Best Business Name and Slogan Writers

What a good naming package includes

Check that the offer clearly states:

• Number of names or slogans.
• Rationale for each idea.
• Domain and social handle checks, if included.
• Language checks for key markets.
• Rounds of ideas and revisions.
• Usage rights for all ideas.
• Delivery time.

Ask for a short explanation with each name. Understanding why a name was suggested helps you judge it and explain it to partners, investors or your team.

Look at naming work the writer has done before and ask how those names were chosen. Good namers can explain their process: the themes they explored, the names they rejected and why. A clear process suggests the ideas will be built for your brand, not pulled from a generic list.

How to brief a naming expert

1. What you do and for whom.
2. Brand personality: serious, playful, premium.
3. Competitors and names you dislike.
4. Markets and languages.
5. Must-haves: length, domain ending, words to avoid.
6. Names you already considered.
7. Deadline.

Say the names out loud and imagine answering the phone with them. Then ask a few people from your audience to spell a name after hearing it once. Names that are easy to say and spell travel further.

Do not fall in love with a name before checking it. Search for existing businesses, domains, social handles and trademarks in your markets, and get legal advice if you plan to invest heavily in the brand.

Think about how the name will look in a logo and as a web address. Very long names, unusual spellings and words that run together badly can cause confusion. Ask the writer to show each strong name written out in a few formats so you can compare them fairly.

What drives the price

• number of names or slogans
• research depth
• domain and handle checks
• language checks
• rounds of revisions
• rush delivery

A list of slogan ideas costs much less than a full naming project with research, language checks and several rounds.

Red flags

• Names that are already used by similar businesses.
• No explanation behind ideas.
• Promises that a name is legally protected.
• No checks of meanings in other languages.
• Recycled lists sold to many clients.

Before deciding, live with your top three names for a few days. Write them on a mock logo, a business card and a website header. The right name often becomes clear when you see it in use.

Once you have a name, see our logo design guide and brand strategy guide. For a full look, read our brand style guide guide.

Share the shortlist with a few trusted people from your target audience before deciding. Ask what each name makes them think of and which they would remember tomorrow. Real reactions often reveal meanings or associations you had not noticed.

Quick pre-order checklist

• My brief explains what the brand stands for.
• Each idea comes with a short reason.
• I will check domains and handles.
• I will do a proper trademark search before committing.
• Usage rights are in writing.