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.

Anthony Canapi

Fun fact: the name of my company, Best Man Matchmaking, came from a colleague of mine, who pitched the idea to me when I was in the developmental stages of building my matchmaking business. However, although I loved the name, I didn’t find any purpose/meaning behind it and for a period of time, I was considering rebranding to a more authentic brand or just using my name as the brand. Read more>>

Michael Chylinski

I named my company Modern Tintype because I wanted to capture the idea that I am usually most interested in photographing a contemporary subject with the look of the wet plate emulsion and an older portrait lens. To me that combination of old and new can result in something timeless. I am actually not particularly invested in the idea that that wet plate collodion process was invented in the mid 19th century. I just feel that it is the most beautiful way to make a photograph. Read more>>

Sheila Ziff

My company’s name was created over a decade ago when I first became serious about photography. I was really into nature photography and it was early spring while I was taking pictures of budding plants and flowers. I thought “offshoots” and related that word to photography in the way that pictures are a kind of offshoot or extension of the real thing. Read more>>

Michele Katsaris

I started my lifestyle blog back in 2014 and never really set on a domain name. I knew I wanted my name to be included somehow, I just didn’t know the “how” part. It was actually in a dream I had where I was correcting someone for the 100th time how to spell my name—Michele, with one “L.” That’s when I came up with the name MicheleOneL.com! Read more>>

Jessica Klausing

My mom deserves all the credit for this one. We were brainstorming names one day when she asked me what exactly was the purpose of my blog. I thought about it and replied that I intended to write about B-side music rarities that get overlooked and to provide a platform to share up and coming artists’ music. She immediately thought of the old saying “see you on the flip side” and suggested that. Read more>>

Lex Reyes

When Sam and I first started Lumpia City, we wanted to be inclusive and eclectic. I grew up with a Filipino family that loved to cook and eat all different kinds of foods of different cultures. Growing up in San Diego, there was traditional Filipino food available all around me, so I wanted to offer something completely different—that’s where the fusion flavors came about. When I think of a city, I think of a melting pot of diversity. Hence the name—Lumpia City! Read more>>

Zachary Goodman

So for anyone from Raleigh you already know how many “Oak City ……..” companies there are, We actually had a debate when starting out about what to name it and I had another name in mind, i cant remember what it was now, but the rest of the team outvoted me. However I think its worked out for us, the Oak City name is recognizable to people from the area and lent us an air of legitimacy when we first started out. Read more>>

Rashard Reddick

Since a very young age, I have always considered myself as being a winner. This carried on into my adulthood with me overcoming different obstacles in the same way, Many things that I have accomplished. I found it very ironic because after a certain period of time my siblings (Mainly my Brother) started calling me Winn. Winn is a name that my 3rd oldest brother always called me. Read more>>

Ashley Iwanicki

I named the studio Collective Studios because of the meaning of the word ‘Collective’. By definition, Collective means done by people acting as a group or belonging or relating to all members of the group. The idea and name came to me in a dream. In this dream, the studio was bustling with class goers, filtering in and out of packed group fitness classes held in an impeccably designed space that sparked creativity and delighted the senses. Read more>>

Hunter & Rachel Dorton

With the name of our business being Hempin Shrooms we definitely get some interesting looks and some customers that immediately think that our business is something that it’s not. During the Hemp “Green Rush” in 2018 in Tennessee we, like thousands of other farmers in the state, thought we could make a little extra income growing a crop of hemp to sell to a buyer. We had no idea that during the same year thousands of other growers would flood the scene and make it very difficult to find a buyer. Read more>>

Melia Dunn

Legally, my business name is Melia Dunn Consulting, LLC. Not very informative, eh?  And in the long run doesn’t serve me well. But it was a very deliberate decision at the time. I was taking the leap of faith to begin working for myself. I had plenty of other (self-imposed) barriers. I knew that if I were to start thinking about a creative name that represented who I am and what I do… Read more>>

Susan Seiguer

Many years ago when doing daily conflict resolution with a group of children in my care, I found myself saying ” I see your upset, but We’re All Friends” or ” it’s ok We’re All Friends” or ” They may not want to play right now, but we’re still All Friends” And that is how All Friends came to be. For me it brings a since of community and inclusion Read more>>

Jeremy MOSCOVICI

I named my business: Life is a party LLC Why? Because of all the parties, life remains the most beautiful to celebrate. And isn’t it better with good food and wine? Read more>>

Jabetha Jones

The name of my business is Lynn in London Boutique. Lynn is my late mothers middle name which is what i called her when we would crack jokes on each other and London is my alter ego name as a teenager when i was living a double life in another state. I was in the closet for a very long time and living in NJ where everyone new who my parents were i lived my authentic life in NY where i could actually live how i wanted and with whom i wanted. Read more>>

Janell Jermon

Before Kultured Kurlz got its name, it was originally named 4Curlz. Two years after building brand awareness under 4Curlz, I began the trademark process and discovered that another hair company had been using the same name. As I began to think about new names, I thought about how I could keep the new name similar to the old name so I would not lose brand awareness. Read more>>

Lisa Wysocky

Colby’s Army is named after my son Colby, who died in 2009 at age twenty-three of an opioid overdose. From the time he was small, he championed the underdog, and made friends with those no one else wanted be friends with. Colby also envisioned a world where everyone was valued and respected, and where everyone got along, and he loved animals and nature. Read more>>

Doncel Brown

Finding the right name for your brand can be such a complex process. I think it’s important to stay true to your brand’s vision and goal, while also creating something familiar but unique. I knew I wanted to start a brand that was focused on sparking dialogue between the different generations, but I had so many options of what to call it at the time. It wasn’t until I stopped overthinking and went to the core of the brand that I found the right name. Read more>>

Maddie & Matt Maisch

Ghost Dog Media, LLC was named after a clients testimonial about having us a part of their marketing team. A client that we were working with on a monthly basis doing social media management, website management and digital marketing materials one day mentioned that they felt as though we were a ghost in their organization. Read more>>

Julie Dye

When I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey 14 years ago, I faced the challenge of finding the right name for my brand. At that time, I hadn’t fully defined the direction I wanted to take with my business. All I knew was that I wanted to create and sell handmade products. I was particularly drawn to working with Japanese papers and had already crafted items such as hand-bound journals, origami mobiles, and even paper jewelry. Read more>>

Stefanie Solano

When I first started sewing, I looked to my kids for ideas. There are hundreds of thousands of baby products on the market, but not a single one was “perfect”. A cute Bandana Bib, but it had scratchy Velcro that would leave red marks on my baby’s neck. A cozy blanket, but it was so big it would drag on the floor when my tiny toddler carried it. Read more>>

Ezra Lopez

Being a Teppanyaki Chef for 9 years at the time. My wife and I were starting to look at owning and operating our own business together. With the experience we gained from working in the restaurant industry together, we decided to start catering privately. Read more>>

Jason Christopher Long

In the summer of 2008, I decided to establish my own business and began researching and taking notes to determine the ideal name and its significance. I was particularly drawn to two music artists who I felt a deep connection with, and I believed that incorporating elements of their artistry into my business name would be fitting. As it turns out, these music artists and I share many common traits and values. Read more>>

Tanyia O’Neal

The Story Behind My Brand Is I Started Making Tutus When I Was In Middle School , I Told Myself I Should Start Making Them For Little Girls , So I Did Then I Finally Got Into The Lipgloss Field . So I Came Up With The Name Luxury Lips Lashes & Custom Tutus Read more>>

Jessica Butler

My husband & I are members of Abundant Life Church where the vision statement is “To be living proof of a loving God to a watching world.” To be honest, I didn’t know that Living Proof Productions would grow to be my passion & career so when I decided on the name at the time. I knew I wanted my vision to be the same, fostering a space for others to feel loved & cared for, but over time, the meaning of the name has grown to mean even more to me. I ended up stumbling upon clips from my parent’s wedding film on VHS last year, just a few clips of their ceremony & reception, but enough for me to see, hear & feel the emotions as my parents & family that is no longer with us was moving, laughing, & living. Read more>>

RADskillZ

In the beginning, RADskillZ was first used on my myspace page for fun. RAD represent my initials and skillZ was just a playful add on. This was before I even thought of directing my life towards visual journalism. It wasn’t until 2010-2011 while I was attending New England School of Photography (NESOP) in Boston, MA that it actually became a nickname and then turned into a business name. One night, I had decided to change the name of my hard drive because everyone’s hard drive had the same basic name (HD1) and we could never figure out whose was whose. I renamed mine to RADskillZ. Read more>>

Leysla Castillo

Naming a business is indeed a challenging task, but for us at DREAM agency, it was an exhilarating process that encapsulated our mission and values. The story behind how we arrived at the name “DREAM” is one of passion, dedication, and the desire to make our client’s dreams a reality. Read more>>

Chisom Okoye

My business name, Nrinka (pronounced in-rin-ka), means Food-Art in my native Nigerian language, Igbo. I rebranded my baking business late 2022 to one that encompasses my heritage and interests after I realized my passion for baking stemmed from wanting to capture beautiful images. I only cared about viewing food through the lens of the camera. Read more>>

Wendy Holland

Selfishly Spoiled came about when I was in college back in 2014. I am the only girl and the youngest in my family. So growing up, I was always called spoiled. At the time I was trying to come up with a business name for a hair company since at that time that was what I wanted to do. Since everyone would call me spoiled I would always say “I used to be however now I spoil myself since I started working full time”. Read more>>

Tamicka Stephens

It was not hard at all to come up with a name for my business. It only took me about a day to fully decide on the name. Because my name is Tamicka my mothers name is Terri and my kids name is Trin and Tristen. So our whole household starts with the name T. hence the name 4Tees because I started with just making tee shirts so the name 4 Tees Custom Designs. We turn your dream shirts into a reality. Anything really! Read more>>

Kenzie Stewart

True Form Fitness, the official rebrand of Studio Novo Franklin, was established in October of 2022, by a young female entrepreneur and dreamer, with a vision to impact our community through fitness — combining mission x faith x fitness. Read more>>

Nick Heyward

Coming up with the name for the church was not an easy task. I enjoyed running, and I really had time to clear my mind and hear from God while I was out clocking miles. One Sunday morning I was jogging and meditating about God’s goodness. I reflected on my career in hospitality and I knew I wanted the church to be a place that was welcoming to all people….despite what they may have gone through. Read more>>

Claritha Henderson

I initially came up with the name Chic Creationz because my focus at the time was customized gift baskets mixing mid-tier luxury items with a variety of other items. I was between travel pharmacy assignments in 2013 and hopped on Pinterest looking for something fun and innovative to try as far as treatmaking. I started baking infused cupcakes using family, friends and coworkers as my taste testers. Fast forward to February 2015, and the brand became Chic Creationz & Treats. Read more>>

Ashton Drake

I believe coming up with a name for a business is difficult because you want something that reflects you and a name that would stick. At first, I didn’t know what I was going to name my business, because I didn’t know what I was trying to do with photography. So I named my business Soul Wealth Productions because I believe when you take a picture you should feel natural, comfortable, and truly you. Read more>>

Samantha Meadows

The name of my company is Bevy Events & Rentals. I came up with “Bevy” one day as I was driving to go out of state on a surprise trip with my girlfriend. We were talking and I told her I really wanted to start an event planning business (finally, everyone I’ve ever known has told me for years I should do this!). She of course was extremely encouraging and excited that I was finally going to do something I am so good at! As we drove, I started looking up synonyms for “party”.. Read more>>

Pam Dexter

I grew up surrounded by dirt and palm trees. The best part of NC for me is that I get to live in the woods, surrounded by nature. When coming up with business names, I wanted to include some kind of mythical creature that you could someday find in these woods. I was originally leaning toward mushrooms, moss and fairies when my favorite kitty jumped into my lap for some love. So I added “cat” to my online search for magical creatures. Read more>>

Natalie Frank

When it comes to decision-making, I’ve always struggled, but back in July 2022, I instinctually wrote NO BRAND on a crewneck I was working on. It was first thing that came to mind. There was no hesitancy. NO BRAND just worked. It felt true to what I was doing. What makes “NO BRAND” unique is its lack of idiosyncrasies—no distinct logo or print that screams “this is a NO BRAND piece.” Read more>>

Khashana McKenzie

I can still remember calling my mom on my way home from work excited about my new business idea, Porty Vibez. Porty is the slang we use in Jamaica. for Portland, the parish where I was born. And my mom loved it! Her response was “I like those vibez”. And just like that Porty Vibez was born. Read more>>

Dian Williamson

I have a women’s empowerment blog on Facebook and Instagram called Becoming The Woman God Designed Me To Be. The blog encourages and inspires women to be the best they can be in God. We do that through a variety of video series, quotes and life affirmations. We also give back to the community through clothing drives, feminine drives & cooking for the homeless. Read more>>

Jim Mumford

I started publishing recipes in 2018 on my website as Jim Cooks Food Good. The name is of course grammatically incorrect, though done intentionally. My vision was (and remains) to celebrate food simply, not taking it or myself too seriously. So, the name is a nod to this vision; a simply play on words to celebrate this journey and stay as a reminder to keep it all light and fun. Read more>>

Edgar Levy

When I first started sharing online, I was using a blog. It’s natural for me to tell the back-story and explain about the guitar and the repair methods in my posts. After the first few posts, I noticed a resemblance in what I was doing to the American home improvement show This Old House. I did not want to be obvious about borrowing that much of the title, so I tried coming up with something different for months. Read more>>

Tanya Maurya

When it came to naming our bakery, we wanted to create something personal and meaningful. We decided to base the name of the bakery on me and my siblings first letter that is Nishu, Aishwary, Tanya, and Somya. Thus, we chose the name ‘The N.A.T.S Bakery’. Read more>>

Tranean Lytello

I think this was the easiest thing to come up with when starting my business. I’m a Scorpio, and the Scorpio creative side is where I pulled this name from. Read more>>

Kristen Hale

Coming up with the name of my boutique was surprisingly easier than I expected it to be! I thought for sure I would struggle deciding on a name and I only went back and forth a couple of times between two names. I wanted something meaningful to me. I grew up on Woodland and that is where my parents live still to this day. We had a large weeping willow tree in the back yard that draped over our pond. I always loved that tree. So Woodland & Willow just kind of fit! Read more>>