After watching thousands of names get generated, starred, and abandoned, the failure patterns are remarkably consistent. Here are the seven mistakes worth actively avoiding.
1. The clever misspelling
Dropping a vowel or swapping an S for a Z made names feel modern in 2012. Today it mostly generates misdirected email and lost traffic. If people can't spell it from hearing it, it fails.
2. Naming for today's product only
“QuickInvoicePDF” is a fine name until you add expense tracking. Overly literal names trap you in your first feature. Describe the territory, not the point on the map.
3. Skipping the trademark search
An available domain is not a legally clear name. A five-minute search of your national trademark register can save you a cease-and-desist and a forced rebrand at the worst possible moment.
4. Naming by committee
Ask ten people and you'll get the safest, blandest option — the one nobody hates and nobody remembers. Gather input, but let one person with taste make the call.
5. Ignoring how it sounds out loud
Names live in conversation, podcasts, and phone calls. If it's awkward to say — or embarrassing to answer the phone with — it's wrong, no matter how good it looks in a logo.
6. Falling in love before checking the domain
Attachment forms fast. Check availability the moment a candidate feels promising, not after you've imagined the logo. Every name from our generator arrives with the check already done, which is one way to keep yourself honest.
7. Forgetting the global test
Before committing, search the name plus “meaning” and run it past speakers of any market you plan to enter. Plenty of brands have learned mid-launch that their name is a slang word somewhere important.