Check out this blog article called “10 Company Name Types on TechCrunch: Pros and Cons.” The author of the blog, Chris Johnson, provides an analysis of these types of names:
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Real words
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Compounds
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Phrases
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Blends
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Tweaked words
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Affixed words
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Made up or obscure origin
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Puns
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People’s names (real or fictitious)
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Initials and Acronyms
This article provides a very good conceptual framework for the process of naming a company or product. In another article, Chris also did an analysis of “How to Change the World” that you might find interesting.
Hi Guy,
I like to add its good in a name to have it also start with a letter very early in the alphabet. This is because many listing sites, directories, or real world lists all list their collection of names in alphabetical order.
Rdgs
DT
It’s an interesting task to invent a new and really name…
Tuesday Links
If you havent seen yet the Discovery Channel is getting ready to air a program on The Jesus Tomb (details). You can find info about it all over the web right now, so many blogs have linked to the story I cant even begin to list them all…
A roundabout trip to a company name involves Gordon Bowker, who wanted to name his new business Pequod, after Captain Ahab’s ship in Moby-Dick. Bowker’s partner Terry Heckler reportedly replied that no one was going to drink a cup of Pequod. Searching an old map of the Pacific northwest, they spotted a mining camp call Starbo or Starbos…
…which brought to mind the first mate on the Pequod: Starbuck. At least that’s what Howard Schultz wrote in Pour Your Heart into It.
I like the way you are coming at me with this. You’ve made a couple great points and a few more so so’s. What do you think of the name www.myhaberdasher.com ?
Hey Guy –
I met you at the Inbox Conference last year. You did a great job with your presentation.
I have my own three rules for naming companies that I thought that you would enjoy:
http://colopy.typepad.com/email_marketing/2006/05/3_rules_for_nam.html
Enjoy your blog. Keep it up!
Topic sounds great, but the article at http://www.thenameinspector.com/10-name-types/ shows a blank page (Mac OS 9.2.2 & Netscape 7.02)
The compound seems to be by far the most popular. Thanks for posting that link, Guy. One of those moments when you realize that there are others out there with similar thoughts.
Branding is no different than marriage: once you’ve made a choice, stick with it. Commitment is hard for many of you men, but the cost of straying can be high. I posted about my own experience spending hundreds of thousands of VC dollars on branidng and re-branding, all because my CEO had a vision. Share my pain here: http://venturelaw.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html
The company name is very important when looking to form a brand.
http://www.paybackisapicture.com
http://www.thefamousguy.com
Naming Names
For anyone who is, or has been, involved in naming a company or product, this is a helpful resource (thx Guy Kawasaki for the point).
Beware. If you do become involved in the process of finding a name (that works), youll soon realize…
When thinking of the name for my company, I tried to conjure up what my clients are desperately seeking, Business Sanity. Thanks for pointing me to Chris Johnson’s site.
Wie nenne ich denn das Neugeborene Web 2.0 Baby?
Wie unschwer zu sehen und oft geschrieben, haben wir noch keinen Namen für unser Social Network. Es ist einfach mal unmöglich sich einen guten Namen für sowas auszudenken, ohne gleich als copy cat gebranntmarkt zu werden, und seien wir…
Cool – I have a fun name that most people seem to like. It was the result of a brainstorm (I had boring suggestions)… and already had some prebranding since people would frequently say “oh, I’ve heard of that!”
On podcast interviews the interviewer always asks about the name and say it repeatedly… its a fun thing, and definitely a part of the brand.
How does this name sound ? people2meet.com
@DT: Does that mean AAAapple is better than Apple?