One of the most creative parts of starting something new is finding a name and it’s also one of the most challenging. Below, you’ll find the stories of how various successful brands, creators and entrepreneurs came up with their names.

Joe

Second String Leather Company specializes in crafting premium leather goods from repurposed sporting equipment. In sports, the term “second string” refers to backup players who support the starting lineup—just as we give a “second” life to retired gear by transforming it into unique, handcrafted products. By upcycling used sports equipment into high-end leather goods, we celebrate the heritage of the game while staying committed to sustainability. Read more>>

Aubrey Lindsey

When I first opened my business I operated under a different name. Once I realized that this is what I wanted to do, my passion was soap + skincare, I wanted to have a name to reflect that. So, I began rebranding! Read more>>

Evan Mcloughlin

Way back when Liam, Marley, Austin and I were in highschool it was actually called Jelly Clothing which was a stoned gelatine on a plate with a angry face but that design was scrapped and it was Liam who changed it to Pyrite and started going with the prints of complete skate set ups with ribbons going around it! Since all of that we’ve come up with plenty of designs many of which have made it onto our store already and some that I still have in the process with many more still being thought of and different ways to release them as well. Read more>>

Erika Lawrence

At the beginning I was thinking on a different name , but I had a friend mentioned that she didn’t think it has to do with what I wanted to sell , I thought about it a little bit more and then I was talking to another friend about how much I love pearls and he mentioned that I was like a black Pearl and I thought , Black Pearl Yoga Wear , yes , that’s is, because the Athleisure that I sell is beautiful , timeless, and classy just like a pearl. I wanted something for women that can’t wear only sport bras or that want to be modest and cover up, but at the same time something they could wear from the yoga/pilates mat to runnings errands, having coffee/lunch with friends, traveling etc, and still look chic and classy. Read more>>

Hannah Elliott

Elliott Ellick was formed from a childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer and stylist. After college and many experiences in the fashion industry, I came to realize that the desire I had was much deeper than myself—it was something God had given me to share with the world. Read more>>

Allison “Sonnie” Boyson

At the beginning the clearest part was the magic we wanted to create—a safe place to play and move and grow, without rules or pressure. The name came from the mind of Dmitri Gonzales, the well known parkour move—a “laché”—where one swings their body through the air to create smooth, controlled energy that they then release to fly for just a moment before landing or catching the next goal. It is inspired by the French word lâcher, which means “to let go,” which felt right for reasons that would only become more clear as our community grew. Read more>>

Jessica Yen

I’m a big fan of naming businesses after exactly what they are. I create jewelry for surfers, so for me, Surfers Jewelry was an easy choice. I purposely chose a grammatically incorrect spelling because I wanted it to encompass both Surfers’ (all surfers) and Surfer’s (one single surfer). Plus, I thought omitting the apostrophe would save me a lot of hassle and confusion in legal documents. Read more>>

Gui Benites / Joe Freyta

Naming a brand is definitely one of the hardest parts. You want it to feel personal and meaningful but also timeless. For us, the name 98 Wedding Co. is a tribute to where it all began.

Back in 2016, Joe and I had both moved to New York from opposite sides of the world — me from Brazil and him from Colorado — each pursuing our creative paths. I was already photographing weddings, and Joe was just starting his career in fashion design. Funny enough, we actually met online, completely unaware that we were living in the same building — just one floor apart. That coincidence still blows our minds. Read more>>

Ana Melendez

Shockingly, coming up with the name for my studio was relatively easy. I chose the name Teresita Design because I wanted the name of my studio to represent my heritage and the personal connection I want to have with whoever I am designing for. Read more>>

Jessi Roesch

I originally conceived Downland on a drive home from my first visit to a regenerative farm. During that visit, I learned the profound connection between soil health and human health. Initially, combining “drawdown” as a nod to carbon sequestration capabilities of regenerative practices, and “land use”. Read more>>

Brooke Warden

plant named the Santa Rita Prickly Pear. It is known for its pink to purplish color. They are rare and at the time of opening my restaurant the city was anemic for Mexican food and specifically interior Mexican cuisine. Pink Cactus is inspired by the region of Oaxaca; the birthplace to Mexican cuisine. Read more>>

Rubab Waheed

Naming something—especially a brand—is no easy task, right? For me, Babo started as a way to explore food, traditions, and the deep longing for community. It’s also what my family and friends have always called me—so much so that it’s practically my first name now! Read more>>

Hannah Francey

Hannah’s Elsewhere was originally the name of a travel vlogging YouTube Channel. I travelled quite extensively throughout my early 20s, and I wanted to document my trips. I travelled solo to places like Morocco, Turkey, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, and many more exciting destinations. Embarking on my adventures opened my mind to new cultures, worldviews, and beliefs. As someone born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, my view of the world was considerably smaller before being lucky enough to experience such magical and mysterious places. Read more>>

Diego Quiroz

The name for my business originated from a place of love, passion and respect. Valencia is my mom’s last name given to her by her father, for years that name really didn’t carry any weight being that my grandma lived a rough life. And never really connected with us. So I decided what better name to brand my business with, than the last name of my mother who may feel like her last name isn’t meaningful or important. My mom brought us from Mexico to United States in 1998 with a dream for us to live a better life. Read more>>

Paige Miller

The story behind how I came up with the name of my brand, is sure a story. I was quite literally on vacation, and got certified in lash extensions not too long prior. I was honestly panicking, how was I going to put together a business from the ground up. The name, the theme, the aesthetic. Very hard and overwhelming. Read more>>

Jeromy Barbee

The idea for Upscale Evolution came during a brainstorming session with one of my good friends. We had just finished training some basketball players, and I was struggling to come up with the right name to brand what we do.

For a while, I considered different names. One idea came from something my mom has called Divine Revelation, but I knew that wasn’t quite the direction I wanted to take. However, I’ve always loved the word evolution—it represents growth, progress, and transformation, which is exactly what I aim to provide for athletes. Read more>>

Mich Nguyen

When I first started doing lashes in July 2017, I was a one-woman show, always on the move, driving from client to client with my whole set up in the trunk and my GPS guiding me to the next appointment. I was a mobile lash tech, hustling hard and showing up wherever my clients needed me. That’s where the name Lash N Dash Beauty was born. It perfectly captured what I was doing. Lashing and dashing from one place to the next. Read more>>

Emily Raleigh

I had my business plan, the lease on my space, and even some contracts signed before I came up with the name for my shop. Coming from a career in branding, I was so nervous about getting it wrong because I know the value in the name and how much flows from it! This brand was supposed to be reflective of life on the island I call home, and I wanted to encapsulate what life looks like here now, when I was a little girl, and long before that. An ever-present feature of our ever-changing sandbar is our dunes. Covered in stunning dune grass, they are these strong barriers that protect us from wild storms, from N’or Easters to hurricanes, and their grasses billow in the wind, especially as the Southern sea breeze kicks in every afternoon during the summertime. Read more>>