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.

Vania Jackson

The name of my company was birthed in March of 2020 during an extremely slow day at a job where I was working as a temp. I had the idea for a beauty brand focusing on lip products about 2-3 months before I created the name. My faith is very important to me, so I knew I wanted to incorporate that into my brand so that I would be doing more than just selling lip products. Read more>>

Jake Serwer

I came up with the name Espresso Public Relations because a few of my first clients were entrepreneurs who literally worked out of coffee shops. I also liked the theme of Espresso PR giving businesses a “shot” of Espresso, which meant my PR and marketing services would wake you up and spark creative thinking. Espresso PR has the sort of name that also aligns with my values, and it demonstrates the character and mentality of the people and places I represent. Finally, “PR” is in the word Espresso, so that’s pretty cool, right? Read more>>

Abram Castellanos

I actually get asked this question a lot. My kids came up with it. They said I like to tinker with things. I’ve had lots of hobbies some stuck with me and most didn’t. Leather craft was one of those hobbies that stuck. Read more>>

Kanique Mighty-Nugent

The name of the company is Komposition and yes, we did switch out the C of the english spelling to a ‘K’ since both our names begin with the letter ‘K’. Originally when Kirk, my husband, and I created the business our service offerings were a bit different from what it is today. We were a Photography & Web Design company that offered various photography and website creation/redesign services. Read more>>

Angelica Van

When I was in esthetician school, having my own spa was just a dream. Over time, it became frustrating as my classmates began to give names to their future businesses and I had yet to land on one. It was almost like I couldn’t enjoy the experience without thinking on what would be next for me. Read more>>

Telani Lasoleille.

Choosing a name for my company took a lot of thought and effort. I wanted a name that conveyed the spirit behind the relationship we wanted to cultivate between dogs and their guardians during training and throughout their lifetimes. Our goal is to communicate to our clients that training their dogs doesn’t have to be a struggle; it should be a cooperative effort between them and their dogs. We do not coerce dogs to perform for us; Read more>>

Dani Joy

The name Vanity A came actually about with a group of friends. People have always said I think highly of myself. Basically Vain lol so boom we were like Vanity. It was important that I include mg daughter so A is short for my her middle name Ariana. So Vanity A was born. Read more>>

Whitley Barbier

The name of my company is very unique and special to me. The first portion of the name is my middle name – Lynese. The second portion of the name is an important piece of equipment for my business- Lenses. You can’t get much done without a lens attached to the other end of the camera. Read more>>

Lindsay McLaughlin

Paper hats were originally worn for work, not play. It was the most common headwear in a number of trades which involved a high level of manual labor. Easy to make, folded paper hats were then taught to be made at celebrations and parties. I took the concept of this origin to encompass everything we’re about. We’re highly skilled in our craft that, believe it or not, involves a lot of manual labor. Our niche is coordination, meaning we work alongside our clients to walk them through every step of the planning process. Read more>>

Alexandria Corder.

I’m Alexandria (Indigo) Corder, a licensed aesthetician, and herbalist. I created Red Clay Herbiary to celebrate the rich heritage of my family’s ancestral use of plants. Red Clay is an homage to Alabama’s red dirt roads, gardens toiled and harvested by my family, and plant medicine’s truest riches. Read more>>

Ofelia Ponce & Inti Martínez-Alemán

Why Abogados? My husband and I were born and raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where we are both “Abogados” (“Attorneys”, in Spanish). He is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and New York, and I joined him in his practice as a legal analyst in 2019 after graduating from a Master of Law. The law industry is very demanding and stressful. You need to keep going non-stop. We would start our mornings at the office breakroom brewing coffee. Read more>>

Emma Gillespie

I put so much time and thought into what I was going to name my company. I spent the entire summer going into senior year journaling about it, talking to friends, and even putting random words into those company name generators to try to get inspiration. Nothing was sticking for me honestly. I had a call with one of my mentors and she was asking me questions about my business and the “Why” behind it. In the middle of our phone call she goes “Emma, do you realize you’ve said the word “Capture” like 17 times in this conversation?” Read more>>

Ralph Jarrells

My company is The Little Black Rocking Chair. Because that is how I learned to be creative. Before there was “timeout”, there was the little black rocking chair. As a child, when I misbehaved, my mother would say go sit in the rocking chair. If I was really bad, she would say to sit in the chair and face the wall. I guess I spent a lot of time facing the wall. But, that wasn’t punishment for me because the wall became my escape into whatever world I wanted it to be. Read more>>

Britt Warner

We get asked all the time “Why Friendship Farms?” about 5 years ago a friend of mine asked me to get a booth with her at a local vendor fair, I could sell baked goods and jellies and she was going to sell pup treats. I agreed and with our love of alliteration we agreed on the name “Friendship Farms” and the motto “Treat yourself and your best friend ” meaning man’s best friend a dog (we really thought we were clever). Read more>>

DeQuana Ellis

My company’s name comes from our company’s mission and my personal nickname from my life partner. BodiedXNature represents the concept of loving our bodies and using some of nature’s resources to nourish and heal our skin. No need for extra additives when nature has always provided what we need. Our logo focuses on my personal nickname, which is, “Moon.” Read more>>

Jervon Whitney

The name of my company is “ Jervon Whitney” which is the name that was given to me by my parents. My parents adopted me as a newborn and is why I truly cherish and value my name. I have a few business with separate names. However I decided to combine them into one and I feel like “JERVON WHITNEY” fits perfectly to represent my brand as a whole. My name is beautiful, it’s unique, and it stands out. And that’s exactly how I want my entire brand to stand out. Read more>>

Kelli Coyle

The intention behind my name “Design to Flourish” is simple. I want to create something that comes from me but is quintessentially you, from the initial design, right down to the final flourishes. I pride myself on creating custom work for each of my clients. I love the idea of each piece being hand-touched. Read more>>

Rachel Hinshaw

It was easy for us, honestly. We know the value a warm and loving home can have for a family, and the impact it can make, and what helps create that environment is filling it with sentimental treasures. Some of these treasures need love or updating, and that’s where we come in. Read more>>

Nikki Gray

I had just decided to start my business and couldn’t come up with a name. My husband and I were camping, and he could tell I was distracted. When he asked me what was wrong, I told him I was really stressing over a name. I wanted something unique, not just Nikki’s Pet Sitting Services like so many others do. Read more>>

Monica Baczko Pearl

22Leela Cookies is named after the home I grew up in. Leela Lane, a tiny neighborhood in a small town in Massachusetts, where my parents owned their home for nearly 30 years and where I spent 20 years (plus one or two after college when I was trying to find my place in the world). Our neighborhood was like no other I have experienced, filled with neighbors who acted like family, the best holiday parties, pets that roamed the street like children playing after school, and some of my favorite memories. Read more>>

Asianna Wilburn.

Every single dark time I have been through in life has brought me to name my company Bèlight beauty. I could not imagine a better name to express me, myself, my life. Not only the company, but the name itself means so much to me because it gets deeper. It motivates me to keep going. It makes me even more grateful. It gives me a feeling of security. It inspires me and allows me to never forget that I made it through a hard time. Read more>>

Courtney Robotham-Tanksley

My husband Mr. Kendrick Tanksley is behind the name Sucka 4 Smells LLC. He’s the one who came up with that name & brought it to me & I instantly love it! I said let’s do it lol Read more>>

Jenna Rose & Elle Stone

We wanted a name that encompassed the passion we have for raising the industry standard for the artist experience in making a living off of music, and for building a community around that music. We wanted something that not only represented our local scene, but that also had the potential to grow beyond it. Read more>>

Bonnie Sachs

During the pandemic, we became enamored of the show, “Downton Abbey.” Neither of us had watched it in its height of popularity, but we discovered it during Covid and became completely hooked. It was during this time that we began to seriously consider the idea of opening a B & B Home. Our name arose from our love of the characters and storyline of “Downton Abbey” and the fact that we live in what is known as the “Pioneer Valley.” Thus, “Downton Valley” was born. Read more>>

Maria Carleton.

I came up with the name MamaToBeJewellery & it was originally jewellery designed to inspire mums like me. After I had my son, I very much wanted to continue but the name no longer suited where I wanted to take It, so I subsequently decided on M2BJewellery instead. Read more>>

Jen Street

When trying to determine a name of our company, my husband Chris and I wanted something that represented the element of fire. The individual pieces that make up our handmade ornaments are cut using a laser and we wanted something that spoke to this method. We wrote a list of many different names (I wish I still had this!) and used several online tools and generators to get our creative juices going. We didn’t like any of them. Not a single one. They all sounded too silly or too formal. We gave it a rest. Read more>>

Nell Callahan

The most important business lessons I’ve learned, I was taught by my parents around our dinner table. As small business owners, they taught me about creativity, problem-solving, persistence, and compassion. I named my firm–Frontwood–after our house to honor those early, enduring lessons and the spirit of entrepreneurship that they sparked in me and how important my family is to achieving my own vision for the future. Read more>>

Cathy Riehs.

Back in the spring of 2015, a tragic event impacted my family and I. It was devastating and it was very hard to process and cope at that time. (To this day, that tragic event is still impacting one of my family members). I needed a way to deal with what happened. I needed to process and clear the “noise” from my head, regain my strength and lay out steps to move forward. KNITTING was my answer. Knitting allowed me to relax and clear my mind. It was very therapeutic. Knitting allowed me to become stronger as a person and a better mom for my family. Read more>>

Nicole Byler

The Maidenhair fern is one of our very favorite plants, so naturally we felt it was fitting to name our salon Maidenhair loft since we love plants and doing hair Read more>>

Maggie Squires

The Matted Doodle as a business name has brought smiles to pet parent’s faces because it’s relatable; like the old saying “shit happens” so do mats. It has also allowed them to bring their pet to a professional environment without the judgement often associated with having a matted pet. I came up with the name The Matted Doodle for my grooming business because for the last 16 years as a groomer I’ve watch the doodle breeds skyrocket in popularity as America’s favorite dog. The term doodle is a catch-all term describing the breeding of a poodle mixed with another standard breed, such as golden retriever, to get the ever so cute big old teddy bear looking dog. Read more>>