Naming a business can feel strangely high-stakes. It is just a word or two, yet it will sit on every label, invoice and post you make. It is easy to spend weeks going round in circles. This checklist will help you move from a blank page to a confident choice.
Before you brainstorm: know what the name needs to do
A name does not have to explain everything. Your tagline, your photos and your description do most of that work. A name has a simpler job: to be memorable, easy to share and a good fit for the feeling you want people to have.
Write down three words that describe that feeling. Warm, bold and playful. Calm, precise and trustworthy. Earthy, handmade and honest. Keep these words beside you as you brainstorm.
Step 1: Brainstorm widely
Aim for quantity first. Thirty or forty rough ideas, without judging any of them. Try different approaches:
- Descriptive: says what you do, like "Riverside Bakes"
- Evocative: hints at a feeling or image, like a plant name, a colour or a place
- Personal: your name, a nickname or a family word
- Invented: a new word or a blend of two words
- Playful: a pun or a twist on a phrase, used carefully
Look for words in places connected to your craft: tools, materials, techniques, local landmarks, old words that mean something related. Say ideas out loud as you go. Some names look great written down and feel awkward spoken.
Step 2: Shortlist with the five-second test
Pick your favourite eight to ten. For each one, imagine saying it to someone at a party. Could they spell it after hearing it once? Could they remember it the next day? Does it sound like the kind of business you want to be?
Shortlist checklist
- Easy to say and spell
- Short enough to fit on a label or profile picture
- Does not sound too close to a well-known brand
- Leaves room to grow if you add new products or services
- Has no awkward meanings in other languages you care about
- Matches your three feeling words
Step 3: Check that it's available
This is where many favourites fall away, so do it before you get too attached. Check each name on your shortlist in a few places.
- A web search: is anyone already using it for something similar?
- Marketplaces where you might sell, such as Etsy or Amazon
- Social platforms you plan to use
- Domain names: is a simple .com or similar available, or a close variation?
- Your state's business name records
- The US trademark database, for anything you plan to grow seriously
You do not need every single version to be free. A small variation on a social handle is usually fine. But if a similar business in your field already uses the name, choose another. It saves confusion, and possibly legal trouble, later.
This checklist is general guidance, not legal advice. If you plan to invest heavily in a brand, a short conversation with a trademark professional is worth it.
Step 4: Test it with real people
Take your final two or three names to a few people in your target audience. Do not ask which one they like best, because people tend to pick the familiar one. Instead ask what kind of business they imagine for each name, and what they would expect to pay. Their answers show you which name sends the right signal.
Step 5: Decide, and pair it with a tagline
There is rarely a perfect name. There is a good name you commit to and build meaning around over time. Once you choose, write a short tagline that does the explaining your name does not. "Fernwood: plants that survive your apartment" is instantly clear, even though "Fernwood" alone is not.
Things to avoid
- Names that are hard to spell or have unusual punctuation
- Very long names that get shortened in ways you do not control
- Trendy words that may feel dated in a couple of years
- Names too similar to a competitor in your space
- Spending more than a few weeks deciding
Once you've chosen
Secure the name in the places that matter most to you: a domain, your main social handles and any marketplace shop names. Then move on to the other setup steps, like registering, if you need to, and getting ready to take payments. Your name will start to feel like yours the more you use it.