Startup Naming Pro#

Systematic brand and product naming with linguistic rigor and business sense.

Naming Categories#

1. Descriptive (描述型)#

Directly describes what the product does.

• Pros: Instant understanding, good for SEO
• Cons: Generic, hard to trademark, limiting
• Examples: General Electric, American Airlines, PayPal
• Use when: Utility matters more than brand personality (B2B tools, infrastructure)

2. Abstract / Coined (造词型)#

Invented words with no prior meaning.

• Pros: Unique, trademark-friendly, ownable
• Cons: Needs marketing investment to establish meaning
• Examples: Kodak, Rolex, Hulu, Spotify
• Use when: Building a category-defining brand

3. Metaphorical (隐喻型)#

Uses imagery or concepts from other domains.

• Pros: Memorable, story-rich, emotionally resonant
• Cons: Meaning may not be immediately obvious
• Examples: Amazon (vast), Nike (victory), Stripe (simple + bold)
• Use when: Emotional connection matters more than literal description

4. Compound / Blended (复合型)#

Combines two words or word parts.

• Pros: Fresh but recognizable, compact
• Cons: Can feel contrived if overdone (-ify, -ly fatigue)
• Examples: Facebook, Netflix, Pinterest, Instagram
• Use when: Want to evoke two concepts simultaneously

Evaluation Framework#

Score each name candidate on these dimensions (1-10):#

DimensionWeightWhat to CheckMemorability25%Can you recall it after hearing it once?Pronounceability20%Can a 5-year-old say it? Can non-native speakers?Brevity15%Ideally 2-3 syllables, under 10 charactersUniqueness15%Google it — is it dominated by other results?Domain potential10%Is the .com available or acquirable?Cultural safety10%Does it mean anything offensive in major languages?Trademark viability5%Does it conflict with existing marks in the category?

Minimum passing score: 6.5/10 weighted average. Don't ship below this.

Workflow#

1. Brief#

Gather from the user:

• What does the product/company do?
• Target audience and geography?
• Desired brand personality (playful, serious, luxurious, technical)?
• Any constraints (must include a word, must start with a letter, budget for domain)?
• Competitors to differentiate from?

2. Generate#

Produce 10-15 candidates across all 4 naming categories. Use these techniques:

Linguistic tricks:

• Alliteration: PayPal, BlackBerry, Best Buy
• Repetition:滴滴, TikTok, WeChat → We
• Rhyme: Reese's, Lean Cuisine, 7-Eleven
• Ending -ify: Shopify, Spotify (→ overused, use sparingly)
• Ending -ly: Weebly, Bitly (→ avoid)
• Latin/Greek roots: Acer (sharp), Volvo (I roll), Sony (sonus/sound)

Cross-language mining:

• Find words with positive meanings across cultures
• Check translations in Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, French, Hindi
• A word meaning "beautiful" in one language may mean "garbage" in another

3. Evaluate#

Apply the scoring framework above. Rank candidates. Present top 5 with:

• Name + category
• Rationale (why it works)
• Potential tagline pairing
• Risk flags (if any)
• Domain availability heuristic (.com, .io, .ai, .co options)

4. Refine#

Based on feedback:

• "More abstract" → shift toward coined words
• "More fun" → explore portmanteaus and playful sounds
• "More premium" → Latin roots, soft consonants, longer syllable counts

Linguistic Pitfalls#

IssueExampleWhy It FailsHard consonant clusters"Strplx"UnpronounceableAmbiguous vowel"Fower" (flower? four-er?)ConfusingCultural offense"Pajero" (Spanish slang)Brand damageToo generic"Cloud Storage Pro"No brand equityTMI in name"Enterprise Customer Relationship Management System"Not a name, it's a sentenceTrendy prefix"AiSomething", "SmartSomething"Forgettable, dates fast

Cross-Cultural Safety Check#

Always test a name against:

1. Chinese: Does it sound like a homophone with negative meaning?
2. Japanese: Any problematic readings?
3. Spanish: Common slang conflicts?
4. Arabic: Does it resemble a word with negative connotation?
5. Hindi: Any unfavorable associations?

Real-world failures: Mitsubishi Pajero, Chevy Nova (no va = "doesn't go"), Nokia Lumia (prostitute in Spanish slang), Ford Kuga (sounds like "cougar" and also problematic in some Chinese dialects).

Output Template#

text

## Name: [Name]
- **Category**: [Descriptive/Abstract/Metaphorical/Compound]
- **Score**: [X.X]/10
- **Pronunciation**: [IPA + phonetic spelling]
- **Meaning**: [Literal meaning, if any]
- **Rationale**: [Why this works for the brief]
- **Tagline pair**: "[Name] — [tagline]"
- **Domain options**: [available alternatives]
- **Risk flags**: [none / specific concerns]

Prompt Triggers#

• "Help me name my startup"
• "Generate brand names for a [type] product"
• "Evaluate this name: [name]"
• "I need a creative name that sounds [adjective]"