Your brand name will have a decisive impact on the growth of your business. That’s why you shouldn’t choose it lightly… It could even work against you! In this article, you’ll find a few tips to help you make the right choice.

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What is a “name”?

A “name” is a word used to designate and distinguish a person or a thing from everything else in the world. It’s hence an expression of identity. It answers the question “Who is it?” when referring to a person, or “What is it?” when referring to a thing, or, in this case, your brand. Therefore, your brand name should convey its mission, its purpose. It should, in some way, make us think of your business, your offering, your target audience, your vision, your values… A well-chosen name will naturally capture the attention of those who are most interested in what you have to offer.

5 key qualities of a strong brand name

Evocative

The first characteristic of a good brand name, by definition, is that it should be evocative: it should give your audience a sense of what your business is about and what it stands for. In other words, your name should hint at your brand’s purpose and mission. So, avoid naming your project after a combination of your children’s names if it has nothing to do with what you do or with the audience you’re trying to reach.

Consistent

A well-chosen name should also be consistent with your long-term development strategy. For example, if you currently sell coffee, it may not be wise to include the word “coffee” in your brand name if you plan to expand into tea later on. Similarly, including the name of your city could become a limitation if you intend to grow beyond that location in the future. That said, always think in terms of strategy: depending on your context, a city name can sometimes serve as a mark of quality or prestige (as Paris does in the fashion industry).

Distinctive

Your brand name should clearly set you apart from your competitors. If your name is Émilie and you run a pastry business, make sure that “Émilie’s Desserts” isn’t already being used online by another pastry chef with the same name, and that the trademark hasn’t already been registered!

Memorable

A well-chosen brand name is one that sticks in people’s minds! Make sure it’s also easy to remember. Simplicity and clarity go a long way toward helping your audience recall your brand effortlessly.

Concise

Choose a concise name that represents you with just a few letters or words. In today’s digital era, where online communication is essential, a long name can be a real disadvantage. It will result in lengthy web and email addresses, and you may not be able to use it as a username on platforms that limit the number of characters.

5 steps to finding your brand name

1. Define the purpose of your project

As we’ve seen, a brand name should reflect its identity. The first step in finding yours is to gain clarity about the purpose of your project. To do that:

➜ Regarding your mission, ask yourself:
• What need do I want to address?
• Who are the people affected by this need?
• What can I offer them?

➜ Regarding your vision, project yourself into the future and ask:
• What would I like to have accomplished for my target audience in 3, 5, or 10 years?
• How large (and where) will my business be by then?
• How many people will have joined my team?

Finally, list the values that matter most to you, the principles that will guide the way you work and interact with your audience.

2. Sum up your mission in a key phrase

Once your purpose is clear, write it down in a simple, concise sentence. It should summarize what you do, for whom, and why. Something like one of the examples below:
• “We provide this solution to meet this need for these people”
• “We solve this problem through this approach and for this reason”
• “We bring this answer to this question in this way”

In short, this sentence should describe the action your brand performs, and that’s what your name should aim to evoke.

3. Build a lexical field around your key phrase

Find as many keywords as possible that relate to your company’s mission. Whether they’re synonyms, proper or common nouns connected to your brand’s purpose, write them all down: they’ll serve as the raw material you’ll use to create your name in the next step.

4. Generate name ideas from the lexical field

Use your list of words to build up name ideas that express the key phrase you wrote in step 2.
Here are a few techniques you can try (non-exhaustive list):

• Combine words: mix parts of your keywords to create a new name.
• Change the language: using a foreign language expands your options and can strengthen your brand identity, especially if the chosen language connects to your story, your origins, or your target market.
• Use ancient language roots: prefixes or suffixes from Latin, Ancient Greek, or Aramaic can create meaningful and uncommon names.
• Create an acronym or abbreviation.
• Play with words: through puns, acronyms, ambigrams, or other forms of creative wordplay.

5. Narrow down your list and choose the final name

By this stage, you should have several potential names. Now it’s time to choose the one that best fits your brand. Pick the name that most closely meets the five qualities of a good brand name we discussed earlier. You can always ask for feedback from a small, trusted group of people. But in the end, make the final decision with confidence and peace of mind. After all, it’s your project!