The placeholder name sticks around longer than anyone planned. It ends up on the pitch deck, the bank account and the first invoices.
Then someone asks what it means, and nobody has a good answer.
Start with the business you want in ten years
The first product is rarely the last one. So I like names that are not tied to one product that already exists.
When I look at a name like Nutritious.ai, what I see is room. It could be an app, a website, a tool or a service. And nutrition matters in every country, not just one region, so the business behind it could grow anywhere.
MoneySaving.ai is the same. It could be a consumer product or a business tool, in almost any industry, without being boxed into one niche.
These three questions define the business before brainstorming:
- What will the business still be doing if the first product changes?
- Which countries could you sell in, one day?
- Do you want customers to see an AI product, or a company that happens to use AI?
Company naming styles
Descriptive
Says exactly what you do. Property Investments UK is one of mine, and it was very specific on purpose: UK property investing only, because that was my background and my focus. A descriptive name can be easier to understand. The trade-off is that it may feel less distinctive, and it leaves less room if the business changes direction.
Real words or phrases
A real word with a clear meaning, often on an ending that adds context. People know how to say it and spell it, and it hints at what you do.
These 4 domains from our collection use familiar words or phrases:
Invented or respelled
I chose Onomora because it felt like a brand that could be owned, with less competition. Memorable, easy to say, a bit unusual, and not tied to one industry.
Wyld Rivals is a respelling: "wild" with a y. The plain word would have got lost among everyone else using it. The y made it something we could brand. My own brands will change over time, but the thinking holds.
These 4 domains from our collection use invented names or combinations:
Personal and evocative names
A personal name gives a product or business a named identity. Izzie.ai could name an assistant; the name alone does not explain what the assistant does. An evocative name suggests a feeling or image: Gazing.ai suggests watching or observing. Add a clear description when the name leaves the function open.
Length is a separate choice. A descriptive, invented or personal name can be short or long. Compare the short-name examples and one-word collection, then judge the whole address rather than its character count alone.
Choosing a name for a rebrand
A rebrand needs a clear reason for changing the existing name. Write down what the old name prevents and what the replacement should communicate: a wider product range, a different audience or a clearer identity.
Compare the replacement against that problem before buying. Check the exact domain, existing uses and rights, then plan how customers will find the business through old links, email addresses, invoices and product names. Keep the new company name and its product names distinct where they do different jobs.
Use the name-checking guide for the records to inspect and the buying guide for the domain purchase. A new domain is one part of the change; it does not transfer the old business’s identity automatically.
Using AI to make a naming shortlist
AI can suggest and compare names from a written brief. Give it the product’s job, audience, intended markets, naming styles and words to avoid. Ask for a short explanation of each candidate’s meaning, rather than a long list without reasons.
Separate suggestion from checking. Test whether people understand the name, ask someone to spell the whole domain back, and check actual domains and official records yourself. An AI suggestion is not evidence that a domain is available or that the name is cleared for use.
Keep the candidates that meet your brief, then use the scorecard below to compare them. Onomora’s tech-name ideas show current domain examples; Onomora does not run a name generator.
Two tests I run on every name
I use these two tests to compare what a name communicates and how distinctive it feels:
- The radio test. If somebody heard it on the radio, would they instantly understand what the company is?
- The unique test. Does the name stand apart from other names? Existing uses and rights need separate checks.
Google is an example of an unusual company name. That illustrates the naming style, rather than a measured claim about how well people remember it.
Name scorecard
Type a name, with or without its ending. The scorecard counts letters and syllables, flags spelling traps and walks you through the two tests. Syllable counts are estimates. The scorecard processes your entry in this browser and does not send it to Onomora. It does not give a verdict. That part is yours.
The scorecard needs JavaScript. Without it: count the letters, say the name aloud once to a friend, and ask what they think the company does. Separately, ask them to spell the domain back.
Think beyond your own country
A name that sounds friendly in one language can mean something unfortunate in another, and the same letters can be said in different ways.
If you plan to sell abroad, ask native speakers in those markets before you commit. Salesforce's 2026 guide to naming AI agents makes the same point about checking names across cultures.
Check it is free, then secure it
A name can be taken in the company register, the trade mark register, as a domain, or as a social handle. My guide to checking if a company name is taken links the official registers country by country, from the US and UK to China, Japan and India.
Then get the domain before you announce anything. If the one you want is already registered, my guide to buying a domain that is already taken explains how it works.
Or browse the brandable names in the Onomora collection, each one chosen to be ownable and flexible. Stuck between a few names? Email [email protected]. Happy to help.
Common questions
How do I come up with a company name?
Start with the business you want to be running in ten years, not just the first product. Write down names in three styles (descriptive, real word, invented), then run each one through two tests: do people understand what it describes, and does it stand apart from other names? Check existing uses and rights separately.
What makes a good brand name?
In my experience: easy to say, easy to remember, distinctive, and not tied to one product or one country. Google illustrates an unusual company name; that is an example of the style, not a measured recall result.
Should a company name describe what it does?
It is a trade-off. A descriptive name can be easier to understand but leave less room for a different product. An invented name can feel more distinctive but may need more explanation. Existing uses and rights need separate checks.
How long should a company name be?
There is no fixed length. Try saying the name aloud and asking someone to spell it back. The scorecard counts letters, estimates syllables and flags spelling patterns to check.
Do I need the .com?
Not always. The ending should say something true about the business. A .com can suggest a worldwide business, a .ai a product where AI does the work, and a .si super intelligence. The .si collection is chosen for companies and products working in that direction. My guide to picking a domain name compares the endings.
This guide is not legal, tax or financial advice. For those questions, speak to a qualified professional where you trade.
Sources: Laura Hilgers, "Should You Give Your AI Agent a Human Name?", Salesforce, April 2026; WIPO Global Brand Database; ICANN Lookup.