Brand Naming

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---
name: Brand Naming
description: Generates and evaluates brand or product names with clear criteria. Use when naming a brand, product, or feature, or auditing an existing name for strategic fit, distinctiveness, and linguistic safety.
---

# Brand Naming

Naming is a strategic decision with long-term consequences. A name shapes perception, affects trademark viability, influences SEO, and is one of the hardest things to change once established. This skill approaches it with the rigor it deserves.

## Establish Naming Criteria First

Before generating names, define the criteria against which every candidate will be scored. Standard criteria: Distinctive (stands out in the category), Memorable (easy to recall after one exposure), Pronounceable (works in the primary target language without coaching), Meaningful (suggests something relevant without over-explaining), Available (trademark and domain likely obtainable), Scalable (works as the company/product evolves). Weight the criteria by project priority — a startup needs availability weighted highest; an established brand extension might weight distinctiveness first.

## Generate Across Naming Archetypes

Explore at least five archetypes to avoid fixating on one direction: Descriptive (names that describe the function: 'Zoom', 'Slack'), Invented (coined words with no prior meaning: 'Kodak', 'Xero'), Evocative (words that suggest a feeling or idea: 'Amazon', 'Stripe'), People names (founder or character: 'Dyson', 'Patagonia'), Alphanumeric (a combination of letters/numbers: 'G2', 'M1'). Generate at least 20 candidates before evaluating any. Premature evaluation kills creative range.

## Score Candidates Against Criteria

After generating candidates, score each one against the established criteria on a simple 1-3 scale per criterion. Do not average into a single score — the breakdown matters. A name that scores 3/3/3/3/1/3 (low on availability) is a different decision than 2/2/2/2/3/2 (mediocre across the board). Surface the top 5 candidates with their score breakdowns and short rationale for each criterion.

## Linguistic and Cultural Safety Check

For any name entering serious consideration, run it through: unintended meanings in the top 3 secondary language markets, phonetic associations (what does it sound like?), visual ambiguity (how does it look in all-caps, all-lowercase?), and a basic Google search for existing uses. Do not substitute this for professional trademark search — clearly state that trademark clearance by a legal professional is required before finalizing any name.
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