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.

Yasmine Colon

It all started on one sunny afternoon in my corporate job. I was with my “work besties” and I was discussing how I was so excited to get started with my event/wedding planning business. Now, keep in mind, I did not want to start my own company. I wanted to be under someone due to the fact that it takes a lot to own a business. I decided a little later that the best thing for me was to run my own company. Read more>>

Destiny Whitehead

When asked about the inspiration behind the name Mr.Barrtenderr, I explained that I struggled with coming up with a creative name and wanted something that would be memorable and set us apart from other companies. The name embodies and encompasses everything that we stand for and I personally identify with it. Read more>>

Heather Franklin

My business is called Violet Aster Photography, and it’s something very special to me. I love birth flowers and how most people don’t know that they have one! Violet is the birth flower for February which is my birth month, and Aster is my sons birth flower for September. Read more>>

Anthrone Oats

Royal Sowings, the name derived from my last name “Oats” and what God’s word says… “You reap what you sow”. So the name means SOWING ROYAL OATS!!! Read more>>

Libby Hampel

I wanted my business name to be one word and it had to have meaning. Giving is really important to me and that’s what my business is about. I’m fascinated with language and what words are in other languages. I started searching for what “giving” or “to give” was in other languages. I came across a website that explained there are two words for giving in Japanese, agemasu and kuremasu. Read more>>

Kara Daniels

I wanted a name that was infused with nature and earthy connections. Something that included the lore and magic of a forest, that was all encompassing and would represent the combined forces of earth and spirit. It’s not incredibly magical how I came up with Deep Root Connections. I held several brainstorming events with my family and I knew I needed something earthy, solid and stable, Read more>>

Rachel Settle

It’s a funny story, actually, how I came up with the name Monarch Solstice. My husband and I were watching the 2005 King Kong movie, and there is a secret organization in that movie called “Monarch”, but meaning a ruler, more like “monarchy”. The timing was weird because I had just decided to start a new business, separate from my first business, The Bold Co. Girl, so that I could have a specific space to sell earrings in. Read more>>

Tyshawn Miles

I came up with the name of the company while thinking of wanting something that would be catchy and I just didn’t want to use Tyshawn Miles Photography. I wanted to have my name in it but not in the typical way, so I looked up the definition of milestone: an action or event marking a significant change or stage in development. Read more>>

Sierra Cobbs

Lavish Beauté Essentials was founded in September of 2022. It is an extension of my previous company Lavish Beauté Hair Co. About 2 years ago I started to learn how to make homemade body lotions. Which was very fun and from there I became obsessed with learning how to make body butter, oils, facial soaps and more skincare products. Read more>>

Michele Mussatto

As a designer, copywriter, and brand marketing professional, I knew I needed to come up with a name and a logo that was creative, unique, and memorable. It had to be a brand that not only showcased my writing, design, and marketing talent but also showed businesses that I could create branding concepts that will showcase their talents as well. Read more>>

Brittany Baca

My little shop is located on Elm Avenue, right in the heart of our downtown. My aim with the store was to “collect” together products that I love and share them with others. Another piece of this business that’s still in the works, but was a huge factor in naming it, is the studios upstairs. For almost ten years my husband and I have been renovating and restoring our 117 year old building whenever we can find the time and money. Read more>>

Jackie Riccio

My studio is an interdisciplinary space of craft and creation. It takes all forms, while bouncing around in identity all the time. One day being a fanny pack production line, to a sign painting workshop the next, followed by a drafting space for installations, and a dressing room for costumes for performers. It truly lives up to its name. I realized, when I was living a really modest life out of a tiny art studio in Berlin, that my practice was guided by this piece of logic: We GET to be alive. Read more>>

Sephie Atendido

Growing up, I’ve always been a huge fan of Japanese anime. I used to watch the likes of Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Studio Ghibli religiously before and after school. So much so, that I taught myself to draw in a style inspired by the anime I was in love with at the time, until I discovered and settled on a style I could call my own. Read more>>

Nikisha Williams

My love of my culture and my love for creating awesome dishes, are what inspired the name of my company. I am from the country of Trinidad and Tobago, to be exact, I am from the smaller island which is Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago are sister isles. Tobago is more known for it’s tourism, while Trinidad is known more for it’s industrialism. Read more>>

Gianella Brewer

I wanted the name of my company to sound professional but did not want it to miss the personal connection with people, because when you invite someone to your house you want them to be comfortable. You want to make your guest feel special. So, Casa Gianella LLC is that store that you can enter feeling welcomed and choose the best quality and uniquely designed items for your home and family. Read more>>

Mike Hermann

In the Comic convention/Comic book industry neither are very kid friendly. We set out to change that, My team has always been dedicated to a full circle honest customer service experience, be the 2 year old or 102 year old. When we noticed vendors at comic cons being afraid and almost offended when children were brought to a comic con, we knew we had a huge advantage over the competition. Read more>>

Denise Sutton

In 2007, God spoke to me and said, “start the business”. I had received several requests from various people to video tape, and edit life events and special services. As I thought about what to name the business, I wrote down several names mulling it over and over. The first name was very long and I had to find a way to incorporate the essence of what was placed in my heart plus have a catchy acronym in the process.. Read more>>

Boss Babe Awards

Great Question, Our platform is catered to women and lgbtq+ & I wanted to make sure the name was something unisex but cute and catchy. Being a Boss in your own lane these days is major!! You can literally do anything you put your mind too. Being a Babe to me is about being a good person. When you think babe/bae you smile because that person makes you feel good. So I came up with Boss Babe.. A person making an impact while making an income & now the Boss Babe Awards has grown to be an iconic platform. Read more>>

Craig Tomanini

In 2018 I wrote my first book called “The Power To Change” it was mainly about my life and how I grew up but it also encompassed my time with addiction to drugs and alcohol. I also outlined how I was able to experience redemption from those things and several others (you will have to read the book). Read more>>

Selia Fox

I have always wanted to be a writer. As a child, I was obsessed with journals and diaries. I created music lyrics when I was a teenager and young adult. I often wondered what my author name would look like on the cover of a book I’d written. It wasn’t until my longtime friend Classie Fryer passed in a hit-and-run accident in 2015 that, served as inspiration for my first self-published book. Read more>>

Meredith Margolis

I am a real estate agent who co-runs a top team at Compass Real Estate, called Your P&rtners. It took my business partners some time to craft this name- YOUR P&rtners. We knew from the inception of our team that we did not want to bring ego into it and name it after one of ourselves. We knew our hard work and support for our clients came first and eventually YOUR P&rtners was born. We are our clients’ partners- every step of the way. Read more>>

Grace Dowling

So I knew I wanted something cute and original, but that it needed to include my name (Grace) and be memorable. I didn’t want just something boring and typical for a name like Grace photography or timeless pixels. That’s so cliche to me. So at first I started with give a little Grace photography and that was a little too long but it was exactly in the ball park of what I wanted creativity wise. Read more>>

Joshua Larson

As a child I was always creating, inventing, failing, and trying new things. I was always rearranging my spaces, my families spaces (often without their knowledge) and I had a passion to explore. As an adult those sentiments have continued. I continue to explore and engage in the people and things around me. I remember a quote from a book I have always admired that states, “…and the walls became the world all around” from Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Read more>>

Laura Cowan

For both of my businesses, I took to astrology for inspiration. I chose the name 6th House Astro for my astrology business because I have what is called a stellium, which is a collection of 3 or more planets in a sign or a house, in my 6th house in my birth chart. In western astrology, the 6th house is associated with work, daily routines, Read more>>

Christine Horstman

I’ve been asked this before and I probably I went against practical advice. It’s too long. It’s not completely obvious what I do. It may sound a little silly to some. And I considered changing it for all these reasons, but I chose a name that made me happy. Read more>>