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.

Amanda Pratt

Scout was the dog who changed my life. At only 20 years old I was struggling with PTSD severely, which was causing me depression from a life change of a normal college student. Read more>>

Paige Ivey Evatt

People often say that having a business is like having a child. My husband and I discussed “our perfect family” for years, even down to the names. Read more>>

Malaika Lubega

My business name is one of the things I am most proud of because it carries so much weight for me. It’s representative of my Rwandan heritage, I am half Rwandan and half Ugandan. Read more>>

Dusty Weis

The term “flyover country” makes me bristle. I come from an overlooked part of the USA that not everyone understands, particularly in the media industry. Read more>>

Meredith Russell

Craft Theory seems simple at first – it’s a crafting studio right? Well yes, but each word means so much more than that. I love plays on words and Craft signifies not just a piece of art you create, but also a persons trade or occupation. Read more>>

Rachel Everett

I had been in business with a partner for a different gym, the lease was ending and we planned to separate ways. I had only a short amount of time to come up with a name – something that isn’t easy as it will stick with you forever! Read more>>

Jennifer Ioppolo

THE STORY BEHIND “ELECTRIC PONY” My great grandfather, James Otto Hahs, of Sikeston, Missouri, invented the first coin-operated mechanical horse that began as an idea for a Christmas gift to his six children (also referred to as the “Electric Pony” in published articles). Read more>>

Elizabeth Simmons

To be honest, I originally wanted to incorporate something distinctly Texan into my business name. But all the good ones were already taken, so I had to shift my focus. Read more>>

Damon Granberry

Well my son Jordon’s nickname is J Bud. He was born handicapped and we decided to name it after him to leave him a legacy while we are here and when we are no longer here. Read more>>

Vanessa Martinez

Pretty Wellthy emerged from a deep recognition I had with numerous people during makeup services. It’s also the reason why I’ve felt this career to be rewarding. Read more>>

Kate Oduh

Before I had a business name, I had a conversation with someone who advised me to be mindful of the story that the name tells. Read more>>

Michael Manes

While I didn’t personally name the gallery, the story of the name’s origin is pretty interesting. In 1990, the founder of the gallery hosted a naming party during a rare blue moon phase, where a diverse group of perspectives converged. Read more>>

Latecea Brock

Our Business name was purely God Given. Meaning, there was no brainstorming session writing down multiple variations of a possible business name. Read more>>

Shari Beckford

I wanted a word that standout yet remain classy and professional, that’s when it came to me COMPELLING, that word says it all. Read more>>

Gilberta Collins-Heflin

Coming up with the name of my business was a collaborative effort between my late mother and I. The GG came about because I had a little nephew named Dakari who could not say Aunt Gil so he called me Aunt GG so I said lets have GG in it. Read more>>

Tianna Christiansen

Just like a cake marketing requires the perfect combination of ingredients in order to accomplish a desirable outcome. This also means one ingredient isn’t necessarily good on it’s own. Read more>>

Shayla Daniels

I came up with the name of my business way back in high school, so back in 2010-ish. Well a version of my business name, and back then it was only a dream. Read more>>

James Leger

The naming of anything that’s going to be set in stone is hard. I knew I had to get something that accompanied me and what I do with my supper club. The Baserri Experiment. Read more>>

Karen Smith

As well as being a freelance writer and editor, I’m also an author. I mainly write romance. My friends would joke that I wrote “chick lit.” Well, chicks are hens, and I’m the only hen in my household. Read more>>

Matthew Tipold

The story about how David J Redman and I came up with our companies name is a pretty simple one. We did what everyone does and just decided to combine our last names. Read more>>

Karla Ortega-Buelvas

Absolutely, naming anything, especially a business, can indeed be a challenging task. When it came to naming my brand, I grappled with various ideas before settling on something that truly reflected my craft and offerings. Read more>>

Jeffrey Booth

While I did go through a naming process that took about a week, naming my newest event production company was easier for me than my other businesses. Read more>>

Sydney Cheyenne

My partner, Alec, and I really wanted a name that would emulate a certain feeling when you hear it: something that represented progress, peace, and good vibes. Read more>>

Shannon Marie

All authors face the same choice when publishing their work. To penname, or not to penname. Growing up I always thought pseudonyms were fun. Read more>>

Andrea O’Donnell

Yes, you’re absolutely right. Naming anything, especially a business, can be quite a challenge. I recall the ordeal of naming my first dog, Rocky; it felt like my husband and I deliberated for ages before settling on a name. Read more>>

Jasmin Foster

The name Be Rooted stems from wanting my community to feel rooted in culture, rooted in representation, and rooted in who the customer is. Read more>>

Mikel Fields

I wanted to come up with a brand and a name that represented authenticity, hard work, strength and most importantly I wanted to stay gen[uine with my approach of how I do business with my clients. The name is Castello Branco Fields. Read more>>

Tori Perano

Possibly one of the hardest decisions in business was creation of the name. I knew immediately, I did not want it to be my name, which is common in the wedding industry to be the “face to the name”. Read more>>

Tyler Rae Edwards

Everything is in a name! When it came to BAD MUTHAPUFFA I had to truly embody what it meant to be a “Bad Muthapuffa” before I ever slapped the name on a product or song! Read more>>

Alan Hsu

Our business name is Dragon Point Villa, derives from the Dragon Fruit orchards we maintain onsite at our 8-acre vacation rental & boutique event venue in Fallbrook, California. Read more>>

Nakia Glenn

Oh my goodness! Naming your business/brand is so important because this is what your customers will remember. I will say, I went through 3 name changes before the 3rd one became my favorite and final name change. Read more>>

Kendra Williams

The inspiration behind the name Peachy-keene Candle Company originates from a phrase that I frequently employ to bring joy and upliftment to others. Read more>>

Anna Snyder & Elisha Villanueva

We both wanted something was stood for empowerment and support for women everywhere. A business name that would stand out and mean something when people read it! Flex It= Strong Pink= Women. Read more>>

Sheera Goren

Zygo. When we were researching more about the tech our product required, one of those qualities was bone conduction. After digging further, we learned that bone conduction works by decoding sound waves and converting them into vibrations that can be received directly by the cochlea so the eardrum is never involved. Read more>>

Francesca Sakai

Aloha! I’m Francesca Corinne Sakai, founder and creator of Passion Moon Potions. My home is in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, also known as the Orchid Island. Read more>>

Nicole Mobley

When it came to naming our brand, WorldBridge Protocol, I was inspired by a profound yet simple realization: in a world where everyone seems to aspire to be the buildings, someone needs to be the bridge – that gets you to the buildings. Read more>>