Naming
A shortlist of names that fit your position and pass a say-it-aloud test, with domains and obvious conflicts checked before your lawyer’s trademark search.
A name has to work on a sales call, in a search box and on an invoice. Naming stalls when each person judges by taste, so we agree the criteria in writing before anyone suggests a name, and the shortlist is argued against the brief. For a rename, we also list what changes with it: domain, email addresses, redirects, directory listings and templates.
For Founders and product leads naming a new company, product line or feature, or renaming after a merger or pivot.
You need this when
- 01
Your name describes the product you sold before the pivot.
- 02
Buyers mishear or misspell the name, and can’t find you when they search.
- 03
The domain you want is taken, and the team has argued about names for months.
What’s included.
Naming brief
What the name must say, what it must avoid, the markets it has to work in and how it sits next to your existing names.
Long list
Names from several approaches (descriptive, invented and borrowed words), so you see the range before you narrow it.
Shortlist with rationale
Up to ten names, each with what it says, how it sounds on a call and the risks we found.
Domain and conflict screen
Domain and social handle availability, competitor and product names in your category, and a search for obvious clashes.
Say-it test
Each shortlisted name said aloud, spelled from hearing and typed into search, to catch names that fail on a call.
Naming rules
A system for products and features, so new names follow one rule instead of a fresh debate each time.
How it runs.
Runs as a Sprint of 1–4 weeks. In a rebrand, the name is chosen before identity design starts.
- 01 · Brief
We agree what the name must say, what it must avoid and where it has to work.
- 02 · Generate
We build a long list across several approaches and remove names that fail the brief or the say-it test.
- 03 · Screen
We check domains, handles and obvious conflicts for the shortlist and note the risks for each name.
- 04 · Decide
You choose the names to send for trademark search, and we prepare the notes your lawyer needs.
Deliverables
- Naming brief and criteria
- Long list, grouped by approach
- Shortlist with rationale
- Domain and handle availability report
- Conflict screen notes for your lawyer
- Naming rules for products and features
- Chosen name set in type, in a URL and in an email signature
- Rename checklist, if you are replacing an existing name
What buyers ask.
Do you run the trademark search?
No. We screen for domains and obvious conflicts. Your lawyer runs the trademark search and gives legal clearance before you commit.
What if the .com is taken?
We mark it on the shortlist with the options: another domain ending, a word added before or after the name, or buying it from the holder. You decide which trade-off you accept.
Can we rename without losing search traffic?
We can’t promise no change. A rename needs a redirect from every old URL, updated listings and the new domain set up in Google Search Console. We plan those with the name and carry them out as part of Launch, analytics and redirects.
Pairs well with
Logo, colour, type and layout rules, from a favicon to an event stand.
Let’s build your pipeline.
Tell us what you sell, who buys it and roughly what a customer is worth to you. We reply with questions, then a written proposal.