How to Name Your Startup: A Framework That Actually Works
Naming a startup feels like it should take an afternoon. It usually takes three weeks, a shared Notion doc with 200 rejected options, and a mild identity crisis.
That’s not because founders are bad at naming. It’s because most people approach it without a framework — they brainstorm freely, fall in love with something, check the domain, find it’s taken, and repeat. Indefinitely.
There’s a better way. Here’s how to actually find a name worth building a brand around.
Why Your Name Matters More Than You Think
Your startup name is the first brand decision you make, and it shapes every one that follows. It influences your domain, your logo, your tone of voice, and the way people describe you to others. A great name is a marketing asset. A forgettable one is a tax you pay every time someone tries to remember you.
The goal isn’t to find a “cool” name. The goal is to find a name that’s ownable, available, and built to travel — one that sounds right in a conversation, looks right in a URL, and still makes sense when your company is ten times bigger than it is today.
Step 1: Define What the Name Needs to Do
Before you generate a single option, get clear on the job your name has to perform. Ask yourself:
- Who’s saying it? A name that works in a B2B sales conversation sounds different from one that works in a consumer app store.
- What feeling should it trigger? Speed? Trust? Creativity? Disruption?
- How literal or abstract can it be? Some categories reward descriptive names (Salesforce, Snapchat). Others reward invented or abstract ones (Spotify, Notion, Figma).
- What’s your growth ceiling? “LocalDeliveryApp” might describe you today but trap you tomorrow. Names like “Amazon” don’t box you in.
Write down three to five constraints before you start. They’ll save you from falling in love with the wrong name.
Step 2: Explore Every Naming Method
There’s no single right approach to naming — the best names come from different places. Run through each of these methods and generate at least five to ten options per category.
Real Words
Pull from the dictionary with intention. A real word given a new context becomes iconic fast — Apple, Slack, Stripe, Notion. Look for words that carry the right emotional weight, even if they’re not literally related to your product.
Compound Words
Combine two words to create something new: Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Salesforce. The combination should feel natural when spoken aloud, not forced. Avoid combinations that are too long or hard to say quickly.
Invented / Coined Words
Make something up entirely: Spotify, Kodak, Xerox, Brandivo. These names are harder to establish meaning around but easier to trademark and own completely. Focus on invented words that are easy to spell, pronounce, and remember.
Portmanteau
Blend two words into one: Pinterest (pin + interest), Instagram (instant + telegram), Groupon (group + coupon). Works best when both source words are clearly legible in the result.
Misspelled or Modified Words
Deliberately alter the spelling of a real word: Tumblr, Fiverr, Flickr. Gives you a better shot at an available domain while keeping the original word’s meaning intact. Use sparingly — too abstract and people can’t find you.
Acronyms & Initialisms
IBM, H&M, IKEA. These work at scale but are nearly impossible to build meaning around from scratch. Avoid unless you have a very compelling reason.
Foreign or Classical Words
Pull from Latin, Greek, or another language for a name that feels ownable and timeless: Audi (Latin for “listen”), Volvo (Latin for “I roll”), Verizon (from “veritas” and “horizon”). Look for words whose meaning reinforces your brand’s core idea.
Metaphors & Analogies
Think about what your product does metaphorically and name that: Amazon (vast, everything), Stripe (a clean line through payments), Slack (originally a lumber term). The best metaphor names don’t explain the product — they evoke the feeling of it.
Step 3: Filter Ruthlessly
Once you have 40–60 raw options, narrow them using this filter sequence:
1. Say it out loud. If it feels awkward to say in a sentence — “I use [name] for…” — cut it.
2. Spell it from hearing it. If you have to explain the spelling every time, it’s working against you.
3. Check for unintended meanings. Run it through a translator. Search it in your target markets. You don’t want to ship a name that means something unfortunate in another language.
4. Google it. What comes up? If the first page is dominated by something unrelated and well-established, reclaiming that search real estate will be expensive.
5. Check trademark availability. Use the USPTO database (US) or equivalent in your region. A name with trademark conflicts is a legal bill waiting to happen.
6. Check domain availability. The .com matters. If it’s taken, check whether you can purchase it, or consider a modifier — get[name].com, use[name].com, [name]hq.com. Avoid hyphens.
Step 4: Test It Before You Commit
Don’t name your company in isolation. Before you lock it in:
- Say it to ten people who don’t know your company. Ask them what they think it does and how they’d spell it.
- Mock it up. Put it in a logo, a URL, a Twitter bio. Names look different in visual context than they do in a list.
- Sleep on it. The names that still feel right after a week are the ones worth committing to.
Step 5: Make a Decision
The most common naming mistake isn’t choosing the wrong name — it’s not choosing at all. Founders get stuck in infinite loops of “what if there’s something better.”
There is no perfect name. There’s only a name you commit to and build meaning into over time. Slack was a project management tool before it was a category-defining communication platform. The name didn’t make the company — the company made the name.
Pick something that clears the filters, feels right in your gut, and has an available domain. Then stop naming and start building.
The Shortcut
If you want to skip the 200-option Notion doc and get to a shortlist faster, Brandivo generates brand name ideas alongside available domains, slogans, color palettes, and font pairings — so you’re not just naming your startup, you’re starting to brand it.
Because the name is just the beginning.