t become obsolete fast, it’s important to think about the big picture. Do not use highly specific brand terms if you’re unsure how your business will grow and evolve in the future.
For example, “Women'secret” is a very limiting name for a lingerie brand, one that would make it difficult to diversify and cater to male customers in the future. In contrast, “Amazon” is a prime example of a company that outgrew its original purpose but had a name flexible enough to encompass a highly diverse inventory it is now known for.
3. Strong Brand Names Are Original

Ultimately, your brand name should represent your unique identity. Your name can tell a story, carry a legacy, or entertain. Take Adidas: Its unique name was inspired by its founder Adolf “Adi” Dassler’s name. Another example is BMW, an acronym for its original German name, Bayerische Motoren Werke.
Every big company has a unique story behind its name. So, when trying to come up with your own name, remember that there is no set-in-stone recipe for success. It’s all about representing your brand, its origins, story, and future — qualities that set it apart.
How To Choose a Brand Name: Best Practices
When creating a brand name that speaks to your audience persona and represents your archetype, certain principles make the process more streamlined and simpler:
- Keep it simple: Two-syllable words have better staying power in customers' minds. An overly convoluted brand name may be unique but difficult to remember.
- Choose a descriptive name: Your brand name should communicate the essence, experience, and benefits of your brand’s offerings.
- Use word association: Write down words that are in some way associated with your brand and its values and offerings. You can combine these terms or narrow down possibilities that you can test on a limited audience.
- Don't focus on trends: Something “in” today may be completely “out” tomorrow. Strive to create a brand name that works well today and will endure the decades ahead.
If you're having trouble conjuring up creative names that adhere to these guidelines, it’s always a good idea to reach out to a seasoned product design company. They can offer the expertise needed to guide you in creating and selecting the right brand name.
How To Make a Brand Name: Takeaways
Your brand name should reflect your identity and stand out in your industry. Brainstorm names that align with your brand’s mission and values while ensuring simplicity and originality. Consider your brand archetype, your overall messaging, and how you want your offerings to be perceived and remembered.
Remember, a strong brand name is not just memorable; it also tells a story and communicates your brand’s essence. A well-chosen name can enhance recognition, build trust, and set the foundation for long-term brand success.
How To Choose a Brand Name FAQs
1. What are some examples of strong brand names?
Examples of strong brand names include Google, Microsoft, Nike, Adidas, Ford, Dove, Apple, Intel, IBM, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Kleenex, Tesla, Twitter, etc.
2. What are the benefits of a good brand name?
A good brand name establishes a unique identity for your business. It enhances brand awareness, adds value to your products and services, and drives sales and revenue in the long run.