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.

Blaine Bartlett

I founded Avatar Resources in 1987. The word Avatar is Sanskrit in origin and means the embodiment of and idea or ideal. All organizations are founded on some idea and ideal and the organization literal embodies this in its products, services, and operations – the organization “is” this idea or ideal. Read more>>

Cherise Klosner

Back in 2020 when I decided to take my love for wedding officiating from side hustle to full time business I knew I had to come up with an official name. It honestly never occurred to me to use just my name. I wanted something catchy but not corny. Read more>>

Shatoria Christian

I Am Shatoria is a name after my heart. It’s not just the Shatoria; however, it is the I Am. I love saying it as a positive affirmation to remind me of who I am and what I am made to be and do in life. Read more>>

Jennifer Jackson

I help run two companies that synergistically connect — The Classic Theatre and Legacy Plaza. Read more>>

Jocelyn Olsen

Hüga strives to bring people together outdoors to enjoy nature, friends and family throughout the year by warming our cores from the bottom up. Our cushions are named after the Danish concept of hygge, Read more>>

Kristina Swift

I have 3 businesses. First Serendipity Executive Search which I started 3 years ago after being corporate sales executive for many years building high performance teams. Read more>>

De Carso Carroll Sr

When I first began my business and started receiving clients. I was still working on the name of the business. I would always ask my clients what type of details did they specifically want as far as their book illustrations, the background of their personal portraits, Read more>>

SHANEETRA GRAHAM

My company name was derived from my experience as a child, I would always recite things before I was able to read. Remembering letters or things I saw throughout the day, I would come home and write down what I saw that day, Read more>>

Sarah Alvarez-Galindo

Everyone seems to have a deep meaning behind their business name but mine is just basically named after my favorite artist, The Weeknd. When I was about 12-13 I was over at my cousin’s house and she was playing his music on the computer. Read more>>

Susan Beaver

I had started a small handmade jewelry business, called Chain Effects Handcrafted Jewelry. It had begun with a jewelry making class, where I learned wire-wrapping, a technique where the chain is handmade. Read more>>

Renee Pawlowicz

Twisted Energy Co. was created in 2016 when I was originally doing custom art and photography. I decided to keep the name when I became an esthetician because I didn’t want to let go of my other types of businesses. Read more>>

Taylor Higgins

Taylored Design Co. was derived from my name. The addition of the suffix “-ed” to the end of my name signifies something that has happened. I wanted people to know that “Taylor did that.” Ending things off with “Design Co.” Read more>>

Salliece Vance

What Percentage of People Do You Know Have Gap Teeth? I endured teasing throughout my childhood, with comments like “I bet you can put a car through your gap” and “Your two front teeth look like a field goal.”You know corny sh*t like that. Read more>>

Zerandrian Morris

I have two businesses: The Ignant Intellectual® Group & Funny Acting Black Girl™. Funny Acting Black Girl was trademarked in June 2022. The official formation year of The Ignant Intellectual Group is 2018 although I have been doing (what is now being termed) DEI work for at least 20 years. Read more>>

Leah Scott

The name Diamond in the Rough Hair Beauty was my creative way to explain the way some women feel without their extensions and lashes etc. With the proper products, treatments, and education we will be able to realize the beautiful textures of hair we were born with. Read more>>

Raven Barrett

I came up with the name Cocoiv one night laying in bed talking to my God sister. From the beginning I knew that I wanted the name to represent Black women and to be something meaningful to me. The “coco” represents the different shades of brown that we represent. The “iv” represents the four generations of women in my family, my daughter more specifically as she was born in April. Read more>>

Angie Spartz

When I was in 7th grade we did a mythology unit in our English class. I remember hearing the story of the the Phoenix and instantly feeling a connection to it. I didn’t know exactly why at the time, but that story hit differently than the others, and I intuitively knew it would play an important role in my life. Read more>>

Wesley Hutchinson

My name comes from a road in my home town of Camden, Alabama. It’s a small three red light town in Southern Alabama. Read more>>

Johnetta West

OMG! Banana Pudding When customers take a bite of OMG! Banana Pudding, OMG! would usually be the first response. Read more>>

Kate Bolt

Lark (as in “going on a lark”) makes the case for indulgence and reset — for living as a human, not as a robot who makes choices without emotion or character. Life is a both-and: eating and living healthy, as well as periodically splurging and celebrating! Read more>>

Liz Gapinski

I named my salon after my childhood best friend, my cat, Sunshine! I truly believe that he is the one who sparked my love of animals and I wanted his legacy to live on. Read more>>

LaShon Carter

My nickname in highschool was Tiny because I am very small and my great grandmother would call me tigers becasue she use to stay don’t make the little tiger mad. Read more>>

Katrina Armstrong

Coming up with the name for my business was actually quite simple. I have read many times where people suggest you don’t use your name and/or face to represent your business. I personally disagree and feel as though my business is ME! It represents who I am and its me telling a story through fashion and style. Read more>>

Christopher Breedlove

My name is Christopher Breedlove, and my company name is Breedlove Services. The company is named after my last name to carry my parent’s legacy. In the spring, we are adding coaching and wellness services to our umbrella company hence “Breedlove Services.” Read more>>

Heather Thorn

I chose Vivacity as the name of my band and company because it means with passion, fire and forward motion; the quality of being attractively lively and animated. We play music from the Great American Songbook featuring hits of the early 20th century, Read more>>

Deatra Starling-Kinard

STAR stands for Scholars That Achieve Results. We believe that all scholars can be coached from good to great…achieving results that showed the scholars were willing to do the work. Read more>>

Connie Spruill

My Girlfriendz Place came from my desire to create a place where women come for support, encouragement and refreshing. It started during a time in my life when I was pushed to my limit and looking around for all the people who always promised to be there for me when I needed them. Read more>>

Monika Paez

I was on a call with my business coach and she was asking me about some pillars of my business. When I told her she said ok why not use SMART?! I immediately fell in love with the idea. Read more>>

Tee Colvin

Becoming a mother at a young age, My body was forced to make changes before my body even had time to prepare for all the changes to come. Which caused me to battle back and forth with my weight and lost all confidence in myself. Read more>>

Owen O’Donnell

Well I reside in and do most of my business in the tight knit Pikesville area of Baltimore , a big small city. I have been a makeup artist for 20 years and worked for many others as well as various partnerships , even media companies , always stepping back and putting the corporation first, Read more>>