I’ve gotten into discussions with two different entrepreneurs about the names of their businesses. I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time on this in the past, so hopefully this post can save others time in the future.

Pick a name that makes you, the founder(s), feel good.

We’ll go through some more considerations on picking a name below. But ultimately it is a subjective decision. It will become part of your identity. Pick something that you will be proud of. Undecided? Sleep on it. Literally take a few nights and eventually one of your options will stick to you.

You don’t need to rely on the name alone to carry the brand.

The name never shows up in isolation. It shows up next to marketing creative. It is defined by the customer’s product experience. It’s part of a PR story. The name is only one piece of what defines your brand. In fact, there are many instances where the name is misleading (“Pizza Express” and “Carphone Warehouse” are two great UK examples). So don’t force the name to convey the greatness of what you’re doing. It’s like having a child and naming her “Super Awesome Kid”, because if you just name her “Sarah”, she might not be awesome.

What kind of name do you want?

I think of names coming in four different categories. As an exercise to get your creative juices flowing, you may find it helpful to think up of a name in each category.

1. Neutral name. A quick scan of my LinkedIn feed yields some: GroupM, Pentagon, Avollio. I have no idea what these companies do, nor do I get an emotional feeling from them. This isn’t bad. They’re blank slates that you can turn into what you want.
2. Name with connotation. Example: Accenture. It’s a made up name that doesn’t obviously point to what they do. But it has some sort of connotation.
3. Name with service. Examples: Betfair, Covestor, Insight Venture Partners. These are names that obviously point to the service they provide.
4. Name of person. Examples: Dell, McKinsey. You put a name on it, so it’s personal. I associate this approach with professional services firms, but it doesn’t have to be.

Again, there’s no right or wrong approach. Some might say that for a new business, #3 is the best approach. Or that you should go with something that is catchy. I’d say again, in the grand scheme of things, the meaning of your brand will come from the service you provide, so go with what speaks to you.

A checklist to avoid pitfalls

Here are some checkpoints that might tell you your name is problematic.

1. Pronunciation check: write the name down on a slip of paper and ask several friends to say it back to you. If they have can’t immediately say it out loud, then scrap the name. Difficulty saying it = difficulty remembering it.
2. International bad work check: dream of the countries that you might enter in the next 5 years. Do the pronunciation check with your friends from those places. And ask them about connotations. If you want to be extra anal, pay attention to regional differences (for example, English and Spanish differ on each continent) – just in case the name turns out to be slang for “anal”.
3. Google check: run it through Google. Is your chosen name coincidentally the name of Mexico’s biggest drug cartel? Probably best to avoid.
4. Domain name check: check if the URL you want is taken. There are a lot of URLs being squatted upon. If you love your name enough, you can go ahead and try to make an offer. Your domain name provider will probably provide a service for making anonymous offers.

Avoid name consultants.

I’ve been in situations where satisfying stakeholders meant engaging high-priced brand consultants to come up with names. Don’t do it. Take whatever budget you might spend on the consultants and use it to take the founding team out for a good meal and drinks. You’ll come up with five better options for a fraction of the cost.

Should I localize my name?

Lastly, if you’re thinking of a new name because you’re launching your business in a new territory, I would resist the urge to change the name. The reason is that if you’re building out a truly global business, your marketing money (especially brand spend) will go further with a single name: above-the-line spend, SEO, PR, and other creative assets. Think about global brands. They don’t “translate” their name locally, because again, the meaning comes from the company’s service and marketing, not just the name. Even if you have a pronunciation problem, it is easier to allow for local pronunciation rather than to change the name entirely (e.g. Hyundai is a good example).

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Ultimately, you should pick something that you feel proud to call yourself. Chances are, you’ll literally end up wearing it.