What’s in a name? A lot apparently, as entrepreneurs, artists, and makers of all kinds spend enormous amounts of energy searching for the right name for their business, project, organization, or creation. Below, you’ll find the stories of how various successful brands, creators and entrepreneurs came up with their names.

Travis Brown

Selecting a name for a company can be daunting. You want it to sound catchy and unique, but also simple enough for clients to know what you have to offer. I struggled with overthinking this discussion on naming our automotive business and ended up landing back at the beginning with the original idea. Naming Crossroad Autoworks was many years in the making, 36 years to be exact. How can that be you ask, let me explain… 36 year ago I was born into a warm and loving family and giving the name Travis Brown. The day I was born my grandparents had gifted me a framed plaque with my name, Travis written across the top and in the background there was a picture of the Milky Way and the earth with deep blues and purples, below was the Latin root meaning of the name Travis which states “At the CROSSROAD” followed by more history of my name. Read more>>

Marian Edmondson

When I was contemplating a name for my company I knew I wanted something that spoke to individuality and what makes us unique. After becoming a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, I understood the collective value in discovering our natural talents, and leveraging them intentionally to achieve our goals. This is how what is natural for each of us can become a unique and powerful strength. I feel that “coloring” something is to make it your own in a truly authentic way. That is why I chose to name my company “Color Your Strengths”. Read more>>

Maryam Salassi

When I was in middle school, I spent A LOT of time trading notes and letters with my friends and one of our preferred greetings was “Hi and hello”. I don’t know who started it but it was prevalent enough that it stuck with me as a funny greeting because it just sounds kind of silly and unnatural when you say it out loud and it makes me laugh. Read more>>

Ashley Vaughan

Deciding on the name was hard! Originally I started out with names that included “female” “entrepreneurs” ‘women” – all words that clearly indicated what we do and represent. However, none of them really resonated with what we are creating. Read more>>

Daniel Natural

As a child, my mother was a teacher who often worked long hours and sought peace away from the busy city life. To escape the hustle and bustle, we would take family vacations after the peak season, avoiding the crowds. During these trips, we encountered marine life in the slightly chilly waters, which were difficult to swim in but perfect for viewing. Many creatures, including crabs and various fish, reemerged from hiding after a summer of avoiding humans, offering us a rare glimpse into their world. Witnessing this natural wonder made me reflect on the significant impact humans have on the environment and the harm we cause to our planet. However, it also deepened my appreciation for the serenity of the deep blue waters. These childhood experiences inspired me to leave the hectic cities of New York and Chicago for the quieter, more nature-oriented State of Minnesota. Here, I found a community that values eco-friendliness, which influenced me to develop a natural and organic watercolor tattoo style that reflects the surrounding beauty of nature. All these experiences culminated in creating my brand, Ocean Blue Tattoo, in Minnesota—a place without an ocean but rich in natural beauty and environmental consciousness. Read more>>

Lola Ohlala

Coming up with our name was definitely a challenge of its own, however, once it came to my mind, it made absolute sense. European cabaret is all about variety. It wasn’t born with the Moulin Rouge, like many would think, but in tiny little dark cafes located in Montmartre. Poets and artists of all kind were meeting in a smokey ambiance to share their arts and debate, mainly about politics. Surprisingly, shadow plays were a big hit in that realm. Female dancers only started integrating this world later on, the Cancan leading the way in by its political and societal origins. Read more>>

Desiree Flored

When I started beauty school, I knew I wanted to open my own business, but finding the right name seemed daunting. I wanted it to be meaningful, catchy, and easy to remember. After discussing with my best friends, we settled on Bella Lash + Skin SA, honoring my late mother whose nickname was Bella, short for Belia. Initially focused on lash extensions and facials, the name felt okay but not quite right. Then, in a moment of inspiration in the shower, Haus of Bella Esthetics came to mind. “Haus” means house in German, a nod to my beloved “Oma” (grandma in German) who, though not blood-related, was a significant influence in my life. Haus of Bella embodies the two women I cherished most, who are no longer with us. Both my mother and Oma were my “home” growing up, and I strive to recreate that sense of comfort for my clients. Reading Google reviews from my clients often mentions how comfortable I make them feel. It’s my mission to provide exceptional service and results in a welcoming environment, just as my mom and Oma did for me. Read more>>

Aleta Turner

Ale’ta & Allan, LLC was started in October 2015. During the pandemic, my husband Glenn and I worked together to rebrand our business. Sharing the importance of covenant, love and fellowship are our business values and they have never changed. Built To Rock Events was a name that we came to after completing a branding workbook from consultant, Tech with Tasha. The repeated themes that continued to stand out to us during the branding process included building a strong foundation for marriages, defining covenant, and having fun in a couples community for individuals at different relationship stages. Read more>>

Taylor Boyd

About 10 years ago I was managing a salon with a lot of newer stylists. Naturally there were often re-dos where clients weren’t as happy as we would like. I became the go-to for corrective color services. As I became confident with these services I rebranded to specialize in color correction. One late night doing hair my friends and I were brainstorming names and AzHairDoctor was born. Since then I’ve done hundreds of color corrections some quick fixes and some 8-hours session. I absolutely love the transformation and giving clients confidence in their look. Read more>>

Adasha Nelson

Hi everyone! I’m Adasha, the proud owner of Intention HeadSpa, and I’d love to share the story behind the name of my company. When I decided to open my own HeadSpa, I wanted a name that truly reflected my philosophy and the essence of what I aim to provide for my clients. After much thought and reflection, “Intention HeadSpa” felt like the perfect fit. Read more>>

Jane Falana

“Bezvlel”, pronounced /beh-zuh-lel/, makes reference to a biblical artisan named *Bezalel. In Exodus 31:1-5, Bezalel is specifically chosen by God and God fills Bezalel with His Spirit in wisdom, skill, and expertise in all kinds of craftsmanship to design artistic works. “Bezvlel” represents creatives and the significance of their craft. Creativity isn’t a function of chance, it’s purposeful and impactful. Read more>>

ANDREA BOSWELL-BURNS

How did you come up with the name of your company?

I chose the name Hula Hoop because, just like a hula hoop, fashion always comes back around. This perfectly captures our boutique’s unique blend of vintage and modern styles. Our inventory includes a mix of new and found fashion, as well as accessories and kitschy cute items. We source our pieces from a wide range of places, including estate sales, thriftstores, flea markets online shops, small boutiques, friends and family, and connections online. This allows us to offer a diverse array of items that span various eras, styles, colors, sizes, and price ranges. At Hula Hoop, we aim to provide stylish, fun, and out-of-the-ordinary options with exceptional service and a welcoming atmosphere. We believe that brand is a state of mind – we want you to create yours at Hula Hoop! Read more>>

Ericka Garcia

The name “Creative Gradient, Brand Distillery” emerged from my passion for personal branding. The word “gradient” encapsulates my philosophy that both brands and people possess distinct personalities and traits, yet they exist along a spectrum where they evolve and grow over time. Much like a gradient, which transitions smoothly from one color to another, brands too can adapt and change while maintaining a cohesive and true essence. This reflects the belief that despite the transformations and experiences we undergo, the foundation of who we are remains constant. Read more>>

Stephanie Ryan

My company – Ray. is named after my younger brother, Jordan Ray.

Jordan was my person. We were 5 years apart but had a bond like a set of twins (I later realized after I had a set of twins). After being diagnosed with a rare cancer in the fall of 2018, Jordan passed away in the summer of 2019. Read more>>

Krista Vanterpool

When I started brainstorming names, “sunflower” kept coming to mind. I love what sunflowers stand for – admiration, joy, and longevity. As I delved into the world of natural stones, I learned that many originated from different parts of the massive African continent. It felt right to honor that with the name of my natural gemstone jewelry business, so I decided on Alizeti, which means sunflower in Swahili. Just as sunflowers always turn towards the sun, I hope that jewelry will always remind you to seek out what brings you joy and happiness. Read more>>

Paranormal Putas

The name of our podcast came to Leah organically in conversation. We were watching one of our favorite TV shows, ‘Ghost Adventures’ and joking around about starting a paranormal podcast. When asked, “What would we call it?” Leah blurted out, without hesitation, “THE PARANORMAL PUTAS” and we laughed until we cried. Once we settled from our hysterics, we looked at each other and thought, “This could actually be a thing.” Read more>>

Glennetrius “Coach G” Neal

No one has ever asked this question, but I would love to share. Most people assume because my name, Glennetrius starts with a “G”, but truthfully it is God. Growth. Goals. My company name is the pillar of what has allowed my life to grow and how I value my client’s growth. God is the foundation. As a Christian woman, I believe God created us for a purpose and a calling to serve others. Growth is where we choose to be intentional in our actions to see the change we want to see. Goals are what help you set a plan to put into action. The word “style” stands for how we are all unique, not a one-size-fit-all, which is why G-style Coaching offers a signature approach in building strategies tailored to our client’s individual growth goals and development. However, the “G’ works in my favor as being known as “Coach G”. Read more>>

Jeremy Asgari

Coming up with a name for a business is always a challenge. The only way to go about it, is to throw a bunch at the wall and see what sticks, but we wanted to make sure that we had something that represented our mission and the feeling of our company. Read more>>