Picture this, you’ve got an amazing business idea, all the skills to make it happen, but you’re stuck on what to name your business. You want it to perfectly capture the heart of what your business truly stands for, which feels like a daunting task. After all, your business name is a key piece of your business’ brand & brand identity.

Does this naming roadblock familiar?

Coming up with the perfect name for your business is hard. Like, where do you even begin!? And once you’ve come up with a name you like, how do you know if it’s available? Do you have to register it somewhere? Is there paperwork? It can feel overwhelming.

I’ve broken down how to name your business in 6 simple steps to make this process easy & fun! This is a process I’ve done for myself & my clients before, so I know it will help you come up with a name you love.

Here’s how to name your business in 6 steps:

No. 1 make a list

Create a list of words associated with your business. Any word that comes to your mind - just brain dump it all. Think about the functional benefits of your business, tools you use, colors, the feeling you want your business evoke, your values, etc.

For example, if you were a natural skin care line based in Bondi Beach, AU, you might write down words like - beauty, beautiful, glowing, glow, natural, organic, simple, minimal, high-end, intentional, carefree, honest, skin, skincare, ingredients, routine, beach, blue, ocean, waves, sand, sun-kissed, Australia…

Should you use your personal name in your business? If you’re a service based business, like a photographer, it’s something to consider. It puts a face to the business, which is a good thing if you’re in the service industry, but it can be limiting. Things to think about: Will your name set you apart in your industry? Can you build a strong brand around your name (i.e., can it communicate your values?) Do you plan to expand your team or services? Could your name change in the future?

No. 2 break it down

Break that list down into categories of nouns, verbs, adjectives & adverbs. Start pairing words together to see what stands out & resonates with you. Circle those words.

Keeping with our skincare line example, you might circle sun-kissed & blue.

No. 3 Go deeper

Dictionary & thesaurus are your friend. Look these words up on dictionary.com & thesaurus.com. Are there other words you could sub in or out that resonate more deeply?

Look these words up in other languages that could be significant to the roots of your biz. Maybe you’re of Scandinavian origin or your skincare line is embracing a minimalistic approach to skincare, so you could look up these words in Danish, Swedish or Norwegian. This is also a neat way to bake the history of your business or a back story into your brand down the road. ‘Sun-kissed’ in Swedish is ‘solkysst’ - that sounds kind of cool & high end. Add that to the list! Refrain from using any words that may be hard to pronounce.

Is there a unique spelling of one of these words you could use? I.e, maybe ‘blue’ could be spelled ‘blu’. I would stay away from omitting crucial letters or any spelling that could be misconstrued. You want people to understand & remember your name.

Now those creative thoughts are flowing!

no. 4 keep it short, but unique

Short & simple names are going to be more memorable. They’ll also be better for creating your logo & brand identity. Try to keep it to 1-3 words. Words that are similar in length will also make for a balanced logo design. And, the more unique your name is, the more likely it won’t already be taken.

Based on our example, let’s say you land on these as your top 3:

Sun-kissed Blu
Solkysst
Blue Sol

No. 5 check if the name is taken

When you’ve got a business name you like, try not to get too attached juuuust yet. You’ll need to check if it’s taken.

Check online: do a quick google search to check if there’s a business with an online presence with a name close to yours.
Check DBAs in your city or county: Make sure there aren’t any DBA’s (Doing Business As) in your local area on the local government website. DBA’s are locally registered business names that aren’t legal business names - these are typically used in sole proprietorships or partnerships that don’t want to operate under their personal names.
Check with your state: States don’t allow more than one company to operate under the same name, or a name that’s only different because it ends in ‘s’. (I.e, you couldn’t name your business ‘Sweet Treats, LLC’ if there was already a ‘Sweet Treat, LLC’)
Every state has a secretary of state or other state agency that’s responsible for business entity filings. In most states, the website of the state business filing agency will have an online tool for name checking. Use their online tool to search business names & find out whether another business is already using the name you have chosen.
If you find a business with a similar name, it’s a good idea to review your state’s specific business naming requirements to find out if the similarity would prevent you from using the name you want.
Check national trademarks: You can search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s online database for trademarked business names to make sure there aren’t any nationwide protections on names similar to yours.

No. 6 register your new name as a business entity

States require you to file paperwork to register your business entity. Secretary of State or state agency websites will have the business filling & certification forms you need to complete the process. There is typically a small fee to do so that varies based on the business type you’d like to file i.e, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and Limited Liability Company, or LLC - topics for another blog!

I hope this equipped you with some creative inspiration to name your business! Cheers to entrepreneurship!

If this was helpful, share with a fellow entrepreneur! Questions? Leave a comment below.