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.

Hannah Josselyn

I’ve always dreamed of opening a coffee shop that had a warm & welcoming atmosphere to anyone that walked in! A place that you could come and get lost in a book, talk to a stranger just take some time away from the craziness of life. Reverie means getting lost in one’s thoughts or daydreams. It felt so organic and meant to be! Read more>>

Zachary Lefevre

I started my photo business by simply making an Instagram handle. It started as Flipside Photo and I really had no idea how deep I would go into the creative arts. After deepening my connection to photography I began to realize it was something I wanted to invest more of my energy into. Gig after gig I continued learning. I learned better editing techniques. Read more>>

Charsie Edwards

Laurel Lane Jewelry is the name of my business/brand. When I came up with the name back in 2019, I wanted it to be simple and catchy. The idea of my name and the brand name having meaning appealed to me, but I knew I didn’t want my first name associated with it. My middle name comes from my paternal grandmother, whose name was Laura. Read more>>

Tarah Loera

I used to be bodied but candy Lv but I no longer do body sculpting. Now I am permanent makeup artist. I help ladies have beautiful brows and lips. Brows are the frame of your face. Lips make every smile beautiful. I enjoy helping women feel beautiful and help them have more self confidence in themselves. It’s been challenging period switch to one service to another. But I enjoy what I do and couldn’t be more grateful for people who support my business. Read more>>

Tracey Sykes Ambrose

The theme behind Tracey Ambrose W.R.A.P. (with revelation and purpose) derives from the design of a large scarf/wrap I crocheted as a gift in 2005 from no written pattern. However, a creative interpretation of the acronym WRAP is “Wisdom Revealed And Pursued.” In this context, WRAP represents the journey of seeking and discovering profound wisdom and then actively pursuing it in our lives. Read more>>

Rachel Dymond

My Grandpa is the inspiration behind my bakery’s name as well as many of our products! My Grandpa gave all of his grandkids nicknames, and mine was Moonbeam. When he retired from law enforcement he began cooking and baking! He enjoyed going to book stores to find recipes! Read more>>

Kent Speakman

KNEKT®tv – I was looking for a word that would encompass the intention of what we do, which is to connect audiences with socially conscious content, to uplift and enrich their lives. So started with Connect as the principle word and was exploring different spellings and came across KNEKT – which was available as a domain as well as trademark, so I text it to a Norwegian friend and asked to get a voice note back, and it phonetically was the same as “Connect”, so that was a good fit. The other cool thing about the word is the meaning: Knight (professional warrior, especially of the Middle Ages) – the protector of the people. Read more>>

Robin Jones

I came up with the name, “Styles by Robin J.” by brainstorming months ahead of the release date for the online business. I’ve always had a sense of fashion and choosing a name was very important to me. I’ve always wanted to have a business but didn’t know exactly what I wanted until one day, I met a lady who was selling jewelry outside of suite. Read more>>

Kobéy Smith

I came up with the name of the company because my name Kobéy is unique. Honestly, every name that I wanted to use for my business was already taken and the last thing I needed was a lawsuit as someone starting out. Read more>>

Charlei H

Dominique Mariette, Co-Founder of Drank Pouch actually came up with the name. Originally, the pouches were intended to be in plastic pouches but as Drank Pouch developed it became clear that bottling our cocktails was the right direction to go. I remember being in a meeting and I was like, Apple doesn’t sell us apples so why would we change our name? Read more>>

Mario Andres Orjuela

My company started the first idea of ​​the company that I have today is the business is electronic commerce, we are the digital age. My parents said they wanted to place them. I told them I want a website or an online store. my parents gave me a capital of 1000usd Read more>>

Amanda Adam

I’m an author, and wanted a cafe and restaurant with a literary theme and a British flair. My husband and I agreed on Bear & Dragon! My daughter Bridget was nicknamed little bear before she was born and it stuck. My son’s name, Drake, means dragon. So the name provides for strong branding and has meaning behind it! Guests will dine amongst stacks of books, traditional cottage decor, and a name they won’t forget. Read more>>

David Tyda

The building that BARCOA is located within is listed on the National Register of Historic Places – it was built in 1928 as a “castle” for the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization of community leaders. Somewhere along the way, it became known as The Hardware Store. So when we decided to open an agave spirits bar in the space, we asked ourselves: What is a tool used in the tequila/mezcal-making process? Read more>>

Queen Aftan Williams

When God unctions me to do something publicly, I ask him to give me confirmation by sending me the name for it attached to a royal connotation. I wanted to ensure that my company made people feel like they were priority no matter how many clients I had. So I thought, what is a word that’s so different that is not being used in regular English language as a staple. Read more>>

Kimberly Tran

Before Chloe Rose I had a lot of doubts, uncertainties, and fears. There was a lot of worry about starting a business and venturing into something new as I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that working with flowers was something I am passionate about and it makes me happy. Read more>>

Sheri Angeles

I have a few businesses and my last interview we chatted a lot about my wedding photography and this time I am happy to share more about my fashion photography and my modeling agency Standard Models. With my fashion photography, I don’t have a business name-my brand is myself and everything is under my name. That is how my name has become known in a way throughout the industry. Read more>>

Marianna Varviani

When I decided to start my own company, I knew I needed a name that not only encapsulated the essence of my work but also evoked a similar sensation when spoken aloud. Read more>>

Martina Efeyini

Names are tricky. The first name I came up with for my digital platform was Mademoiselle Scientist. I wanted my name to have a pretty feminine flow to it and let people know that I am a scientist who would be writing about sharing my journey as a Black woman in STEM. Creating this digital platform space was my way of self mentoring, sharing stories and lessons I learned throughout my career as a Black woman in STEM. Read more>>

Joshua Thornton

The actually originated from a tattoo I have. I have the word “mime” on my forearm. It an acronym that stands for “music is my escape”. When I first created my personal Instagram page the first username I thought of was “mime guy”. I’d been referenced as “the guy with the mime tattoo” and I grew fond of it. Fast forward to when I really wanted to establish myself as an artist, I’m starting a new Instagram for my artwork, and I just piggybacked off of my personal page. Thats when “Mime Guy Designs” was born. Read more>>

Jenny Yi

The story behind our name comes from Chloe, the Greek goddess of plants, and Mint, the nymph she transformed into the sweet-smelling plant. As our founder was working to launch her brand, she put hundreds of words together and finally came across Chloe and Mint. Read more>>

Audrey Broas

Audsare (Odds-are) …I wish I could claim the creative genius behind this, but I can’t. My older sister Rachel one day was fed up with me not having any social media for my baking that she made me an Instagram (@audsareimbaking) and therefore my brand was born. She created it is Audsare to allow for brand growth, Audsareimbaking, or Audsareimtraveling, Audsareim…. Read more>>

Elizabeth Fraley

When I was starting my company, I thought Kinder Ready would be the perfect name. Preschool is really about building and growth from a social and emotional standpoint. Kinder Ready offers a chance for students to be introduced to kinder readiness skills prior to starting school, to better prepare for a full academic day and have pre-exposure to a plethora of academic skills. Read more>>

Lindsey Lamchick

The name “The Edit” for my luxury real estate company was born from a deep appreciation for the art of refinement and inclusivity. When I founded the company, my vision was to create a brand that would truly distinguish itself in the competitive world of real estate. I imagined a brokerage that not only meticulously curated the finest properties but also offered a diverse range of options. Our unwavering commitment to providing unparalleled service extends to clients with varying budgets and at different stages in life. Read more>>

Megan Del Pozo

It wasn’t until I was in business for well over a year that I came up with ‘The Bush Babe.’ I started my small business journey under the name of ‘Wax Avenue’, a name that I came up with while still working for a corporate waxing chain. ‘Wax Avenue’ took months of sifting through multiple sources of inspirations before it came to me, and even then, it never fully embodied my vision for my brand once I was on my own. Read more>>

Maggie Mays

When I first started my business, I knew that having a meaningful name for my brand was essential. So I sat down to meditate and came up with the name All the tiny Pieces. Because as humans, we are all tiny pieces. Like gemstones, we are all uniquely beautiful, meaningful, and precious in our individuality. At the same time, we share a deep sense of connection. We are the wave rising from the ocean and the glimmer of stardust shining within this big, magnificent universe. Read more>>

Jillian Oliver

I chose the name Gert & Co to incorporate pieces of both my Grandmother (Mimi) and Mother who fostered my love for color & creating ever since I was a little girl. It also playfully nods to my love for my mini-Goldendoodle, Gertrude. Read more>>

Kennedy Bingham

When I was considering what to name this venture, and how to brand myself, I knew I wanted it to be: fun, punny, and not overdone. In bridal you often see people playing off of “white” or “bride” but both of those felt too traditional to me. I didn’t want to promote just wearing white on your wedding day, and I definitely didn’t want people to think I only dressed cisgender brides. Read more>>

Dan Holoubek

The name of my business started as my Instagram handle. After brainstorming with my wife for a bit we came up with skullbutterarts. Combining my love for drawing skulls and my wife’s love of cooking we came up with Skullbutter as my pseudonym. I now refer to my art vending business as Skullbutter studio as I like to create a traveling stuio environment when I setup at shows. Read more>>

Linda Joe

I co-founded a global film, television, and entertainment production services company called Blended Road Entertainment. My co-producer, Beverley Gordon, and I were talking about the lack of diversity and opportunity within that production world and so we decided to bring together our combined experiences of over 40+ years and bring along our talented friends and colleagues in the business to form our company. Read more>>

Casey Carpenter

Life changer. Read more>>

Angelina Santiago

This was actually an easy one for me. For my pet concierge business, Nubby and Company, I named it after my fur baby, Nubby, who had recently passed away after 14 years. I wanted a way to keep his name alive. As for my photography and videography business I pretty much just named it after myself, Angelina Arabella Photography Productions. Read more>>

Jason Soto

While freelance writing for a music platform, one of my assignments was to write an article on a rapper named Jonni Apollo. After reading the publication, he reached out on social media to show thanks. He called me the Hermes of Media (messenger of the gods). His compliment was sincere and always stuck with me. When it came time to start my independent Hip-Hop platform, Rap Olympus Media felt like the name that best aligned with my goals. Read more>>

Cicely Jones

20 years ago, My Personal Accountant, was birthed where I ventured into small bookkeeping services along with income tax preparations. After a few years of servicing clients while gaining additional accounting experience and knowledge, the demand for more services arose. I also thought that My Personal Accountant was too long even though I loved the name. Read more>>