Arek Dvornechuck
Branding Expert
The 9 Popular Types of Brand Names
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Finding the perfect name for your brand can feel like an impossible task.
With so many existing brands already dominating namescapes, coming up with something unique, meaningful, and legally protectable often seems out of reach.
But while branding agencies make it look easy, even experts know naming is one of the toughest parts of the process.
BTW—I just launched my free AI-powered brand name generator called BrandNamer.app
The name you land on will shape your brand identity and positioning.
It needs to encapsulate your essence and draw in your audience while being versatile enough to grow with you over time.
Whether you're starting from scratch or rebranding an existing company...
Understanding the different types of brand names and their advantages is key to developing options tailored to your goals.
In this article, we'll explore 9 popular types of brand names, from the classic founders' name to the ever-elusive evocative name.
You'll see real brand examples across industries and markets—We'll discuss the strategic pros and cons of each approach and how they align with certain brand personalities and needs.
While the perfect name likely doesn't exist, we'll ensure you have the actionable framework to find or craft one that propels your brand forward.
Let's dive in and start uncovering naming possibilities that uniquely capture your vision.
Naming a brand after its founder is an extremely common approach that leverages the heritage and backstory of the brand's origins.
The founder's name often provides instant recognition to the brand.
This allows the brand to benefit from positive associations people already have with the founder.
It also tells the story of the brand's beginnings and conveys an impression of authenticity and credibility stemming directly from the founder.
Additionally, the founder names are typically easier to trademark and protect the brand identity in a competitive landscape.
It satisfies the founder's ego and desire to see their name elevated through the brand they built.
From a practical standpoint, it also avoids the effort of developing an entirely new brand name.
However, there are downsides to weighing the brand identity too heavily on the founder.
It makes it difficult for the brand to outgrow the founder and limits the flexibility to evolve the brand as the company scales.
If the founder leaves the company, it may require rebranding entirely and if the founder's reputation becomes tarnished, it can damage the brand.
Overall, the founder's name can be a quick win for establishing brand recognition...
But should be evaluated against long-term goals for brand growth beyond the founder's identity.
Pros and cons of using the founder's name:
Pros:
Cons:
Naming a brand after the founder provides instant recognition but can inhibit long-term growth beyond that individual. Weigh benefits against limitations.
In summary, naming a brand after its founder leverages instant recognition and heritage, but risks limiting future growth and evolution beyond the founder's identity.
Weighing the pros and cons allows choosing an approach aligned with long-term branding goals.
Descriptive brand names explicitly describe the product, service, or purpose of a company.
Descriptive name can be much harder to own and protect.
This can be especially beneficial for new or niche businesses that need to educate customers on their offerings.
Well-known descriptive brand names example:
Facebook is a descriptive name: a book of faces.
Additionally, leaning into the descriptive nature can work for certain brands...
Like Dollar General and Duty-Free Stores, which are proud of their straightforward value propositions.
The potential downsides, however, are a lack of creativity, distinctiveness, and expandability.
A highly descriptive name can categorize a company and provide little room for evolution or diversification.
Descriptive names also often utilize common words and phrases that make trademarking difficult.
Competitors in the same industry may already use similar variations, and trademark offices frown on granting exclusive use of generic terms.
Overall, descriptive names provide clarity at the cost of creativity and flexibility.
They work best for niche businesses focused on a narrow function or new companies in emerging spaces that need to spell out their offerings.
However, they may hinder mature brands looking to grow, innovate, and diversify over time.
Pros and Cons of using a Descriptive brand name:
Descriptive brand names work well for educating customers but may hinder evolution, growth, and legal protection.
Weigh the straightforwardness against the risks of lacking distinctiveness when evaluating options.
Fabricated or invented brand names are completely made-up words that have no prior meaning before becoming a brand name.
Made-up names are distinctive and might be easier to copyright.
Invented names can be highly unique, but if you're not careful, they will sound like pharmaceutical drugs.
Well-known invented brand names examples:
Kodak is a made-up name.
The key advantage of an invented brand name is the ability to create a completely unique and ownable word that competitors cannot already claim.
This also makes trademarking far easier in most cases.
Since invented names are not confined to pre-existing words or phrases...
They provide immense creative freedom in crafting names that sound pleasing, memorable, and communicative of desired brand attributes.
For example, words can be constructed to subtly imply ideas of speed, tech, or strength.
Downsides are the effort required to generate invented brand names and the lack of inherent meaning associated with made-up words.
Considerable brand marketing must build equity and recognition behind fabricated names.
Overall, invented names allow creative freedom and trademark protection but require effort to develop and imbue with brand meaning.
When existing words are unavailable or undesirable, crafting a fabricated name allows you full control over a distinct brand identity.
Pros and Cons of using an Invented brand name:
Invented brand names allow immense creativity and ownership through a fully unique name, but require effort to generate options and investment to build equity.
Weighing trademark benefits against the need to imbue meaning, fabricated names work best when existing words are unavailable or undesirable.
However, ensure the name sounds pleasing and resonates with your target audience.
Overall, invented names provide creative freedom but lack inherent meaning that must be developed through deliberate brand building.
Metaphorical brand names work by reflecting symbolic imagery and meaning that relates back to the brand identity and positioning.
Metaphor names are interesting to visualize and often can tell a good story.
The benefit of a metaphorical name is the ability to conjure indirect associations through figurative comparisons rather than literal descriptions.
Well-known metaphor brand names examples:
Metaphors create visual and emotional associations that spark curiosity and intrigue.
They tell an implicit story that resonates when customers realize how the figurative name aligns with the brand.
Effective metaphor names require identifying concepts, stories, cultural icons, or other symbolic forces that the target audience will recognize and connect to the brand values and personality.
The metaphor does not have to be overt, but often subtlety allows customers the satisfaction of making the connection themselves.
The downside is that more abstract metaphors can potentially confuse customers if the link to the brand is unclear initially.
But when crafted thoughtfully, metaphorical names can condense compelling brand narratives into a memorable and ownable brand identity.
Pros and Cons of using a Metaphorical brand name:
When crafted thoughtfully, metaphorical names condense compelling brand narratives into memorable identities.
However, more abstract metaphors risk confusing customers if connections are unclear initially.
Ensuring strategic alignment and resonance with target audiences is key to effectively conveying brand values through symbolic imagery.
With relevance and context, metaphors spark intrigue and convey broader meaning concisely.
Acronymic brand names are formed from the initial letters of each word in a company's full name.
These names are difficult to remember and difficult to copyright.
The use of acronyms has traditionally signaled large, established corporations, conveying a sense of scale and legitimacy.
Well-known acronym brand names examples:
However, for new companies, acronyms as brand names present several downsides.
The main issue is that an acronym has no inherent meaning apart from referencing the expanded name.
Unlike regular words, a random string of letters offers no descriptive or evocative ability on its own.
Instead, an acronym functions essentially like an invented brand name, requiring heavy brand marketing efforts over the years to imbue it with recognition and meaning.
Additionally, acronyms tend to be less memorable and harder to trademark given their generic nature.
For audiences, short meaningless letter combinations are more difficult to recall compared to regular words.
For trademark offices, granting exclusivity on a common acronym structure poses challenges.
While established brands have invested to own well-known acronyms like GE, HP, or HBO, startups rarely have a strong rationale to follow an acronymic naming approach.
The lack of distinctiveness and the need for significant brand building to develop equity limit the upside.
Unless a clear strategic need exists, new brands should avoid acronymic names in favor of more creative and ownable alternatives.
Pros and Cons of using an Acronym brand name:
Compound names are created by combining two or more separate words or parts of words together into a new term.
It has the ability to blend multiple meanings and associations into one cohesive and unique name.
By merging together different words or word fragments, brand names can be invented that do not already exist as standard terms, providing inherent trademark protection.
Additionally, compound names allow the embedding of suggestive meaning from multiple sources into a single brand name.
For instance, Verizon hints at truth and vision, while Instagram combines instant with telegram to imply speed and messaging.
This provides more creative possibilities compared to using single words.
However, a risk with compounding is that squeezing together different words or syllables can sometimes create results that are awkward to pronounce or read.
Compacted multiple meanings also require further context and explanation in order for audiences to grasp the intended associations.
When done thoughtfully though, compound names can form highly distinctive brand identities that strategically merge desirable meanings.
The expanded options over single-word names allow greater creativity too.
Overall, compounding remains a popular branding approach to develop unique names with layered significance when existing words fall short.
Pros and Cons of using a Compound Words brand name:
Geographical brand names derive from cities, states, countries, or regions to tap into associated imagery and consumer perceptions.
This allows brands to promote certain characteristics by naming after a location, without needing explicit description.
The appeal is leveraging the historical, cultural, or geographical associations people have with a particular place.
One popular example, Canada Dry conjures imagery of crisp, refreshing beverages while Outback Steakhouse evokes the rugged, adventurous Australian wilderness.
Additionally, geographical names can reflect authentic heritage, such as being where the company was founded or initially gained local prominence.
However, a major downside emerges when brands expand nationally beyond their namesake regions.
This makes the name puzzling in new markets with no inherent connection to the geography.
Growth often forces geographically named brands into costly rebranding to adapt.
Furthermore, most geographical names are already widely claimed across industries, offering little protection or differentiation in competitive spaces.
In summary, geographical names tap into consumer perceptions and capitalize on local origins, but limit the ability to expand and lack distinctiveness.
They work best when geography is core to positioning and target markets retain ties to the associated place.
But the naming approach should be reevaluated if extending meaningfully beyond regional roots.
Pros and Cons of using a Geographical brand name:
Evocative brand names rely on suggestive metaphors, imagery, and associations rather than literal descriptions.
It has the ability to vividly convey intangible identity and purpose through strategic metaphor and imagery.
The key benefit of evocative names is the ability to convey intangible ideas, personality traits, and positioning that go beyond just products or services offered.
Compared to descriptive names, evocative names provide more creativity, expandability, and trademark protection.
Their uniqueness positions them to support significant brand growth and diversification over time.
However, the indirectness of evocative names can be challenging if poorly aligned with brand identity or when audiences lack context.
Smaller companies may struggle without proper brand marketing to clarify the metaphors and shape desired perceptions.
But for widely visible consumer brands, this strategically captures the essence of the brand purpose.
Experience can be incredibly powerful if given the proper brand support.
Overall, evocative naming trades literalism for more ownership and intrigue when executed effectively.
Pros and Cons of using a Evocative brand name:
Lexical brand names rely on creative wordplay, puns, alliteration, intentional misspellings, and other linguistic devices to form memorable names.
It has the ability to be memorable and grab attention through playful use of language and wordplay.
The appeal is crafting playful names that grab attention through their catchy double meanings or phonetic arrangements.
This naming approach leverages things like rhymes, onomatopoeia, funny misspellings, and unexpected word combinations to produce names that are fun, sticky, and conversation-worthy.
Lexical names are commonly used for consumer product brands that want to express a sense of lightheartedness.
However, excessive playfulness risks dulling perceptions of seriousness and maturity needed for some corporate contexts.
Professional services and B2B tech brands are less likely to use highly lexical names compared to snack foods or casual restaurants.
Additionally, contrived lexical names can come across as trying too hard or being irrelevant if the wordplay has no linkage to brand identity.
When strategically aligned though, lexical naming can provide memorability and likability - especially for brands targeting more lighthearted demographics.
But longevity can be a concern as linguistic trends change.
Overall, lexical naming requires walking the line between playful and professional relevance.
When done right, it mixes amusement and meaning for stickiness.
Pros and Cons of using a Lexical brand name:
After exploring the pros, cons, and examples of 9 major brand name types, you likely have a clearer sense of the naming approach best aligned to your brand identity and goals.
But a few key questions remain:
According to Jonathan Bell's TED talk about "How to create a great brand name"
The most effective brand names capture an organizational essence or "big idea" rather than just functional attributes.
Names like Apple, Nike, and Google evoke emotions and associations that extend beyond products.
Define the core idea you want your name to convey about your brand's purpose and experience.
Thoroughly vet potential names for availability as domains, social handles, and trademarks to avoid conflicts.
Use online tools like name checkers to efficiently check proposed names across digital properties and linguistic meanings.
This tool will save you a lot of time, it will show you available and taken domain extensions domains as well as usernames on popular social media channels.
It comes in very handy when testing possible names for your brand.
Finding a brand name is a very time-consuming task—The right name must capture the imagination and connect with the people you want to reach.
It has the potential to become a self-propelling publicity campaign, motivating word of mouth, reputation, recommendations, and press coverage.
Your brand name should have the following qualities:
If you need additional help going through the process of naming or renaming your brand...
I've put together a handy Brand Naming Worksheet that can guide you through some of the key steps and considerations. You can download it below:
The worksheet will walk you through exercises to help align potential names with your core brand identity and strategy.
This includes looking at how name options connect to your vision, mission, values, and other foundational elements that make your company unique.
Let the worksheet be an asset as you explore the naming journey that's right for your brand. Feel free to reach out if you need any additional naming guidance along the way!
To get a name right, it's vital to first get your story straight—one that gets at the very best of your brand.
Your brand name is your story distilled to its shortest form.
Naming is just one, very powerful, element of all the tools of many that a brand has at hand to tell its story—Your brand name holds within it the majority of a brand's value.
The name is transmitted day in and day out, in conversations, emails, voicemails, websites, on the product, on business cards, and in presentations - everywhere.
Naming is a rigorous and exhaustive process.
Learn Brand Naming — Check out my Naming Guide
Finding a good brand name takes looking at many names to find one you can use legally.
The name is important, but people will change what it means by their experience with the brand.
A great name won't fix a bad brand experience—But a bad experience can ruin a great name.
So just renaming without improving the experience won't work—The brand itself still needs to change.
A good brand name is easy to remember and say—It stands out and sounds good when you read or say it.
It shows what the brand is about and looks nice when written down or in a logo— It can be used in new brands in the future and the best names catch attention and fit the brand.
Although I don't recommend using them, you might want to test out some different options if you decide to let's say combine two words (fabricated name) e.g. Groupon = Group + Coupon.
If so, then using name generators can give you some name ideas to consider.
Also, check tools like Shopify business name generator that can give you some ideas you can play with.
Dictionaries
Using dictionaries comes in handy when searching for the right words to support your big idea.
Here are my three top dictionaries:
Check out the full list of naming tools
Naming a brand is challenging, but also an impactful branding opportunity.
The perfect name likely doesn't exist—focus instead on options that capture your essence and align with your long-term aspirations.
With creativity and diligence, you can develop a name that propels your brand into the future.
Check this comprehensive naming resource first.
Also, check out Alexandra Watkins' new naming course — use code EBAQ to get $300 off
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I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
