How to name a business

1. Write one sentence about the business

Before you think about names, write what you do, who it's for and what makes it different, in one sentence. “Mobile dog grooming from a van” or “bookkeeping for freelance designers” is enough.

That sentence is your brief. Every name you consider should fit it.

2. Decide what the name should say

A name can do one of three jobs. Pick the one that matters most to you:

• Say what you do. “Harbor Bookkeeping” is clear the first time someone hears it, and it helps local search.
• Say how it should feel. A metaphor or a mood word (ember, keystone, meadow) gives you a brand to grow into.
• Be ownable. An invented or blended word is easier to get as a .com and a trademark, but takes more work to explain.

3. Pick the feel

Names have a sound before they have a meaning. Hard consonants (k, t, d) feel strong and solid. Soft endings (-a, -ia, -elle) feel flowing and warm. Short, bright vowels feel modern. Decide whether you want calm, bold, playful or classic, and drop names that sound wrong even if they mean the right thing.

4. Brainstorm wide, then narrow

Get lots of options before you judge any. List words about your work, your customers and the feeling you want, then combine them: join two words, blend them, add an ending, borrow a word from another language, or coin a new one.

The Namesake business name generator does this for you: describe your business and it makes forty names using these methods, with a short reason for each. Save the ones that make you pause.

5. Say it out loud

Most people will hear your name before they see it. For each name on your shortlist:

• Say it to a friend and ask them to spell it.
• Say it on the phone: “Thanks for calling ___.”
• Check it doesn't sound like a word you'd rather avoid, in English or in your customers' languages.

Two or three syllables is a sweet spot. Long names get shortened by customers, so choose the short version yourself.

6. Check the domain

A .com is still what most people type. If it's taken, .co, .io or .ai can work, especially for tech, or add a word (“get”, “hq”, your city). Namesake checks .com, .ai, .io and .co live for every name, and you can sort open .com names to the top. Check social handles at the same time.

7. Search state records and trademarks

An open domain doesn't mean the name is free to use. Search your state's business entity records to see if another company already uses it, and search the U.S. trademark database for marks in your field. A similar name in a different industry is often fine; a similar name in yours is a problem.

In Namesake, open any name and use the records check to jump straight to both searches.

8. Picture it in use

See the name on a storefront sign, an invoice and an app icon. Does it fit? Does it still look good small? Namesake shows these previews for every name. If you're torn between two, sleep on it and see which one you remember in the morning.

9. Make it official

Once you've chosen:

1. Buy the domain (and the obvious misspelling, if it's cheap).
2. Register the business with your state: an LLC, a corporation, or a DBA (“doing business as”) name.
3. Get an EIN, the federal tax ID, so you can open a business bank account.
4. Claim the social handles and your listing on maps.
5. Consider filing a trademark if you plan to grow beyond your town.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by state and industry.

Naming mistakes to avoid

• Naming the business after one product you may stop selling.
• Hard-to-spell names that people can't find after hearing them.
• Names too close to a competitor in your city or field.
• Picking a name before checking the domain and records.
• Using a place name that's too small for where you'll grow.