How to choose a brand name: 6 categories for naming your business
Choosing a brand name is one of the biggest decisions you make for your business. It takes strategy, brainstorming, research, and a little bit of a gut feeling.
We’ll dive into some things to keep in mind when you’re choosing a name for your brand, product, service, or other nameable aspect of your business — including six common naming categories and some pros and cons of each.
Check out our video guide to understand the importance of a good name and how to navigate the process of naming (or renaming) your brand or service line.
How Lemonly got its name
When Lemonly started back in 2011, quirky domain extensions (.ee, .co., .ly, and more) were all the rage. Co-founders John and Amy considered a variety of names, including “Left.ee,” playing on the idea of left-handed people allegedly being more right-brain dominant, the creative side of the brain (both John and Amy are left-handed). Is that real science? Who knows.
Some of the logo designs we played with included a polar bear, since polar bears are often left-handed. Mascots were also pretty popular at the time.
Logo for Left.ee, the initial name concept for the company that became Lemonly. It features a polar bear, since they're often left-handed.
And that was really the issue with Left.ee: We had a name, but there wasn’t much else. The concept felt clever enough at first, but once we tried to build a full brand around it, there wasn’t a clear vibe. There wasn’t much personality. It didn’t give us a strong world to design within.
From Left.ee to Lemon.ly
So we went back to the domain search and started exploring .ly URLs — just words we liked paired with L-Y. Then we remembered lemon.ly. It was bright, friendly, a little unexpected, and easy to remember. Lemonly was born.
Here’s the original logo. Yes, it included the dot. Yes, designers, that is the Lobster font. It was a different time. We refreshed the logo after a few years and dropped the dot. Now you can find us and our lovely, non-Lobster logo right here at lemonly.com.
The original Lemon.ly logo included the dot from our first domain name and used the Lobster font (popular at the time). Our current logo is more polished and playful.
Turning your lemons into lemonade
People sometimes assumed Lemonly was inspired by Meyer lemons, since John’s last name is Meyer, but we kind of retrofitted a different story to explain our choice. Lemonly takes your data and turns it into clear, beautiful designs. We take your lemons and make lemonade. Nice, right?
We still love being Lemonly, but our process for helping clients with their own naming projects these days is much more organized and intentional than “which URL is available?”
Six categories to consider when naming your brand
As we walk through these six naming categories, there are a few things to keep in mind, regardless of the direction you choose:
- How do you want your brand to be perceived by the audiences that matter most?
- Do you want customers to think of you as friendly? Understanding? Forward-thinking?
- What words come to mind when you think of your brand?
The answers to those questions might help you narrow down the naming categories you want to explore and guide your thinking as you start generating options.
Ready for a brand refresh, a new name, or updated messaging? Explore our full range of branding services.
1. Namesake names: Leverage your personal brand
For the first category, we’ll start with a classic: Naming your brand after yourself. Law firms do it. Ad agencies sometimes do it. And it can be a great move, especially if you’re focused on building trust or personal familiarity.
Think Dave’s Auto Shop. Lupe’s Tacos. There’s something friendly and trustworthy about a business with a person’s name on it — we’ll call these “namesake names.”
A namesake name can also be great if the founder has an established following, like George Foreman Grills. Or, on a smaller scale, say there’s someone named Molly who’s been making cakes for friends and family as a hobby for a while. People start to spread the word. “Have you tried Molly’s cakes? They’re amazing.” If she decides to make a business out of that hobby, she can capitalize on her existing reputation by calling her business Cakes by Molly. Immediate recognition.
Logo mockup for Cakes by Molly, an example of a namesake brand named after a person (often the founder).
Names can change over time
Naming your business after yourself can leave a strong legacy even after you retire or move on, but there are some considerations to keep in mind before you decide on this direction.
First off, names can change. For example, Lemonly’s cofounders are John T. Meyer and Amy Moore, but if they had gone the namesake route for Lemonly in 2011, they wouldn’t have been Meyer & Moore. They would have been Meyer & Colgan, which was Amy’s last name before she got married. Be aware of how and when a person’s name might change if you choose to name your business after yourself.
If Lemonly had a namesake name, it would have started as Meyer & Colgan (or Meyer & Moore later on). Consider what happens to a namesake brand when names change.
Your brand name is linked to your personal reputation
Another thing to be aware of: If you use your name for your business, any team members you hire aren’t just representing your organization or your brand — they’re representing your name. The public perception of your organization will also be the public perception of you, as a person. That can be pretty great, but it can also be risky.
2. Story-based names: Spotlight your history or personality
Next, if you want a personal connection to your brand name without including your own name, consider a story-based option. Story-based names use words or phrases that evoke aspects of the company’s history, personality, geography, lore, or some other related concept. These names can be inspired by anything related to the company's background or its founders.
For instance, Lemonly would sort of be a story-based name if it was indeed inspired by Meyer lemons. (Alas, it was not.)
If Lemonly were a story-based name, a lemon tree motif might be an apt visual.
Draw on company lore and shared knowledge
You can get pretty creative, drawing on hobbies, childhood nicknames, inside jokes, signature pieces of clothing, and pets — we once pitched naming a product after the client’s favorite horse.
Story-based names can also be inspired by physical locations. Our home state of South Dakota has one area code — 605 — so you’ll find tons of brands around here with that number included. Having a story-based name can be a good conversation starter. People love stories. And your story will probably make your brand memorable.
Consider the clarity factor
On the flip side, depending on how you frame it, your story-based name might not make it clear what exactly you do, especially if people hear the name without hearing the story.
3. Descriptive names: Communicate your mission in just a few words
If you really want to be clear about what kind of business you are, consider a descriptive name. Descriptive names describe what your company does. It’s pretty simple. And usually very effective.
Consider Parks & Recreation. On that show, Ron Swanson’s company is called Very Good Building & Development Company. Even if you haven’t seen the show, you can probably guess what his company does — construction and property development. And you can probably guess that it’s very good.
Ron Swanson's company from Parks & Recreation, Very Good Building & Development Co., has a descriptive name. Clear and to the point.
Be clear up front about what you do
Descriptive names do so much heavy lifting for your brand. You don’t have to spend as much time and effort making sure your audience associates your company name with your industry and function. It’s in the name. It’s like a shortcut.
These names are usually also good for SEO since your descriptive name likely includes the keywords your most valuable audiences are looking for. Though the trade-off is that your brand ends up competing with those general keywords for ranking.
For example, if Lemonly had gone for a descriptive name, it might have been something like The Infographic Studio.
If Lemonly had a descriptive name, it might've been called The Infographic Studio. But what happens when you make more than infographics?
That brings up another important consideration for descriptive names: They can box you in. That’s probably fine for a building and development company, but think about your industry and whether your descriptive business name accurately reflects what you offer today and what you could be offering in 10 years.
If you’re called The Infographic Studio, people will expect you to create infographics, even if your services eventually expand beyond that. Potential customers might not realize you also do videos, branding, and other cool creative work. Like Lemonly does.
Match your visual vibe to your brand name
Another thing to be aware of with descriptive names — they can limit the visual styles that make sense for you.
It would be a little weird to be called The Infographic Studio and have a polar bear mascot or lemon-themed branding.
Lemons, charts, and polar bears — oh my! Descriptive names like The Infographic Studio generally pair better with more straightforward visual styles.
Descriptive names typically pair well with more straightforward visual styles. That’s not to say they have to be boring! You just want to be sure the vibes match up.
4. Evocative names: Hint at a relevant theme or concept
If you aren’t sure you want to be full-on descriptive but still want to hit your audience with the general vibe of what you’re about, consider an evocative name. With an evocative name, you’re not saying exactly what you do, but you’ve got the spirit of it.
For example, with a more evocative name, Lemonly might be Epiphany Graphics. We’re not directly saying "we design infographics," but we’re suggesting we are involved in creating understanding, which infographics do.
With an evocative name, Lemonly might've been called Epiphany Graphics. It alludes to clarity and design without narrowing the company's focus too much into one format.
Evolve over time without losing name relevance
Unlike strictly descriptive names, evocative names generally leave the door open for expansion in your business without having to rebrand. Whatever you offer in the future, the general vibe of your business will probably stay pretty consistent.
Evocative names can be inspired by feelings, goals, results — basically, any words you’d want your audience to associate with your brand.
For example, our sister agency, Click Rain, got its name when its founder and his wife wrote down a bunch of words they associated with successful digital marketing, along with other words, and then started pairing them up until they found a combination they liked. Click Rain. A rain of clicks. Beautiful. Evocative. And the domain was available!
Click Rain, our sister agency, is a great example of an evocative name. It communicates a digital marketing vibe without being overly direct.
5. Wordplay names: Stand out with playful spelling
Our next category is wordplay. If you’re brainstorming wordplay names, you’re probably smashing some words together. Changing some spellings. Even looking at puns. Oh, the puns. A salon called Curl Up & Dye. A bakery called Tiers of Joy.
Wordplay names can be a lot of fun — unleash the puns! Curl Up & Dye and Tiers of Joy are two examples.
Not all wordplay names are that goofy. If we had gone the wordplay route with our name, Lemonly might have been called Intelligraphics. Not bad.
Beware of tricky misspellings and pronunciations
Something to be aware of when you’re playing with words: the name you choose won’t always be seen in print. What if I told you Intelligrafics was spelled with an F, not a P-H? You wouldn’t have known that if you only heard the name.
If Lemonly had a wordplay name, we might've been Intelligraphics — or Intelligrafics. Wordplay names sometimes present tricky misspellings and pronunciation confusion.
That’s not to say “misspelled” names never work — you can probably think of a couple of successful brand names that fit that category, like the rideshare service Lyft — it’s just another thing to be aware of. A benefit of wordplay names: It can be pretty easy to claim social media handles, URLs, and such.
6. Invented names: Create something brand new
Finally, our last category: Invented names are straight-up made-up. Lemonly is an invented name. It’s a name Amy and John made up.
With invented names, the world is your oyster. You’re not confined to existing words or even a single language. You can pick a name just because it’s fun to say! Like Lemonly. It’s a joy every time.
Ahh, Lemonly — just saying it feels fun. Ours is an invented name. Totally made-up. Totally delightful.
If you’re interested in going this route for your brand name, I strongly encourage you to pick at least one syllable that’s part of an identifiable word, like “lemon.” It usually makes your name easier to remember and more intuitive to pronounce.
Claim your space and consider clarity opportunities
Like wordplay names, invented names are generally easier to claim online when snagging your domain name and social media handles.
The downside compared to a more descriptive name is that you might have to do more work to help customers, the public, and even search engines understand what you do and what industry you’re in.
Not a deal-breaker by any means, but something to be aware of with your brand strategy and marketing. A tagline or slogan for your name adds clarity.
Some names we pitch to clients for branding projects fit neatly into one category. Some can blur the lines between categories. Sometimes there’s a total wild card that pops up during brainstorming. You never know.
Make sure your brand name and visual identity have a cohesive vibe
Let’s talk about first impressions. Your brand name and visual identity are usually the first two things your audience encounters. They don’t know your position in the market, your value proposition, or even what you do. They just know your brand’s name and what it looks like at a glance.
To make a solid first impression, your name and visual identity (your logo, colors, all that good stuff) should work well together. For instance, Lemonly wouldn’t feel right as a brand if our name were paired with a serif font and a muted color palette. Our name is fun, bright, and unique, and our brand should reflect that.
A serif font, muted colors, and an organic aesthetic just don't vibe with Lemonly. Your brand name and visuals should feel cohesive.
When in doubt, go back to those questions we talked about earlier:
- What words should your audience associate with your brand?
- What matters to that audience?
Those answers should inform both your name and your visual identity.
If you’re trying to sell enterprise-level cybersecurity solutions, you probably want your audience to think of you as future-focused, reliable, and cutting-edge. Security and innovation matter to your audience. If you’re building a brand with those descriptors in mind, you probably don’t want to take too much visual inspiration from 1980s bowling alleys.
That doesn’t mean your logo, colors, and visual elements should be boring. It just means they should align with how you want to be perceived — just like your brand name.
For an enterprise-level tech brand, the right visual identity probably conveys cutting-edge and innovative — not overly quirky or whimsical. Match your visuals to the vibe of your name.
Visual details can add clarity and delight
Another way your name and visual identity can work together is through a smart visual detail, especially in your logo — something that adds meaning, reinforces your story, or gives your audience a memorable “aha” moment.
For example, Lemonly’s wordmark features a lemon as the letter "o." At first glance, it’s playful and memorable, which aligns with our name. But there’s another layer to it: the different-colored wedges in the lemon also form a pie chart, which nods to Lemonly’s expertise in data visualization. That little detail helps connect the name, the personality, and the work we do — all in one simple mark.
The "o" in Lemonly forms both a lemon and a pie chart, nodding to our brand personality and the work we do.
These types of details should never feel random or decorative for decoration’s sake. They work best when they’re rooted in the brand strategy.
Choose a brand name you can always be proud of
Naming or renaming your business is a big undertaking. It can feel really personal, but it’s important to remember this name isn’t just for you or your team. Even if you love a name, it might not be the smartest choice to represent your brand externally.
No matter which categories or styles you’re exploring, the name you ultimately choose should help you stand out from the crowd, appeal to your target audience, and serve as the foundation for an overall brand you can be proud of.
So get out there and name your stuff — or call Lemonly for a little help. We’d be thrilled.
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