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.

Kristen Rud

I get asked this question a lot! I named this journey “The Mermaid Movement” back in 2016. I was 23 years old with bright red hair, and a lot of people assumed I just loved The Little Mermaid! While I am a big Disney fan, this does not have much to do with the Mermaid Movement. Read more>>

Melanie Dellas Karen Lacy

We wanted to come up with a name that represented the origins of the word “museum” and the goddesses that inspired the arts in Greek mythology. As a verb, “to muse” is to consider something thoughtfully. As a noun, it means a person — especially a woman — who is a source of artistic inspiration. Together, it was the inspiration for the word “Museum.” Read more>>

Paul Piasecki

I chose the word “Fuse” to describe my photography business as a blending or “fusing” of my cinematography, lighting and composition experience. I find it a rewarding to create a single image that has all the elements of my cinematography style and aesthetic. The result is a unique collection of images for my clients. Read more>>

Jazzlynn

How did I come up with the name of my company is a question I get very often. I worked in so many salons where everything just felt average. When I decided to get my location, I told myself I wanted it to be fun. I want to walk in and instantly feel a feeling of appreciation. Then I came up with the idea that everything would be pink. So why not call it The Pink Room. Read more>>

Sahirenys Pierce

The big problem with the finance space is that it doesn’t really offer practical advice for minorities, women, or young people. Leaving a large percentage of Americans with low access to financial literacy or advice that they can understand and use. As a new mom, I know the importance of not living in the numbers and finding a balance in the unbalance. Read more>>

Alex Coleman

This was the most difficult part of starting the business! The business model, saving money for start-up costs, acquiring new customers…all a cakewalk compared to finding a suitable name! Elise (wife / c0-founder) and I went round and round trying to think of something that accurately captured what we were building. It’s difficult. Read more>>

Mick Rose

I grew up in the heart of Oak Cliff. I decided to name my busines Highcrest Musix because Highcrest was the first street that I could remember calling home! Read more>>

Kassie Meiler

This question is always a blast to answer when asked! Four and a half years ago, I wrote down a list of all possible names for my social media agency. GOAT Social Media stuck out to me, and I felt drawn to it. The GOAT acronym stands for “Greatest of All Time,” and I figured, who doesn’t want to be the best or the greatest? Read more>>

Presley Woodall

I get asked about my business name often. You would have to know me personally to get it. Oafie is a nickname of mine. It started out as OAF, in high school. I was screen printing my art work on shirts and OAF was my brand name. After a few years of that, I changed my goals and laid out a plan to be able to incorporate more of my crafty side. That is when I came up with Niftie Oafie and made it an official business. Read more>>

Patience Titcombe

Lasgidi is a slang word for Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. Gigi in the Yoruba language means strong. Las is just a shortened term for Lagos, so if you put the two together you get LasGidi-which to me means Lagos strong. That is what I feel embodies my food, my brand, my culture, and myself. We are strong. Our culture is strong. Our food is strong. I am strong and I get to share my love for my culture, our strength, and everything good about Lasigidi with the people of Phoenix and soon, other cities! Read more>>

Tina Bryan

I came up with the name of my business in a similar way that I picked the paint color for my cabinets. Sounds weird, right? When I get an idea, my brain goes 150 miles per hour. So much information swirls around, so many ideas, words, phrases, and processes. Read more>>

Keyla Ortiz

When it came to choosing the name for my business, it seemed like one of the first steps I wanted to have down before continuing with everything else. Business was a whole new ballgame for me since I came from a health-sciences background in college. I had to start with baby steps if I knew I wanted to ease into this new adventure. Read more>>

Tina Zawadzki

As with most things creative, I came up with the name of my company through a few iterations. It all started with a family weekend lunch where I started to relay a story about a commercial for a personal injury attorney. This attorney uses a common work tool in his nickname. As we were having a chuckle as a family, my daughter said ‘that’s it Mom, you’re the Texas whisk.” Read more>>

Kelley Laws

Sweet Valley Photography | When I was deciding on a name for my business, I wanted to find something that was both meaningful and portrayed my heart behind my work; I feel like Sweet Valley Photography does just that. Read more>>

Heather Ford

The name My Fair Fête was inspired by the movie My Fair Lady and the array of meanings for the word ‘fair.’ Did you know that ‘fair’ is an adjective, noun and verb? I have lived all over the world – in three countries, five states and 13 cities! Studying abroad in France and Senegal during high school and college gave me the opportunity to learn French and foster inspiration from French culture and history to weave into my life and especially My Fair Fête. Read more>>

Shelly Ryan

When people asked me to tell them a little bit about myself, I noticed I would describe my life in chapters…Chapter 1 growing up on the farm, Chapter 2 College, Chapter 3 Graduate School and onward. Read more>>

Emily Turner

When I was rebranding last fall, I had a long list of names that I was considering. As I narrowed it down, there was one thing I was focused on. I wanted the name to be more than just a name. I wanted it to be a feeling. I wanted the name of my business to evoke emotion every time you say it. I wanted it to paint a clear picture of what you will feel like as you walk in and out of my space. I am particularly proud of the name because I truly think Golden Hour does just that. Read more>>

Cheryl McConnell

The inspiration for the name Ushood, comes from an adventure in Peru. I was on an expedition, and I was contemplating the idea of starting this business. I heard an inner voice that said “You Should”. It spoke to both the business and the mountain climbs ahead of me. Read more>>

Jason Luc

I started my journey into photography with an, admittedly, simple ethos: capture moments with visually-captivating appeal. And I noticed a common denominator among photos that are well-received, especially portraits: very soft, out-of-focus areas. AKA: “Bokeh”. At some point, I started focusing on reaching out to people for portrait photos, so I felt that going with a name that optimizes and emphasizes qualities associated with portraits was the way to go, hence “Project Bokeh”! Read more>>

Mary Wells

The name One Word Encourage, LLC comes from my Breast Cancer treatment journey that began on October 16, 2013. This was a very dark time as I was newly married with a two-year old, and new position in Corporate. There was a lot of loss that includes right breast, hair, nails, weight, confidence, and memory. However, God placed people in my life who encouraged me to thrive. Read more>>

Stephanie Walker

My maiden name is Potter. Most gardeners have a potting bench and I thought combining the two was perfect! I have so much love for my Potter roots and heritage. I love paying homage to my roots through my business name. Read more>>