Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? So, we asked some very sharp folks to tell us the stories of how they came up with the names of their brands.

Dominic Adams

Plane James And Janes is the name of the company. I chose this name as it was play off of the saying “Plain Jane” which I flipped to Plane Janes. That was perfect for females but knowing that my audience was going to be reflective of both genders I chose to incorporate a male name that rhymes with Jane. From there you have the name Plane James And Janes. The name represents males and females who like to travel by airplane. Read more>>

Lauren Hale-rieckhoff

Years ago, in New York City’s West Village, I felt restless and ready for a new professional challenge. It began with a paint can. A deep rich red, the color was intoxicating—one swipe of the roller on the crisp white wall of my studio apartment, and I was hooked. That wall became a symbol of of staying true to myself: daring, creative, unapologetically me. The paint was originally called “Sly Fox,” but something about it felt too coy. I was looking for a little more grit. So, I tweaked it, turning “sly” into “wily” and adding a second X. ” And just like that, Wilyfoxx was born. Over the next 15 years, the name became my creative playground—a platform for exploration, reinvention, and ambition. For seven of those years, it was also part of the name of a boutique advisory firm I co-founded with a business colleague. To make it our own, we capitalized the two X’s at the end to symbolize the two of us, standing tall for what we believed in. Read more>>

Dorothy Smith

When coming up with the name for my bakery, I wanted something that encapsulated simplicity, authenticity, and the heart of what I do. Bread has always been the soul of my baking journey—it’s comforting, nourishing, and connects people. The word “Bake” ties everything together, reflecting not just the act of baking but also the passion and care that goes into every product. Read more>>

Ellie Han

The journey to creating Heyu began with deep self-reflection. Growing up between Seoul, Korea, and the United States—even within the US, living in places like Santa Barbara, Chicago, and Rhode Island—I was constantly exposed to diverse cultures and environments. These experiences enriched my perspective and gave me great memories, but they also left me wondering: How could I stay true to myself amidst these vastly different environments? Read more>>

Shannan Mondor

Fulfillment In Faith. Once you have faith in yourself you will have fulfillment in every area of your life. Through my journey to become sober I have discovered that true happiness and all yr answers are within and found it within faith of myself. Read more>>

Stefania Ianno

The name Breaking Stalking was born out of the realistic idea that stalking might never fully be eradicated. However, by educating individuals on what stalking is, how to identify it, and how to proactively respond to it should someone realize it’s happening to them or someone they know, we can make attempts to halt, interrupt or otherwise BREAK the habits, patterns and actions of people who are committing stalking crimes. The idea is that when you break something, it becomes weaker, less effective, and might not be useable or able to fulfill it’s purpose anymore. Together, as educated and empowered communities, we can all take steps to break stalking in schools, on college campuses, in the workplace, and in our own backyards – together we are Breaking Stalking! Read more>>

Evan Luecke

I knew when I was getting ready to exit corporate life, the name open tabs kept coming around. I fell in love with it once I first heard it. When you are really curious or really busy on your computer most of the times you have a lot of tabs open, and so open tabs is at its base the meaning to explore your curiosity or your really busy and as a entrepreneur busy is good. On the other side, The designer of the logo mentioned (S/o Peter Yue) when your grabbing drinks, who doesn’t love an open tab. So, have fun fun, be curious, and stay working, that’s how open tabs became what it is. Read more>>

Kristin Lignowski

The name of my business came fairly easy! I had spent so many years dealing with a chronic illness, and after having successfully changed my lifestyle I was able to manage my chronic illness through those changes (diet, exercise, rest, etc). I knew that I wanted to help others like myself manage their health and everyday lifestyle. Since my name starts with a K, I decided to stray from the norm and came up with “Kronically Fit”. Read more>>

Marcus Taylor

COVID-19 caused the athletes of Memphis Shelby County Schools not to have a sports season in 2020-2021 school year. My son was a star running back and he needed to play his senior season so that colleges would know he was cleared to play again after a season ending injury he sustained his junior year. To help people be comfortable with allowing the athletes to play sports, I created a company to sanitize the football equipment. I wanted the name to be catchy and unmistakable so I named it Sports Sanitizers. It became a conversation piece and a door opener as well. Read more>>

Eva D’luscious

The current name, BodyMagick Temple, is an evolution of our mission, how we work and of me personally. It’s taken many years to gain this clarity and come to this name. I’m a practicing witch and delving deeper into my craft, but the main way I experience magic and share it with others is through the body. The performances, teachings and in how we help our community members ground the experience of loving themselves, is all through the body.  Read more>>

Hannah Walker

I wanted the name to be something that was distinct and meaningful. My family is originally from New Zealand, which makes it a very special place to me. The name “ByZealand” felt both unique and personally significant which is exactly what I was looking for. Read more>>

Jineara Hampton

I came up with my name “Glorious Ancestors” from my admiration of my culture and everyone that played a part in how we dress and carry ourselves . We didn’t just wear beads and sea shells. We wore diamonds , sequins, silver , gold , beautiful cloths and fabrics. We are the trendsetters for all fashion. Read more>>

Brandon Ortega

As a kid, at least in my case, I would mindlessly watch so many things. I came up with my channel name “Refreshers” after talking with an old friend about a TV show I use to watch as a kid. I use to watch this TV show all the time, but just could not remember the name or plot points to save my life! Only small details here and there. The conversation I had with my friend is what helped spark an idea for a YouTube channel. That is when I came up with the name “Refreshers”. The same friend who I had this conversation actually ended up being the one to help me with the channel art and logo! His name is Alex Kennedy and I just want to make sure he gets a shout out because he helped make an idea become reality! Read more>>

Dalena Vasquez

You would think that naming would be easy! And it is when you feel like you’re on track to finding the right name. A few years back, I co-founded a business with my husband, called Swar-Yay!. We were so excited and loved the name! It was fun, it conveyed what we aspired to do, and it sounded like Soiree which was the goal. However, as we ventured off and started vending at pop ups, we realized that people had a hard time saying it and making the connection. I learned so much from that experience and this time around, I wanted the name of this business to be extremely simple, easy to read and say. Read more>>

La-starr Kearns

The name of my business is called EmeraldAura. Emerald is more than just a beautiful green stone; it’s known for representing love, growth, and matters of the heart. In crystal healing, emerald is associated with the heart chakra, which governs compassion, empathy, and emotional balance. The choice of Emerald reflects a commitment to creating jewelry that resonates with people seeking a deeper connection to their own emotions and intentions. Read more>>

Nelson Freitas

Most brands search outside themselves – often to emerging culture – to define what sets them apart and makes them different. We flipped the script and believe setting a brand apart starts by looking inside to your brand’s origin story and enduring beliefs and values. It’s authentic because it’s you. And, there is only one you. Our belief at UNKNOWNS is simple.  Read more>>

Jessica Gaddy

It all started 15 years ago at my desk-job in the corporate world. I was always known as the “finicky food” person when a group of us were trying to decide where to go for lunch. The nickname stuck and became the name of my email when Gmail first began. Then became the name of my food blog, finickylady. I established a footing in the Charlotte restaurant scene in the foodie community 10 years ago and for recognition purposes I named by food business after my blog, and Finicky Foods was born. Read more>>

Axton Tow

People often think I’m a Scorpio because of my name, but actually I’m a Libra with a Scorpio in Mercury. I used to get frustrated by that, but then I thought, why not embrace that part of me with full force? It’s a unique aspect of who I am, and now I see it as a perfect reflection of the balance and depth my jewelry aims to embody. Read more>>

Dro

Vintagely Velma was named after my grandmother, Velma Randall. She was originally from Georgia and moved from the Jim Crow South to Chicago in the 1940’s during the Great Migration, a time when Black Americans migrated North for better opportunities and to avoid brutal racism and violence of the time. Read more>>

Angela Gibson

The name of our company originated from a conversation with a close friend who I consider a sister. I was expressing my frustration with a previous business partner and feeling defeated. During our talk, my sister friend inspired me, as she always does. She reminded me that I was constantly “pouring” into everyone else’s cup, and now it was time for me to “pour” into my own. At that moment, “Libation African Drum and Dance Company” was born. The term “libation” simply refers to the act of pouring. Read more>>