By Staff Writer | 04/30/2025
Many entrepreneurs have questions about how to come up with a unique business name. An organization’s name can either accelerate or hinder its future growth.
Nothing makes a first impression quite like a name. Accordingly, coming up with business name ideas is a challenging task.
The “perfect” business name is one that conveys what a brand stands for and captures potential customers’ attention. How do you come up with this name, then?
How Your Brand Name Supports Business Growth
“Selecting a business name is fun, and it is a great way for a small business to develop its brand,” says Dr. Susie Pryor, an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and marketing at American Public University (APU).
Dr. Pryor has launched 10 successful small businesses and also directed small business development programs in the Midwest and California. She’s helped hundreds of entrepreneurs to launch and grow their own ventures.
As she mentions, building a brand is one of the most important steps for starting and growing a company. Brands provide distinct identities for not only businesses, but also the products and services they sell.
Although brand names and business names (also known as trade names) don’t necessarily need to match, it never hurts to choose a business name that can double as a brand.
What Makes a Business Name Stand Out?
A good business name – and a good brand name – is one that is both memorable and unique. It does not necessarily need to correlate directly to its products or services. For example, Apple®, Inc. is a technology company now worth over $3 trillion.
Nevertheless, creating a name that communicates what your business sells could help with marketing, as long as the name doesn’t become restrictive or confusing.
For instance, maybe your current goal is to open an ecommerce business that sells teapots. If your brand name contains the word “tea,” you might struggle to sell other types of kitchen gadgets in the future. The challenge therefore is to choose a business name that’s relevant to your industry without being too specific.
Most importantly, your name should be unique. You don’t want customers to mistake your business for someone else’s.
Should You Name Your Business After Yourself?
Using your own name or a variation of your family name can help you save time coming up with a business name. Still, the drawbacks of naming your business after yourself may outweigh the benefits.
For example, customers who can’t remember how to spell your name may not be able to find your brand online. Your name might also be difficult for some people to pronounce, which means you’ll miss out on the benefits of word-of-mouth marketing.
At the same time, your legal name could be more common than you realize, rendering it forgettable within the context of the business world.
Moreover, using your own name blends your identity with the brand’s. If you ever sell your company, the brand will live on under another decision-maker whose choices you may not like.
Tips for Creating a Unique Business Name
There are myriad sources from which to draw inspiration from when it comes to selecting a name for your business entity. For example, think about your target audience.
What problems will your products or services solve for your customers? How will they interact with your business? What makes your company superior to others?
Asking these types of questions and performing thorough market research can help you start brainstorming business name ideas and developing your brand identity.
Use AI Tools Like Business Name Generators
You might have a tough time coming up with fresh ideas for a business name. If that happens, run a quick Google® search for free business name generators. A business name generator uses artificial intelligence (AI) to produce potential brand name ideas based on user prompts.
As you will find, there are numerous companies that offer online tools to help entrepreneurs come up with catchy names. A popular choice, for example, is the Shopify® business name generator. It provides both business name and domain name suggestions for new businesses.
Business name generators and other free AI tools can be immensely helpful for brainstorming. Just keep in mind that other businesses also use these resources. If your prompts are too generic, somebody else in your industry could create the same business name.
As you work to generate names, think about how your company will stand out from others in your industry. Try to include information about your unique selling proposition in your AI prompts. For example, if you’re starting a landscaping business for commercial properties, describe your target audience and the services you’ll offer.
Get Creative with Spelling for a Good Business Name
Some of the best brand and business name ideas aren’t even real words. They’re misspelled intentionally to create distinct identities:
- Shipt®
- Lyft®
- Krispy Kreme®
- Reddit®
- Play-Doh®
Using a unique spelling of a common word can help to create brand recognition. Moreover, making up a word reduces the likelihood of choosing a name another business in your industry already owns.
Use Other Languages for Unique Business Name Ideas
Using an exotic language is another way to create a captivating business name that sets your brand apart from competitors. Think of a word or phrase that is specific to your business idea and translate it to a different language. You can use Google Translate to compare dozens of languages.
You can also use Google Translate to avoid choosing a word or phrase that might have unintended meanings in other locations. For example, the word “mist” is synonymous with “fog” in English, but it’s a synonym for “manure” in German. If you plan to operate internationally, make sure you understand how both domestic and foreign customers will perceive your brand name.
How to Research Business Name Availability
It’s always worthwhile to double-check that the name you want to use is available. You can visit the website for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to look up your ideas for business names in the trademark registry. Enter your business name in quotation marks (i.e., “business name”) into the search bar.
Check for Existing Trademarks
You may discover that somebody’s already trademarked the name you have in mind. If it’s trademarked, take a moment to review the information in the “Goods & services” field.
Registering a trademark requires the applicant to specify the industry in which the trademark will exist, and trademark protection is exclusive to the designated category. Consequently, multiple businesses can trademark the same name as long as they operate in different industries.
For example, the registered trademarks associated with Dove® personal care products and Dove® chocolate are owned by two different businesses: Conopco, Inc. and Mars, Incorporated, respectively.
In fact, each business also owns separate trademarks for different categories of goods. There are unique registered trademarks for Dove hair care products, Dove bar soap, Dove cocoa, and Dove ice cream.
Reference Databases Beyond the US Patent and Trademark Office
Because the USPTO is a federal agency, its database only indicates whether the name you’re researching has trademark protection at the federal level. You’ll still need to know if “common law” trademark rights apply to the name you’re considering.
Search for your proposed business name on Google, social media, and, most importantly, your state’s database of business entitites. Forming a business requires you to register your business name with state and local governments. If you expect your business to serve customers outside of your state, it may be worthwhile to consult other states’ databases as well.
“I once hoped to open a dog care business called ‘Barkology’ and discovered that ‘Barkology’ was in use by a stationary company, a pet toy company, a t-shirt company, and a luggage company! The dissimilarities made it likely I could use the name, but I had to think about this carefully,” says Dr. Pryor.
“I decided to move forward with the name after the trademark search,” she adds. Unfortunately, only after she’d developed a logo and tagline did Dr. Pryor learn of a competing business with the same name, located 50 minutes away.
“My business was to be in Kansas City, Kansas, and I failed to look at names registered in the bordering state of Missouri,” she explains. “I was grateful to have discovered this before printing all the materials I had created, but I had to come up with an entirely new brand.”
Check Domain Availability
Your domain name determines the URL address for your website. For example, if your domain name is “MySmallBusiness.store,” your URL address might be “https://www.mysmallbusiness.store.”
Even if you’re not planning to launch an online business, it’s always a good idea to research domain availability before you register your business name. You can visit a domain registrar like GoDaddy® to find available domain names for your business website.
Your Domain Name Does Not Need to Match Your Business Name
Naturally, choosing a website domain name that matches the exact name of your business can help your customers and vendors to avoid confusion. However, you might pick out a good business name and find that somebody else already owns the matching domain name.
If the domain name you want is taken, you have a few different options:
- Contact the website owner to discuss buying the domain name.
- Use a different domain name that’s a close variation of your business name.
- Come up with a new business name.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. For instance, the domain name owner may run a business in the same industry as yours. In that case, you will probably want to come up with an entirely new business name.
Alternatively, the website in question may be completely unrelated to the products and services you plan to sell. Under those circumstances, you might be able to keep your chosen business name and simply use a close variation for your website.
For example, American Eagle Outfitters® uses ae.com as its domain name. Americaneagle.com is a marketing firm; its business name is exactly the same as its domain name.
Consult a Legal Professional Before Registering Your Business Name
Researching potential business names can be a complex and time-consuming process, but cutting corners is never advisable. Before you commit to a business name and invest in marketing materials, think about consulting a legal advisor familiar with intellectual property and business law. With proper guidance, you can steer clear of costly legal battles and avoid the expense of rebranding your business.
“I once had another business called ‘The Red Woof Inn’ with the tagline, ‘Where dogs ask for us by name,’” says Dr. Pryor. “Because of the similarity to the Red Roof Inn® and the tagline for Meow Mix®, I ran these things by my attorney first.”
Entrepreneurship Degrees at American Public University
If you are interested in learning more about what it takes to become a business owner, American Public University offers two degree programs designed to equip you with relevant knowledge and skills:
In the courses for these programs, faculty members share their insights on starting and growing new businesses. Learners discuss topics such as how to identify marketable business ideas, create a business name, and connect with target audiences.
Courses cover the foundations of entrepreneurship, practical law for the entrepreneur, idea generation, and business plan foundations. Other courses include the fundamentals of business analysis and legal practices for the entrepreneur.
Both of these degree programs have received specialty accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP®). This accreditation ensures that the courses of both programs have been carefully examined for high academic quality.
For more details, visit APU’s business and management program page.
Apple is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.
Google is a registered trademark of Google, Inc.
Shopify is a registered trademark of Shopify, Inc.
Shipt is a registered trademark of Shipt, Inc.
Lyft is a registered trademark of Lyft, Inc.
Krispy Kreme is a registered trademark of HDN Development Corporation.
Reddit is a registered trademark of Reddit, Inc.
Play-Doh is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.
Dove is a registered trademark of Conopco, Inc.
Dove is a registered trademark of Mars, Incorporated.
GoDaddy is a registered trademark of GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC.
American Eagle Outfitters is a registered trademark of Retail Royalty Company.
Red Roof Inn is a registered trademark of RRI Financial, Inc.
Meow Mix is a registered trademark of Big Heart Pet, Inc.
ACBSP is a registered trademark of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
