What's in a Name? A Lot, Actually. Here's How to Pick the Right One For Your Company
by Arielle Jackson
TL;DR: Head of Brand at First Round shares her process for helping founders pick company names, distilled from working with hundreds of startups. Key principles: start with positioning before naming, expect the process to take a month minimum, use a structured naming brief to guide brainstorming, leverage AI for research (not direct name generation), involve diverse perspectives beyond just co-founders, and test for memorability and negative associations. The article emphasizes that positioning clarity is prerequisite to good naming, and provides practical advice on trademark clearance, domain acquisition strategies, and product vs. company naming. Notable insight: names that are polarizing (some love, some hate) often perform better than universally "fine" names.
Key Insights
- Positioning must come before naming - being able to explain your product clearly (who it's for, what it is, what makes it different) is the foundation for picking a good name
- Incorporate under a placeholder name initially to avoid premature commitment - pick something outlandish you'd never use publicly to prevent attachment
- Names that are polarizing (some love, some hate) are better signals than universally "fine" names - you want emotional reactions, not indifference
- AI is better for research and synonym generation than direct name suggestions - use it to find technical terms, foreign words, and associations rather than asking for complete names
- Two-layer names are powerful: work instantly on surface level but have deeper meaning for initiated users (e.g., Google from "googol", Moderna from "modified RNA")
Actionable Takeaways
- Create a naming brief before brainstorming to set clear parameters: what you're naming, target audience, brand attributes, competitor names, domain/trademark requirements
- Expect naming to take at least a month - it's an iterative creative process, not a single brainstorm session
- Involve diverse perspectives (linguists, writers, multilingual speakers) beyond just co-founders to expand the idea pool
- Run a simple memorability test: discuss 3 name options with people, then ask them to recall the names the next day
- Start with positioning statement and extract nouns/verbs, then brainstorm 8-10 relevant themes (e.g., groups, gatherings, mythology, "just say it")
- Get trademark attorney involved before falling in love with a name - understand violation risk and trademark protection options early