Shortlist guide

9 naming mistakes that weaken good ideas

Most naming problems do not come from a lack of creativity. They come from testing the wrong thing, at the wrong moment, with the wrong question.

9 pitfalls8 minute readPractical fixes

A weak name can be replaced before launch; a name printed on packaging, contracts and signs is much more expensive to change. Use this list to challenge a shortlist while changes are still easy.

Strategy mistakes

1. Starting without a naming brief

When there are no agreed criteria, every discussion collapses into taste. Write down audience, promise, personality, market and growth plans first. Then “I dislike it” becomes the more useful “it feels too formal for the audience.”

2. Making the name explain everything

A name is one part of a wider identity. Forcing the audience, service, method and benefit into a single phrase creates long generic names. Let the descriptor, tagline and homepage carry some of the explanation.

3. Choosing for today’s smallest offer

“Amsterdam Wedding Invitations” is clear, but limiting if the studio later sells stationery across Europe. Ask whether the name can stretch to adjacent products, audiences and places without becoming misleading.

4. Following a naming fashion

Extra vowels, dropped vowels and fashionable endings can make a whole generation of businesses sound alike. A trend is not automatically wrong; it is wrong when it replaces a genuine idea. Imagine the name after the visual fashion has passed.

Language and audience mistakes

5. Optimising for appearance but not sound

Customers hear names in meetings, videos and recommendations. If people cannot pronounce or spell the name after hearing it, word of mouth becomes harder. Run a phone test: say it once, then ask the listener to type it.

6. Ignoring associations in other languages

A harmless word may sound comic, rude or confusing elsewhere. Identify the languages of customers, staff and planned markets, then ask native speakers about sound and meaning. Automated translation is a useful warning system, not a final cultural check.

7. Asking friends to vote

Popularity is a poor substitute for strategy. Friends often choose the safest or most familiar option, and they may not represent the customer. Ask what they remember, expect and feel—not which coloured button they would click.

Availability and research mistakes

8. Letting the domain choose the company

Buying a strange spelling because the exact .com is cheap can create years of correction. First choose strategically strong names; then explore credible domains, local extensions and sensible modifiers. A clear URL is useful, but the company is bigger than its address.

9. Treating one search as legal clearance

No single Google, domain or company-register search settles trademark risk. Search spelling variants and similar-sounding names in relevant territories and categories. Document what you checked and obtain professional advice when a forced rebrand would be damaging.

Remember: domain availability, company registration and trademark rights are separate questions. A “yes” from one system is not permission from all three.

A better shortlist review

  1. Hide domains and logos; review the words against the brief.
  2. Say and spell every candidate.
  3. Test the name in a sentence: “Hello, this is Maya from …”
  4. Collect associations from the intended audience.
  5. Research similar names, markets and categories.
  6. Score the evidence and write a rationale before deciding.

The goal is not a name that nobody can criticise. That usually produces something bland. The goal is a name whose strengths are relevant and whose risks you understand.

Need more range before you judge?

Go back to creation mode and use a different structure for each batch.

Try 12 naming formulas