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.

Leann Herron

I opened my business on June 1, 2022, after resigning from my job/career of 13 years in the legal field in 2020. In 2020, I suffered from job burnout. I was overwhelmed by PTSD triggers/trauma from 20 years prior that was reactivated during my professional role in the legal field, toxic bosses, excessive work hours, as well as being forced to work in an office during the COVID pandemic. I experienced, what I labeled as “Trauma Soup”, brain fog, memory loss, difficulty sleeping, chronic illness, imposter syndrome, inability to concentrate, anxiety, fear, depression, and panic, I thought I had lost my resilience, I wasn’t bouncing back like I had always been able to. I spent 2021 working on my health and mental health. I began treatment with a therapist, developed a daily meditation practice and other mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises, and worked with alternative medicine practitioners. I uncovered the transformative power of mindset shifts, self-care practices, and intentional living, greatly enhancing my overall well-being. Read more>>

Chelsea Mccurdy

I created an online community that I named The Hobbit Hikers. When I began hiking, I realized there was a lack of representation of bodies that looked like mine in the media. I’m also a huge nerd who loves the Lord of the Rings franchise. When I hike, I take multiple breaks – either for snacks, to rest, or to take photos of bugs, mushrooms, and plants. I think when most people think of hiking they picture someone in a superfit body wearing color-coordinated sets, racing to the top of a mountain. That is the exact opposite of how I hike! I created the Hobbit Hikers because we hike like hobbits: slowly, with intention, and with plenty of snacks. We have an appreciation of all things that grow and we WILL be stopping to identify those growing things (stopping to smell the roses, if you will.) It took Frodo and Sam three movies and 683 minutes (if you’re watching the extended version of the trilogy) to hike from The Shire to Mount Doom. We are Hobbit Hikers and we welcome anyone who appreciates nature and realizes that there is no medal for getting to the end of the trail first… in fact, you’re missing the best parts by rushing! Read more>>

Rebecca Zvejnieks

My husband and I have an interesting last name, Zvejnieks. His family is originally from Latvia, and the meaning of Zvejnieks in Latvia is Fisherman. We spent months trying to decide on a name for our wedding film business and nothing felt right. We were joking one day that we could just call it “Zsomething Films” because whenever someone tries to pronounce our last name they have no idea how to say it so a lot of people will just revert to ” Z something”. After sitting on that for a few days, I decided I actually really liked that as a business name, so now we are Zsomething Films. Read more>>

Hopeful Heartbreakers

We get this question alot! The name Hopeful Heartbreakers is actually a way of paying homage to an incredible author and friend, Johnni Sherri. The Hopeful Heartbreakers (HHB) founders, Qiana Groves, Rahel Feerow, and Jasmine Gaines, bonded while discussing Sherri’s series, Heartbreak U. Initially, Hopeful Heartbreakers Book Club was going to be solely dedicated to Sherri, but she graciously suggested that the book club showcase all African American authors, not just her. So, the founders felt that the least they could do was name the brand after her series. (Shameless plug – if you haven’t read that series, read it now!) Read more>>

Eisha Casimir

For me, the story of how I named my brand, HERMINE, is deeply personal.  HERMINE is actually my given middle name. Funny enough, growing up, I wasn’t a fan of it—l kept it a secret for years. But when I started my swimwear brand and was searching for the perfect name, I discovered the meaning behind HERMINE: in different languages, it translates to feminine, travel, and soldier. It felt so aligned with the essence of my brand, which is about embracing strength, femininity, and the journey we’re all on. Now, the mission behind HERMINE has expanded into something even more meaningful-embracing your identity and learning to love yourself. It’s a reminder to me and hopefully to others that there’s power in owning who you are, name and all. Read more>>

Bianca Smith

When I launched my business, it was the third venture I started. As a business owner, mom, wife, avid volunteer, and travel enthusiast, I knew this time around I needed my business to align seamlessly with my lifestyle. My goal was to create something less complicated—a business I could plan around my life rather than the other way around. In my earlier businesses, I found marketing to be a natural strength. However, I noticed many others struggling to navigate it. Marketing, like business itself, can sometimes be overcomplicated. I realized there’s a better way—a simpler way—to approach both. That’s the philosophy behind my brand: making marketing and business less daunting and more streamlined. Read more>>

Cyrell Willson

The name of my brand comes from how me & my team view the world 🌎 everything we do is a scam working to barley make ends meet going to school our whole life just to not even make ends meet the world we live Is fraudulent so that’s one of the reason I name my brand fraudulent. Read more>>

Jessie Tunis

Picking a name was the very last step for me when it came to starting my business. I couldn’t think of anything! All I knew was that I wanted it to represent me as a person. I had 3 names narrowed down and couldn’t choose one. So I went to the bestie group chat. My friends are the funniest people I’ve ever met so they started coming up with the most silly ideas for a name! I love these girls and I love their humor but I definitely wasn’t going to pick any of the options they gave me 😂 After we finished talking I started a group chat with my 3 nieces. Between the 4 of us we came up with Moonlight Magic Waxing! Read more>>

Camille Wildburger

For me, Bylines Studio Outdoor Design encapsulates the heart of my design process and personal journey. The name stems from two core ideas. First, it reflects the foundation of landscape design—starting with lines on paper, where every idea begins to take shape. Lines are the essence of design, guiding creativity from concept to creation. Second, it plays on the idea of a “byline,” symbolizing authorship and personal connection. I wanted the name to reflect the personal touch I bring to every project, showing that each design is thoughtfully crafted by me. Read more>>

Kelsey Moffa

I’ve always been very passionate about social media and food and one night, I thought, I should start sharing my food pictures on my social media page! I originally created kookingbutwitha_k to showcase creating and trying new recipes – hence the name, kookingbutwitha_k, to pay homage to my name, Kelsey. After some trials and errors and a long break, I decided to start sharing the food that was passionate to me – showcasing local restaurants, posting the delicious meals we make at home and my favorite eats from Disney World. It’s been incredible to see how far I’ve come since the beginning and I can’t wait to continue to grow. Read more>>

Brit & Danny Grant

It’s so difficult. Danny and I went back and forth between several different options for a long time, but ultimately felt that naming our apparel business Nothings Fine was the message we wanted to express. Simply because, sometimes nothing does feel fine, especially after something like a recent diagnosis. It’s also important to try and find humor when you can and that becomes easier once you’ve accepted that life isn’t always going to look exactly how you imagined it. We are aware that Nothings Fine isn’t the most marketable of brand names! We love it because it feels like an effective statement amongst overly saturated positive messaging that don’t often feel very relatable. Read more>>

Justin Tulus

well, the name of “StopBye” were begin with the idea of about myself and my business partner we both love to travel around the world. Every time we travel, we will stop at 2-3 different countries. from 1 country we say good bye and we stop to the next one. People were said, our business name did not relevant to what we doing. Read more>>

Kendall Ruiz Jiménez

Aselecom Abogados is a project that began 29 years ago, founded by Gustavo Ruiz García and Mary Jiménez. They had a business vision for legal and commercial advisory services, which is actually the origin of the name—combining those words in Spanish to form the abbreviation “Aselecom.” Over time and with technological advancements, Aselecom has had to adapt to social realities and commerce, always from a legal perspective. This evolution also required a rebranding effort, carried out in collaboration with the company “GOD BRANDING” and a social media strategy that has generated significant impact, making the firm recognized today by various national and international media outlets. Read more>>

Kristen Apicerno

After years in the design field, it became clear the client’s project experience during the onboarding, design development phase, and renovation/execution is just as important as a spectacular result. We also came to fully understand that clients feel less stressed when they know what’s happening first, next and last, and when their budgets and timelines are honored. Some designs take 1-2 years to complete which means you’re working with clients, side-by-side for a long while. Even if creatively, the design concepts are executed well, if the journey to the finish line is a nightmare, it will sour the overall project success. The process lasts much longer than the high from the final reveal, so we put incredible effort into making it as seamless as possible. Read more>>

Shayna Grajo

The name of my business is simply my first and last name, used as my taxpayer name for my sole proprietorship. This choice is deeply personal, reflecting my desire to build a brand that feels human and authentic. I want my work to not only help me discover who I am but also allow me to truly be myself in the world. I want my work to reflect my true self, and I want to share that with others. Read more>>