How to Come Up with a Business Name: Simple Steps and Ideas

Published Thursday 8 January 2026

Table of contents

• What is a business name?
• Common types of business name
• Should you use your own name for your business?
• How to come up with a good business name
• What restrictions are there on business names?
• Checking the availability of your business name
• Should you register a trade mark?
• Setting up your business for success
• FAQs on choosing a business name

Key takeaways

• Combine memorability, distinctiveness, and practical usability when creating your business name by ensuring it's easy to recall, stands out from competitors, and works well across digital platforms and future business growth.
• Conduct comprehensive availability checks across business registers, domain names, social media platforms, and trademark databases before finalising your name to avoid legal conflicts and ensure consistent brand presence.
• Use structured brainstorming techniques including synonym exploration, compound word creation, and cultural touchpoints to generate multiple creative options, then test pronunciation and gather feedback from trusted contacts.
• Consider trademark registration if you're planning significant brand investment, operating in competitive industries, or expanding beyond local markets to protect your business name from unauthorised use.

What is a business name?

A business name is your official brand identity that appears on all legal documents, marketing materials, and customer touchpoints. It directly impacts customer discovery and recall.

Your business name affects two critical areas:

• Customer discovery: How easily people find you through search and referrals
• Brand recall: How quickly customers remember you when they need your services

Common types of business name

Business name types depend on your business structure and legal requirements. Your name appears on all official documents, invoices, websites, and marketing materials.

Common business name formats include:

• Sole trader names: Use your personal name (William Shakespeare)
• Company names: Add required suffixes (Shakespeare Ltd/Co/Corp/Inc)
• Trading names: Operate under different names (Shakespeare Rose Growers Ltd trading as Sweet Roses)
• Descriptive names: Describe your service (Shakespeare's Rose Garden)
• Location-based names: Include geographic identifiers (Shakespeare's Stratford Roses)
• Creative names: Use wordplay or compounds (SweetScents of Stratford)

Should you use your own name for your business?

Deciding whether to use your personal name for your business is a big step. It can build a personal brand and create a direct connection with customers, which is great for service-based businesses or consultants.

Using your own name

Using your name can make your business feel authentic and trustworthy. It's simple, easy to remember, and you won't have to spend weeks brainstorming. However, it can make it harder to sell the business later on, as the brand is tied directly to you. It might also create privacy concerns or limit your ability to pivot into different industries.

Using a separate business name

A unique business name gives you more creative freedom and can be easier to trademark. It separates your personal identity from your business, which can be helpful for work-life balance and future growth. Think about your long-term goals: do you want to build a personal legacy or a brand that can stand on its own?

How to come up with a good business name

A good business name combines memorability, distinctiveness, and practical usability to support long-term business growth.

Essential qualities of effective business names:

• Memorable: Easy to recall after one interaction
• Distinctive: Stands out from competitors
• Practical: Simple to write, say, and type
• Future-proof: Works as your business evolves
• Searchable: Performs well in online searches

What to consider when coming up with a business name

Essential business name criteria ensure legal compliance and market effectiveness.

Legal and availability checks:

• Verify availability: Confirm the name isn't already registered
• Check industry similarity: Ensure differentiation from competitors
• Confirm compliance: Meet all regulatory requirements
• Reflect structure: Match your business legal format

Brand and market effectiveness:

• Express brand values: Align with your business identity
• Create distinction: Stand out in your competitive landscape
• Ensure usability: Easy to remember, spell, and pronounce
• Test digital presence: Works as URL, email, and logo
• Avoid confusion: Clear meaning without negative interpretations
• Plan for growth: Adapts as your business evolves

Consider the type of name that will best distinguish your business in the market. Do you want your business name to be more about what you do (for example, Rose Creations), or what your customers want from you (for example, Flower Sales)?

A name like Stratford Rose Sales will perform better in search but does not suggest anything distinctive. It also ties the business to one product, so it may not work as well if you expand. On the other hand, a business called A Rose By Any Other Name might appeal to customers looking for something special, but doesn't say precisely what it is.

The choice depends on your market and marketing strategy, as well as your long term business plan. Search engines and social media are important, but if your business is more niche, you may want to reflect that in your business name.

Business name brainstorming

Business name brainstorming generates multiple creative options through structured idea generation and collaborative feedback.

Preparation steps:

• Set up workspace: Gather paper, pens, and refreshments
• Invite collaborators: Include creative friends or colleagues
• Create inspiration materials: Collect relevant images, quotes, and ideas
• Choose your tools: Use mood boards, apps, or traditional paper methods

Begin by defining your business. Write down:

• The 'origin story' of your business
• What makes your business unique
• Your business and brand values
• Your customer demographics
• How you want your business and brand to be perceived
• How you describe your industry and your work

Write down some cultural touchpoints:

• Popular song, movie or book titles, stories, myths or other cultural names or ideas that relate to your business or your own identity
• Names you like, such as family or friend names, pet names
• Other business names, company names or brand names you like

Name generation techniques help create memorable and effective business names.

Research and expansion:

• Explore synonyms: Use a thesaurus or dictionary to find simpler or more interesting words
• Try name generators: Use AI tools like Shopify, WIX, or Looka for inspiration
• Research keywords: Use SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs for searchable terms
• Study successful patterns: Analyse effective names in your industry

Creative techniques:

• Create compounds: Combine words like Airbnb or PayPal
• Form acronyms: Use memorable abbreviations like IBM or IKEA
• Add wordplay: Use alliteration like Krispy Kreme
• Invent words: Create new terms or intentional misspellings like Xero

Practical guidelines:

• Keep it short: Aim for five syllables or fewer
• Test pronunciation: Ensure easy verbal communication

Check your business names and get some feedback

Once you have a shortlist of good business names, search business name, trade mark and domain name registers, and run a Google search. Check early so you choose a name that is clearly available.

Run your business names through a language translator or ask someone if you're uncertain. Run potential names through a translator or ask a native speaker so you catch meanings like Rosa Morta, which means Dead Rose in Italian (handy only if you’re in the composting business).

Ask trusted friends, family, and colleagues for feedback on your shortlist. Ask for their favourite, and why. Which name would they remember without writing it down? Which one would they click on during a search for your goods or services?

What restrictions are there on business names?

Business name restrictions are legal requirements that prevent confusion, misrepresentation, and offensive content. Laws vary by country but share common prohibited elements.

Prohibited business name elements:

• Identical names: Cannot duplicate existing registered businesses
• Misleading terms: Must not confuse customers about services offered
• Government associations: Cannot imply official government connections
• Financial implications: Cannot suggest banking or financial authority without licensing
• Charity connections: Cannot imply charitable status without registration
• Offensive content: Must avoid obscene or culturally insensitive language

Sole traders, partnerships and companies may have different regulations. For example, sole traders operating under their legal name may not require registration, whereas company names must reflect the liability of members and the company status, typically indicated by suffixes like 'Proprietary Limited' or 'Ltd'.

In New Zealand, if you're a company you need to reserve a name on the Companies Register, ensure that it isn't the same or similar to any other company, and doesn't breach any laws. The laws relating to company names can be found at the NZ Companies Office. You don't have to register your business name or trading name if you're setting up as a sole trader.

Checking the availability of your business name

Business name availability checking prevents legal conflicts and ensures consistent brand presence across all platforms.

Comprehensive availability search process:

• Check business registers: Search your country’s official business register

• Verify international markets: Research countries where you plan to expand
• Secure domain names: Confirm website URL availability
• Search social media: Check platform availability across major networks
• Review trademark databases: Ensure no existing intellectual property conflicts

You can use the GoDaddy domain search to check domains globally. Namechk’s username search tool can check name availability across social media platforms, or you can manually search the platforms you intend to use for your business.

In New Zealand you can check business names, trade marks, web domains and social media accounts at once with OneCheck.

Should you register a trade mark?

Trade mark registration provides legal protection against brand copying and unauthorised use of your business name and identity.

When to consider trade mark protection:

• Significant brand investment: Planning substantial marketing and branding spend
• Unique brand elements: Created distinctive logos, slogans, or name combinations
• Market expansion: Growing beyond local markets
• Competitive industries: Operating in crowded markets with copying risks
• Long-term planning: Building a business for eventual sale or licensing

Trade mark law can be complex, especially if you expand into overseas markets and find a business already using a similar name. It's best to seek advice from a legal professional well versed in this area of law.

At the very least, use official trade mark registries such as IPONZ and search engines to check that no one already has a trade mark for your business name. It's an easy way to save yourself a lot of hassle.

Setting up your business for success

Choosing the right name is a huge first step. Now you can focus on the next stage: getting your business finances in order. Good financial habits from day one will help you manage cash flow, track performance, and make confident decisions as you grow.

With your new name sorted, it's time to run your business, not your books. It's that easy with accounting software that automates admin and gives you clear insights into your performance. Try Xero for free.

FAQs on choosing a business name

Here are some common questions that come up when choosing a business name.

How can I name my small business?

Start by brainstorming ideas that reflect your brand, values, and what you offer. Consider your target audience and make sure the name is easy to remember and pronounce. Check that the name isn't already taken as a business name, domain name, or social media handle.

How do I choose a business name in New Zealand?

In New Zealand, you can use the government's OneCheck tool to see if your chosen name is available as a company name, web domain, and social media username. If you're registering a company, your name must be approved by the Companies Office and can't be identical or too similar to an existing one.

How do I make sure no one can steal my brand name?

Registering your business name with the Companies Office provides some protection, but for stronger legal rights, consider registering it as a trade mark. A trade mark gives you exclusive rights to use the name for the goods or services you specify and can stop others from using a similar name.

What are common business naming mistakes?

Common mistakes include choosing a name that's hard to spell or pronounce, picking a name that's too similar to a competitor, or selecting a name that's too descriptive and limits future growth. Another pitfall is not checking if the name has negative meanings in other languages, especially if you plan to expand internationally.