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Name
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Contents
A name can intrigue, excite, inform, or even offend (if it’s a bad one), so investing the time in creating the right one is essential.
Use the comprehensive naming resource below to kickstart your creativity.
- Brainstorming: Generators | Word Context | Word Search | Translators
- Vetting: Sensitivity | Availability
- Literary Tricks: Portmanteau | Rhymes | Common Phrases | Prefixes + Suffixes
- Glossaries, Etc.: General Glossaries | People | Mythology
- Misc: Services | Guides
Brainstorming
A great name starts with a spark. Fuel it with these tools and resources to turn your inspiration into action.
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Behind the Name | Generates random names based on root words, nationalities, or fantasy backgrounds. | |
Bust A Name | Tool for searching and managing domain names through robust linguistic data. | |
Dot-o-mator | A domain name generator that uses your input to combine words into suggestions, and then checks whether those domains are available via DNS zone files. | |
Fantasy Name Generators | Generates words, names, and descriptions in a broad range of fantasy categories, including places, cultures, creatures, flora, and people from famous fictional universes. It’s a one-stop shop for your worldbuilding needs. | |
Filosophy | A website with plenty of niche but useful online tools, including the Mixwords feature that quickly generates new words by mixing your input or existing word lists with suffixes and prefixes. | |
Looka | Business name generator that helps you combine your ideas with your industry and produce a viable business name, check social media and domain availability, and review generated names. | |
MRC Psycholinguistic Database | A database for creating word stimuli with various properties — not the easiest to use, but certainly rewarding. Make sure to read the instructions before using the database to avoid confusion | |
Name Ideas Generator | A platform for quickly generating domain names, provides you with suggestions by inserting suffixes, prefixes, synonyms, keywords, and short url. | |
Name Station | A search tool for domain names, with a user-friendly interface that makes generating ideas easy while also offering decent recombinations, synonyms, etc. | |
Panabee | A simple tool for searching company names, app names, and domain names. It combines your input words and creates original pairings for distinct, memorable names. | |
Text Mechanic | Various text manipulation tools, with the Line Combination Generator and Add Prefix/Suffix being particularly useful for naming. | |
Wordoid | Powerful random word generator with options for quality, language, length, patterns, and domain availability. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Google Books Ngram Viewer | Tool for comparing the popularity of different words across the Google Books database. | |
Morewords | A letter-based word search tool that allows you to find similar words that have the same letter pairs as your input. | |
Word Hippo | Robust word search tool for finding synonyms, antonyms, meanings, words that rhyme, translations, conjugations, etc. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Moby Thesaurus | An open-source, free website for browsing Moby, the biggest English-language thesaurus. | |
OneLook Dictionary Search | The go-to dictionary for naming, with general, technology, medical, and slang definitions. Also contains a robust search function for phrases, related words, etc. | |
OneLook Thesaurus | One of the most in-depth thesauruses on the Internet. Searchable by phrase or single word, and excellent at generating lists of related words. | |
Online Etymology Dictionary | Displays the history and etymology behind contemporary English words, showing origins, roots, and even some dates. Includes informal phrases and some slang. | |
Power Thesaurus | A community-driven, user-friendly thesaurus. | |
Rhyme Zone | A website for finding adjectives, synonyms, rhymes, and more. | |
Sketch Engine | An online tool for exploring language by analyzing text samples and identifying both atypical and frequently used words. | |
The Free Dictionary | Dictionary with a powerful search engine, every word page shows related words, references, synonyms, and definitions from different sources. | |
Urban Dictionary | Described as the “people’s online dictionary”, used to find and explain obscure phrases, definitions, and memes. | |
Visual Thesaurus | An online visual thesaurus and dictionary which creates branching maps with related words for any given word or phrase. | |
Vocabulary | Powerful dictionary website with a search function, displaying definitions, etymology, usage examples, and pronunciation for each word. | |
WordNik | The largest online dictionary in the world, by word count. For each word, it shows multiple definitions, rhymes, example sentences, and related words. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Google Translate | First stop for foreign language translations. Not 100% reliable for more obscure phrases, but constantly improving due to community verification. | |
Linguee | High-quality dictionary with over 20 languages and more than a million translations. Shows contextual translations, related web pages, and definitions. |
Vetting
Vetting your name is essential to ensuring it’s both awesome and ownable.
Use the tools below to research name availability and sensitivity for when your startup goes global.
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
 | Large collection of audio samples of speakers with various cultural backgrounds and accents pronouncing words. | |
 | Search words to ensure they aren’t offensive in another language, supports over 19 languages. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
 | Search engine for unused toll-free numbers, as well as vanity numbers with specific suffixes and prefixes. | |
 | Set of AI-powered research tools you can use to create in-depth trademark search reports. | |
 | A powerful domain search engine, with auto-suggestions in case modifications are needed to create an available name. | |
 | Search engine for domain extensions, including generic and country-code TLDs. | |
 | Check usernames, product names, or brand names through a powerful social media search engine that supports over 500 social networks. | |
 | Global search engine for trademarks with a wider database than WIPO. |
Literary Tricks
Once you find a root word that shares your startups story…
use literary tricks like common phrases, rhymes, and portmanteau, to make it uniquely yours.
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Degraeve | A more advanced Portmanteau generator with prefix and suffix settings. | |
Portmanteaur | A quick tool for generating Portmanteaus out of up to five words. | |
Werd Merge | Another simple Portmanteau generator. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Rhymer | A free rhyming dictionary with six different rhyme types. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Phrase Thesaurus | Search engine for sayings and phrases that contain specific words, or related terms. | |
Pun Generator | A pun generator with a reverse search option, allowing you to search for idioms that contain specific words. | |
The Free Dictionary | Dictionary with a powerful search engine, every word page shows related words, references, synonyms, and definitions from different sources. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Lean Domain Search | Enter a term and Lean Domain Search will generate an available domain name. | |
My English Teacher | English learning website with an in-depth guide to prefixes and suffixes, with examples. | |
The Free Dictionary | Dictionary with a powerful search engine, every word page shows related words, references, synonyms, and definitions from different sources. |
Glossaries, Etc.
Glossaries are a great way to explore naming avenues that you might not have previously considered:
from the cool, to the rare and unusual, it’s a great way to break away from what you're familiar with and go exploring.
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
The Phrontistery | A compendium of cool, rare, and unusual words, with a collection of archaic words and glossaries. | |
Yak | An extensive three-letter word list. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Behind the Name | Generates random names based on root words, nationalities, or fantasy backgrounds. | |
Best Little Baby | A baby name generator with an impressive variety of cultures. | |
Mother & Baby | A baby name database that you can search or browse by categories. | |
Nameberry | An extensive collection of baby names with over 50,000 entries ranked by popularity, as well as a name generator. |
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
Greek Gods & Goddesses | An extensive list of all Greek Gods, with their realms, names, and influence. In-depth descriptions of major gods with information and backstories. | |
Greek Gods & Goddesses (Roman) | An extensive list of Roman Gods, with backstories, names, and realms of influence. | |
Legendary Creatures From Japan | A Wiki list of ghosts, demons, yūrei, obake, and various other Japanese mythological creatures from local folklore. | |
List of Mythological Places | A large list of mythological places from various religious texts, folklore, and other mythological tales. |
Services
Finding or coming up with a great name can sometimes seem impossible…
and when it does it’s probably time to call in the professionals.
Check out the resources below for some of the best naming services out there.
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
A Hundred Monkeys | An experienced brand name company that worked with Samsung, Mozilla, Waymo, etc. | |
Catch Word Branding | Brand name agency that named McCafe, Vudu, Ancestry.com, etc. | |
Eat My Words | Another branding agency that worked on Hand Job Nails & Spa, Del Monte Bloom, Wrigley’s Alert Gum, etc. | |
Igor International | Naming agency that worked on Cutthroat Kitchen, Tru TV, Howl, Gogo, etc. | |
Lexicon Branding | A branding company that creates product, company, and brand names. | |
Name Base | Group of brand naming specialists that provides name assessment, brand naming, global linguistic analysis, and trademark screening services. | |
Squad Help | A website for hiring freelancers who create product or brand names. | |
Tanj | Known for naming Sony Bravia, Nintendo Wii, Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss, etc. | |
The Naming Group | Naming agency that named Reebok Tranzen, Chevy Sonic, New Belgium Slow Ride, etc. |
Guides
While some great names come out of thin air, plenty of them require a lot of focus and planning to achieve the best results.
Below is a collection of resources to help you think about the the big picture and really strategize, streamline, and simplify your naming journey.
| Name | Desc | Link |
|---|---|---|
A 3-Step Process for Naming a Project/Product | Instructions that distill the complex process of naming a product or project into a simple 3-step framework. | |
Brand Naming: The Complete Guide to Creating a Name for Your Company, Product, or Service | A guide on the best-practice tactics, methodologies, and professional advice from experienced naming and branding experts. | |
Building the Perfect Beast | A comprehensive guide to naming services, products, and companies, compiled from articles on the Igor website. | |
Creating the Perfect Name | A naming guide for entrepreneurs, marketing managers, and business executives. | |
Don’t Call It That: A Naming Workbook | A book that teaches you the difference between bad and good names, and provides advice on testing brand names in real-world conditions. | |
Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick | A guide for everyone, even non-creative people, who want to come up with a buzz-worthy and memorable brand name. | |
How to Come Up With a Brand Name | A step-by-step guide for brand naming. | |
How to Name Your Brand: Top Business Naming Tips and Exercises | A series of exercises that help you successfully name a business. | |
In A Word | An in-depth look into what to expect during the process of naming a brand or a product. | |
Techniques for Creating Alien or Foreign Sounding Names | A series of methods for creating believable foreign-sounding names. | |
The Ultimate Guide: How to Come Up With a Business Name | Another guide on coming up with a business name that encapsulates the core of an emerging business venture. | |
Tools for Creating Ideas | Another list of tools that help during a creative process. | |
Wordcraft: The Art of Turning Little Words into Big Business | A professional business writer describes how five world-famous brands created their names: IBM’s e-business, the Porsche Cayenne, Viagra, Accenture, and BlackBerry. |