Naming a startup: from shortlist to registered domain

Generate far more candidates than feel necessary

Aim for fifty names before you judge any of them. Mix real words, compounds, modified spellings and short invented words. Judging too early collapses the range and produces a shortlist of near-identical options.

Filter on speech, not on looks

Say each candidate out loud, then have someone else write it down after hearing it once. Names that survive this test are the ones that survive podcasts, phone calls and word-of-mouth referrals.

• Spelled correctly on first hearing.
• One obvious pronunciation, not two competing ones.
• Under three syllables where possible.
• No awkward meaning in the languages of your main markets.

Screen for conflict before you fall in love

Run a trademark register search and a plain search-engine check for each finalist. A name already owned by a company in your category costs you the rebrand later, at a much worse time.

Then, and only then, pick the extension

If the .com is available or affordable, take it — it remains the default users type. If not, a strong country extension in your market or a coherent alternative extension is workable, as long as the name itself is memorable enough to survive the extra friction.

Frequently asked

Should the domain match the company name exactly?

Ideally yes. Every mismatch costs traffic when people guess the URL from the name they heard.

Are invented names risky?

They are easier to clear legally and to own outright, but they need marketing spend to acquire meaning.

Is a non-.com extension acceptable?

Yes, especially a country extension in your home market. Expect to reinforce it in every offline mention.