4 Creative Tips For Naming Your Company

There are many ways to approach naming a company, but if you’re looking for some creative perspectives from a linguistics angle, here are a few initial ideas…

Consider Including An Adjective That Describes Your Uniqueness. Consider including an adjective that can set the brand apart from it’s competitors or competitive alternatives. “Edible Arrangements” is a good example of this. It’s simple, it’s fun to say, and the target audience knows exactly what makes the company unique by the name alone.

Grammatically Inject Some Personality. When you hear the name “Toys R’ Us”, there is no question what they sell. The name says it all. But it does so with a bit of personality. If the name were grammatically correct, they would probably be called “We Sell Toys.” But that’s boring and doesn’t imply “fun” and “imagination” — two things that are most likely on the mind of every child and parent that walks through their doors.

Leverage The Power Of Suggestion (and Perhaps The Alphabet). Apple Computer is a well-known example of using the power of suggestion. The word “apple” in itself often suggests “simplicity.” It also starts with the first letter of the alphabet, which can often convey a sense of “leadership”, especially when being included in lists of other companies, as alphabetically they are likely to be listed at or near the top, and ahead of others.

Misspell A Word Or Phrase, On Purpose. There are a lot of brand names that are unique because they are actually misspelled on purpose. Reebok comes from “Rhebok”, a type of African antelope. Google comes from “Googol”, the number represented as the digit “1” followed by 100 zeros. Lego comes from “leg godt”, a danish phrase meaning to “play well.” Consider using a word that is relevant to your brand offering while putting a unique spin on it. Intentional misspellings might inject that bit of personality that can set your brand apart.

History has proven that clever and memorable company names can originate from anywhere. Some of the names mentioned above are creative examples of how you can hack a language to add a uniqueness to set your company apart.