A great name can launch a brand into culture. A weak one? It can sink momentum before you even get started.
At Tanj, we’ve run naming projects for startups and Fortune 500s alike, and here’s what we’ve learned: successful naming isn’t just about creativity — it’s about process, strategy and alignment.
If you’re about to embark on a naming journey, here are the critical elements that separate successful projects from stressful ones.
1. Clear Brand Strategy Comes First
The best names don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re rooted in brand strategy. Before you brainstorm a single word, you need to know:
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What makes you different?
- What do you want people to feel?
Without this foundation, naming becomes guesswork. With it, your name has a job description — and you can measure ideas against clear criteria.
2. Alignment Around Goals and Guardrails
One of the biggest derailers in naming projects? Stakeholder misalignment.
Everyone has opinions on names, and that’s natural. But if your team doesn’t agree on what success looks like, you’ll end up in endless debates.
Successful projects start with:
- Alignment on tone (e.g. playful vs. serious, modern vs. timeless)
- Shared understanding of what the name should communicate to the world
- Agreement on scope (what does the name cover, and might it expand in the future?)
- Guardrails for language, culture, legal and URL considerations
This shared framework prevents subjective likes and dislikes from running the show.
3. Embrace Range, Then Narrow With Rigor
A good naming process explores lots of creative directions, from descriptive and functional, to metaphorical, to invented.
But generating names is only half the job. The other half is evaluating them against strategy, audience and availability. Successful projects balance creative exploration with disciplined filtering.
Pro tip: Start wide, then narrow. Don’t kill ideas too early! You may be surprised by what sticks after multiple exposures.
4. Legal and Linguistic Screening is Non-Negotiable
You can fall in love with a name only to discover it’s:
- Already trademarked
- Not trademarked, but in common-law usage by another player in your space
- Problematic in another language
That’s a costly mistake. A professional naming process always includes preliminary trademark and linguistic checks — before final presentation.
Remember: a name isn’t truly great unless you can own it legally and use it confidently.
5. Storytelling Sells the Name
Even the strongest name can falter if it’s presented without context.
Successful naming projects pair each finalist name with a strategic rationale and story:
- What does the name signal?
- How does it connect to your positioning?
- What doors does it open for future storytelling?
This narrative helps stakeholders see beyond personal preferences—and understand how a name can build equity for years to come.
6. Keep the Process Human (and Fun)
Naming is serious business, but it doesn’t have to feel painful.
In fact, the best projects keep space for creativity, curiosity and play. That energy helps teams stay open to bolder, more differentiated ideas.
A professional agency brings not just process, but also the confidence to guide teams through the emotional ups and downs of naming.
So, What Makes Naming Work?
It’s the mix of:
- Strategy before creativity
- Alignment before brainstorming
- Exploration balanced with rigor
- Legal checks baked in
- Storytelling that sells the idea
- A human process that keeps people inspired
That’s how you move from endless debates over word lists… to landing on a name that everyone feels confident about — and the market remembers.
Need Help Naming?
At Tanj, naming is what we do, day in and day out. We help brands around the world build names that are strategic, ownable, and unforgettable.