How to Name Your Startup: A Practical Framework

Naming your startup is one of the first major decisions you'll make as a founder. Get it right, and you have a strong foundation for your brand. Get it wrong, and you'll spend years explaining it or, worse, rebranding later.

Here's a practical framework for choosing a startup name that actually works.

Start With Your Constraints

Before brainstorming names, understand your constraints. This saves time and prevents you from falling in love with unavailable options.

Check domain availability first. Your .com should be available, reasonably priced, and not tied up in trademark disputes. If the .com is taken by an active business, move on. Don't assume you can buy it later.

Review trademark databases in your primary markets. A name that's clear in the US might be trademarked in Europe or vice versa. Use the USPTO database for US trademarks and WIPO for international checks.

Consider your industry norms. B2B SaaS companies can get away with invented words. Consumer brands often need more intuitive names. Deep tech startups might want something that signals sophistication.

The Three Types of Startup Names

Most successful startup names fall into three categories.

Descriptive names tell you what the company does. Salesforce, MongoDB, and PayPal are obvious examples. These names are easy to understand but harder to trademark and often require longer domains.

Invented names are made-up words that become associated with your brand over time. Spotify, Zoom, and Stripe started as meaningless syllables. They're easier to trademark and get clean domains, but require more marketing investment to build recognition.

Evocative names suggest a feeling or concept without being literal. Amazon evokes scale, Apple suggests simplicity, and Tesla signals innovation. These strike a balance between memorability and meaning.

Each approach works. The key is matching your choice to your resources. If you have limited marketing budget, lean descriptive. If you're planning to raise significant capital and can invest in brand building, invented or evocative names offer more creative freedom.

Five Criteria for a Strong Name

A good startup name meets most of these criteria. A great name meets all of them.

Easy to spell. If someone hears your name, they should be able to spell it correctly on the first try. Phonetic spelling beats clever wordplay. Every silent letter or unexpected spelling is friction.

Easy to pronounce. Your name will be spoken in meetings, podcasts, and conversations. If people stumble over it or avoid saying it aloud, you've created an unnecessary barrier.

Memorable. Shorter is usually better. Two syllables are ideal, three is fine, four is pushing it. The name should stick after one exposure. Alliteration and strong consonants help.

Scalable. Avoid names that box you in geographically or by product. You might pivot. The market might evolve. A name like "San Francisco Coffee Delivery" becomes a problem when you expand to Seattle or add tea.

Available. This means more than just the domain. Check social media handles, potential conflicts with existing brands, and cultural meanings in languages where you might operate.

The Naming Process

Set aside dedicated time for startup naming. This isn't something you do between meetings.

Start with a brain dump. Spend 30 minutes writing down every word associated with your product, market, and mission. Include verbs, nouns, adjectives. Don't filter yet.

Look for combinations. Pair words from your list in unexpected ways. Add prefixes or suffixes. Remove letters. Mash concepts together. Tools like Vacant Domains can help you quickly check which combinations have available domains.

Generate invented words. Use name generators, combine syllables, or modify existing words. Foreign language dictionaries are useful here. Japanese, Latin, and Greek roots often yield interesting options.

Create a shortlist of 10-20 names. For each one, check domain availability, run a basic trademark search, and say it out loud several times. Show it to people outside your immediate team and watch their reactions.

Narrow to your top 3-5. Live with these names for a few days. Use them in mock-up logos, email signatures, and pitch decks. See which one feels right.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't pick a name by committee. Get input, but the final decision should rest with the founders. Too many opinions lead to bland compromise.

Don't choose a name that requires constant explanation. If you find yourself saying "it's spelled like X but with a Y" more than once, that's a red flag.

Don't prioritize being clever over being clear. Puns and wordplay age poorly. What seems witty today might feel dated in two years.

Don't settle for a name just because it has an available .com. The domain matters, but a mediocre name with a great domain is still mediocre.

Don't overthink it. Naming is important, but execution matters more. Instagram started as Burbn. Google was BackRub. Great products can transcend imperfect names.

Making the Final Decision

When you're down to a few options, test them in context.

Write your positioning statement with each name. Does it flow naturally? Does the name reinforce or undermine your message?

Search each name online. What results appear? Are there negative associations or confusion with other brands?

Ask potential customers what they think each name suggests about your product. Their associations might surprise you.

Check the availability one more time. Purchase the domain immediately when you decide. Good domains don't wait.

After You Choose

Register your domain and secure social media handles right away. Even if you won't use all platforms immediately, claim your name before someone else does.

File for trademark protection once you're committed. This is especially important if you're in the US or planning to do business internationally.

Build a simple landing page. Even if your product isn't ready, having something at your domain establishes your presence and prevents domain squatters.

The right name won't guarantee success, but it removes friction. It makes conversations easier, marketing clearer, and brand building more straightforward. Put in the work upfront, choose deliberately, and move forward with confidence.

Your startup name is the first word of your company's story. Make it count.