A good name works for you every time someone says it. People can pronounce it, spell it and pass it on. A bad one is a permanent headwind. It gets misspelled, mispronounced and forgotten.

The short version: pick a name that's easy to say, easy to spell after hearing it once, clearly different from your competitors and big enough to grow into. Then test it out loud with five real people and file the trade mark before you announce it. The hard part is sticking to that when you've fallen for a name that fails.

It happens all the time. A founder gets attached to a clever pun or a word from a language nobody in their market speaks, and spends the next five years spelling it down the phone.

The tests every name must pass

  • Sayable: If people hesitate to pronounce it, they won't recommend it.
  • Spellable: Heard once, typed correctly, because your domain and your search traffic depend on it.
  • Distinct: It should stand apart in a crowded category.
  • Expandable: Don't box yourself into a single product or city you'll outgrow.

Each test guards a different part of your growth. A sayable name gets passed on by word of mouth, which costs you nothing. A spellable one keeps your search traffic and makes sure emails reach you. Being distinct makes you memorable and strengthens your position when you apply for a trade mark. Expandable looks after the business you haven't built yet.

Clever is not on the list. A plain name that passes all four tests will beat a brilliant one that fails any of them.

A name doesn't have to describe what you do. It has to be hard to forget.

The five kinds of brand name

Almost every brand name falls into one of five types, each with trade-offs.

  • Descriptive. Says exactly what you do, like "Brisbane Roof Repairs". It is clear at a glance and handy for local search. It is also hard to protect. IP Australia treats descriptive words and geographical names as non-distinctive, because other traders may legitimately want to use them.
  • Invented. A made-up word. It is distinctive, which makes it easier to protect, and the domain is usually free. But it starts with zero meaning, so you have to pay to teach people what it stands for.
  • Evocative. A real word used in a new context that hints at a feeling or benefit. Memorable and flexible, though the popular ones are often already taken in your category.
  • Founder or personal. Named after a person. It feels warm and suits service businesses. It is harder to sell or scale beyond the founder, and the same IP Australia page lists common surnames like Smith and Jones as non-distinctive too.
  • Acronym. Initials. Compact, but usually forgettable unless you already have a big brand behind it. Avoid starting with one.

No type is right for everyone. A plumber in Gosford may win with a descriptive name, while a product brand planning to sell overseas usually needs something more distinctive. The right type depends on your positioning, which is why we argue positioning comes before the logo, and before the name too.

Meaning is built, not found

Some of the strongest brands started as words that meant nothing. George Eastman made up "Kodak" himself, trying combinations of letters that started and ended with K. Cameras and film gave the word its meaning later. Your name is just as empty on day one, and everything you do afterward fills it.

So stop hunting for the "perfect" word that explains everything. Its job is to be a hook people remember, and your service and reputation give it meaning. If your name is doing all the explaining, your messaging probably isn't doing enough, which we unpack in your message is the problem.

How to generate a shortlist that doesn't suck

Good names rarely arrive in a flash of inspiration. They come from volume, then hard cutting.

  1. Write a one-page brief. Who you serve, what you stand for, how you want to feel, who your competitors are and what they're called. Naming without a brief is guessing.
  2. List your raw material. Words about the outcome you deliver and the imagery of your industry, plus your origin story.
  3. Generate in bulk. Aim for at least a hundred options. Combine words, shorten them, borrow from other fields. AI tools are a handy brainstorming partner here, as long as you don't let them pick for you.
  4. Kill fast. Cut anything that fails the four core tests, including your favourite.
  5. Check availability early. Run a quick domain and trade mark search on the survivors before anyone gets attached.
  6. Shortlist three to five. Mock each one up as a logo and a website header. Names feel different once they look real.
Help me name my brand →

Test the name in the real world before you commit

Most founders fall in love with a name inside a document, which is the worst place to judge one. Names prove themselves out loud, spoken in a noisy room by someone who has never seen them written down.

  • The phone test: Say it to five people and ask them to type it into a browser. If more than one gets it wrong, the name is leaking traffic before you have even launched.
  • The trade mark test: Search the register in every market you intend to sell in. Falling in love first and checking later is how brands end up rebranding in year three.
  • The shout test: It has to survive a bad phone line, a busy trade show floor and a podcast host reading it cold.

Then check what the internet already thinks. Search the name and look at what comes back. You want an open lane, not an existing conversation you cannot win. Put the same question to ChatGPT and Google's AI answers, because some buyers now meet a brand there before they ever see a list of search results.

A few more checks before you commit:

  • The meaning check. Look the name up in the other languages spoken in your markets, and in slang dictionaries. Better you find the rude meaning than your customers.
  • The confusion check. Is there a similar-sounding name in your category or a neighbouring one? Confusion costs you customers and can bring a legal letter.
  • The entity check. A name that's already a common word or a famous person makes it harder for search engines and AI tools to know you're a distinct business. We explain why in become an entity.

A worked example: naming a new bakery

Say you're opening a sourdough bakery in Geelong, with plans to add wholesale and a second shop in a few years.

Your first idea is "Geelong Sourdough Co." It's clear, but it fails the expandable test the moment you open elsewhere or add pastries, and it's barely distinct from other local bakeries. Your second idea is a clever French phrase you love. It fails the phone test: three of five friends can't spell it and two can't pronounce it.

So you go back to the brief. The bakery's story is about early mornings and a family starter kept alive for years. You generate a long list around those ideas and land on a short, evocative English word linked to that early morning ritual. Everyone spells it after hearing it once. It works on a delivery van and a wholesale invoice. The domain and handles are available, and a trade mark search in your classes comes back clear. That's the name. Other options were cleverer, but this one passed every test.

If you already have a name that fails these tests, don't panic and rebrand overnight. Weigh the daily friction it causes (the misspelled emails, the confused referrals, the search results full of someone else) against the recognition you've already earned. Sometimes a small fix, like a clearer descriptor or a simplified spelling, solves most of the problem. Sometimes a full rename is the right call.

Mistakes that cost founders years

  • Naming by committee. Asking everyone for a vote produces the least offensive, least memorable name. Ask people to run the tests, not to vote on taste.
  • Chasing the exact-match domain. A great name with a sensible domain variation beats a mediocre name with a perfect domain.
  • Trend spelling. Dropped vowels and swapped letters date fast, and they fail the phone test.
  • Too literal. A name that describes one product becomes a problem the day you launch a second.
  • Skipping legal checks. Rebranding after launch means reprinting everything and earning your recognition a second time.

Lock it down on day one

Secure the name before you tell anyone outside the room, because names leak. Your day one checklist:

  1. Register the main domain and any obvious misspellings or variations.
  2. Claim the handle on every social platform you might use, even the ones you won't use yet.
  3. File a trade mark application in the relevant classes, and get advice from a trade mark professional if you're unsure.
  4. Register the business name where your jurisdiction requires it. In Australia you must register with ASIC if you are not trading under your own name, and that registration does not give you trade mark rights.
  5. Set up a Google Business Profile if you serve local customers.

A name with room to grow

No name will build your business for you, but a bad one will quietly slow it down every single day. Get it right early and it becomes an asset that gathers value with every sale and every review, which matters more than ever now that brand is the last moat.

We help founders choose a name with room to grow, then build the world that gives it weight. Our brand consulting covers positioning, naming, messaging and the identity that brings it all to life. If you're naming something new or wondering whether your current name is holding you back, let's talk.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a business name is already trademarked?

Search the official trade mark register in each country you plan to trade in. In Australia, that's IP Australia's online trade mark search. Look for identical and similar names in the classes that cover your goods or services. A clear search is a good sign but not a guarantee, so get professional advice before investing heavily in a name.

Should my brand name describe what I do?

Not necessarily. Descriptive names are clear and can help local search, but they're harder to trade mark, easier to confuse with competitors and limiting if you expand. Distinctive invented or evocative names are easier to protect and remember, though they need marketing to build meaning. Choose based on your positioning and how far you plan to grow.

What if the .com domain for my brand name is taken?

It's often not a dealbreaker. Consider your local domain, such as .com.au in Australia, or a simple, logical variation like adding a word that describes what you do. Avoid awkward spellings or hyphens. Check that the owner of the taken domain isn't a competitor or something you'd hate to be confused with.

Can I use AI to name my business?

AI is a useful brainstorming tool for generating long lists of name ideas quickly. It shouldn't make the final decision. Every suggestion still needs to pass the sayable, spellable, distinct and expandable tests, plus real availability and trade mark checks. Treat AI output as raw material, then test your shortlist with real people.