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Creating a brand name is one of the essential stages of launching a business. A good name is just what you need to attract customers, differentiate your brand, and help you build trust and recognition in the market.

On the other hand, a bland and generic name can lead to customer confusion, lost sales, and even legal trouble.

But what makes a brand name good or bad, and why. If you don’t know this, you could likely give your business a name that wouldn’t benefit it at all. That’s why today we’re going to show you what a good brand name is like and how to get one for your business.

In this guide, you'll learn how to create a great brand name that’ll give your product and company a head start in the market.

Let’s get on with the guide:

Steps for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Business

1. Align Your Name with Your Brand Positioning

   Before you start brainstorming names, consider your brand positioning and target audience. This will help you create a name that resonates with your ideal customer and reflects your brand values.

   Think about the emotions you want customers to associate with your brand. Are you positioned as a luxury, fun, innovative, professional, or reliable brand? Your name should reflect these associations to get the best results.

   Positioning your brand will make it smooth and easy to find a compelling name through brainstorming or visiting a reliable naming agency.

2. Consider Metaphors, Visual Imagery, and Emotions

   Now that you know what emotions you want your brand name to evoke, you can start brainstorming ideas. Consider using metaphors, visual imagery, and emotions to get your creative juices flowing.

   For example, the luxury watch company Rolex evokes a sense of prestige and luxury with its name. The name ‘Rolex’ is a testament to the company’s commitment to precision and quality. Similarly, the clothing company Gap is associated with the idea of a bridge—connecting different people and styles.

3. Brainstorm Names

   Once you’ve identified some keywords and emotions, you can start coming up with fun, unique, and catchy names that resonate with your company. Now, endeavor to brainstorm and write down as many ideas as possible, even if you don’t like them. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible and narrow the list.

   You can also consider crowdsourcing business names or other creative ways to generate words. For example, you can invite friends and family to submit name ideas or use a naming platform like Squadhelp for crowdsourcing name ideas from creative professionals.

4. Add a List of the Top Ten Brands with an Analysis of Their Names

   You can look at the top ten brands in your industry to get more name ideas and analyze their names. For example, the top ten technology companies are Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook), Oracle, Intel, SAP, Huawei, and Dell.

   By analyzing each of the top ten brands in your industry, you can get a better idea of what works in your niche and how you can change things up a bit.

5. Validate Your Names with Trademark Research

   Once you’ve narrowed down your list of names, validating them with trademark research is an important step you shouldn’t neglect. Choosing a name that’s already trademarked could attract a costly cease and desist letter to your growing business.

   Look for similar names and logos in your industry and other industries. And if you find any potential conflicts, you can contact an attorney to help you navigate the trademark process. Registering your name as soon as possible is also a good idea to protect it from potential trademark infringement.

6. Always Perform Audience Testing

   Finally, you should use audience testing to ensure your name resonates with your target audience. This will help you get feedback from your ideal customer and ensure your business name captures the essence of your brand.

   When conducting audience testing, be careful what questions you ask. Your questions should be about discovering which names draw attention and inspire action and which names best align with your brand ideas. Avoid asking biased questions like “Which name do you like best?”

Get Your Perfect Business Name

Naming a brand can be daunting, but with the right approach, you can create a name that instantly connects with your target audience and reflects your brand values. By following the steps we’ve provided above, you’ll be able to create a memorable and legally sound name for your brand.

Grant Polachek is the head of branding at Squadhelp, a 3X Inc. 5000 company that creates witty, engaging, and appealing brand names for Fortune 500 businesses and early-stage startups. As one of the top crowdsource naming agencies, we've examined over a million company names and developed a comprehensive list of fascinating domain names online.