A brand name has to suit what it's on: Sovereign sounds right on a perfume, Juniper on a skincare range, Torque on trainers. This brand name generator sorts words by industry and feel, across 18 categories, so you start from names that already fit your product. Add a product word (Juniper Botanicals, Hearth Kitchen) to see how it would look on a label, or pick "All categories" for a mix.
How famous brands got their names
- Nike is the Greek goddess of victory. An early employee, Jeff Johnson, suggested it in 1971: a sports brand named for winning.
- Lego comes from the Danish leg godt, "play well". It says what the product is for.
- Patagonia is named after the region at the tip of South America, wild mountains and wind. The name sells the place you'd wear the jacket.
- Häagen-Dazs means nothing at all. Reuben Mattus made it up in New York to sound Scandinavian and old-world, umlaut included.
- Toblerone joins the maker's name, Tobler, with torrone, the Italian word for nougat.
Each takes a different route: a myth, a promise, a place, a feeling, a description. The categories here give you words for the feeling and the place; the rest is yours.
Matching the name to the shelf
A brand name sits next to its rivals, and it should sound as if it belongs there while still standing out:
- Food and drink names often sound like a kitchen or a pantry: warm, homely, a little old-fashioned (Larder, Damson, Maltings).
- Skincare and wellness lean on plants and calm (Neroli, Calendula, Still).
- Sport uses force and speed (Torque, Redline, Breakaway).
- Luxury borrows from fabric, jewels and old London addresses (Cashmere, Solitaire, Belgravia).
- Tech goes for science and precision (Lattice, Parallax, Kelvin).
Breaking the pattern on purpose can work too: a soft, botanical name on a power tool would be remembered. But do it on purpose.
One word or two?
A single word (Juniper) is the strongest brand, but it's also the hardest to own: someone has nearly always used a common word somewhere. Adding a product word (Juniper Botanicals, Juniper Outfitters) does two jobs. It tells people what you sell, and it makes the name easier to register and find online.
Many brands start with the long version and become known by the short one. Choose "With a product word" to try names that way.
Checking a brand name
- Search your shelf. Look the name up on the shops and marketplaces where your product would sell. Another product with the same name in the same aisle is the clash that matters.
- Check trade marks for your product class. Trade marks are registered for kinds of goods, so Juniper for gin and Juniper for software can both exist. The UK IPO, USPTO and EUIPO all have free searches.
- Get the handles. A domain and social media names that match, or nearly match, make the brand easier to find.
- Say it in the market you're selling to. Check the word doesn't mean something unfortunate in another language you'll sell in.
None of this is legal advice; for a launch with real money behind it, a trade mark attorney can check it properly.