Naming Research: Stop Guessing, Start Knowing
Most companies treat naming like a dartboard game. Throw enough ideas, hope one sticks, move on. That’s why shelves (and the internet) are full of names that sound generic, blend into noise, or worse — trigger lawsuits. Naming research isn’t about “finding something catchy.” It’s about building an identity that sticks in culture, earns attention, and survives scrutiny. Done right, it turns naming into a business asset. Done wrong, it leaves you with a forgettable logo on a doomed website.
Founders fall into the trap of naming for themselves. But your audience doesn’t care about your childhood nickname. They care if the name feels relevant, human, and aligned with their values.
Step one: audience x-ray. Demographics, psychographics, pain points, aspirations. If you’re naming for health-first millennials, don’t serve them a name that sounds like a chemical lab.
Why Seventh Generation works: it carries the weight of environmental responsibility. Why Liquid Death works: it rebels against everything boring about water. That’s not luck — that’s research in action.
Boring category? Call it out. Confusing category? Simplify it. Pain points aren’t just for product design — they’re for language too.
Liquid Death didn’t sell “natural spring water.” They sold murder-your-thirst rebellion. Suddenly, water became a conversation starter.
When you uncover what people are sick of hearing, you know how to say something different.
Brainstorming without structure gives you chaos. Research without creativity gives you blandness. You need both.
Play with:
Keep it wild — but anchor it in strategy. A clever pun that no one understands isn’t clever.
“Everyone on the team likes it” ≠ validation. Your internal Slack channel isn’t your market.
Real testing means:
And remember: testing isn’t a popularity contest. The best names often polarize. Polarization is good — indifference is fatal.
A name you can’t trademark or put on a domain is a dead name walking. Before you fall in love, check:
If you can’t own it, don’t pick it. Simple.
A name must lock into your strategy. Does it reflect your values? Support your positioning? Scale if you grow into new markets?
Apple works because it’s universal, simple, and elastic. It’s not about computers — it’s about approachable innovation. That’s why it lasted.
Do any of these, and you’ll be back at square one in 18 months.
Naming research isn’t an expense — it’s insurance and acceleration rolled into one. It’s how you avoid being another “meh” startup and instead become a brand people actually remember.
The formula:
A name isn’t just a word. It’s the first sentence of your brand story. Make sure it’s unforgettable.
