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):

Dimension	Weight	What to Check
Memorability	25%	Can you recall it after hearing it once?
Pronounceability

20% | Can a 5-year-old say it? Can non-native speakers? | | Brevity | 15% | Ideally 2-3 syllables, under 10 characters | | Uniqueness | 15% | Google it — is it dominated by other results? | | Domain potential | 10% | Is the .com available or acquirable? | | Cultural safety | 10% | Does it mean anything offensive in major languages? | | Trademark viability | 5% | 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

Issue	Example	Why It Fails
Hard consonant clusters	"Strplx"	Unpronounceable
Ambiguous vowel

"Fower" (flower? four-er?) | Confusing | | Cultural offense | "Pajero" (Spanish slang) | Brand damage | | Too generic | "Cloud Storage Pro" | No brand equity | | TMI in name | "Enterprise Customer Relationship Management System" | Not a name, it's a sentence | | Trendy prefix | "AiSomething", "SmartSomething" | Forgettable, dates fast |

Cross-Cultural Safety Check

Always test a name against:

1. 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

CODEBLOCK0

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]"