Choosing a Name: The Criteria That Actually Matter
A good name isn't the one that wins the room. It's the one people can spell, remember and you can register.
Naming generates more debate than any other decision, and is most often decided on the wrong criterion: which one the people around the table like best.
The practical criteria, in order
- Can it be spelled correctly after only hearing it?
- Is there just one way to pronounce it?
- Is it free as a domain and as a handle on the channels you'll use?
- Can it be registered as a trademark in your category?
- Does it mean nothing unfortunate in the languages of your markets?
The check you can't skip
Before getting attached to a name, check its availability as a trademark. Discovering after launch that someone already registered it in your sector means redoing everything: signage, materials, domain, the reputation you've built.
Leave room to grow
A name that describes one product too tightly becomes constraining when the business widens. Better a name describing the benefit, or describing nothing at all, as long as it's easy to remember.
The final test
Say it over the phone to someone who doesn't know it and ask them to write it down. If they need it spelled out, every future word-of-mouth will hit the same friction.
Sources and Further Reading
Official documentation and guidelines cited or useful for going deeper.