Before diving into your Latin dictionary when you consider naming your company, product or service, consider the wide array of brand name styles and product name options in use today.
Abbreviation | Raychem, Microsoft, Amtrak |
Acronym | AARP, BP, AFLAC, IBM, KFC, TCBY,TIAA-CREF, UPS, USAA |
Alliteration | Dunkin’ Donuts, Roto Rooter, Planters Peanuts, Piggly Wiggly, Brooks Brothers |
Appropriation | Java (for software), Bloody Mary’s (for a restaurant), Blackberry, Caterpillar |
Classical Roots | Pentium, Quattro, Avis |
Composition | PowerBook, PageMaker, Comcast, Nutrasweet, Accuvue, Bisquick |
Descriptive | Bed, Bath & Beyond, Bath & Body Works, Airbus, Volkswagen, Toys R Us, E*Trade, General Motors, |
Evocative | London Fog, KitchenAid, Frigidaire, In-n-Out Burgers |
Fabricated | Exxon, Kodak, Xerox, Häagen Dazs, Verizon |
Foreign Words | Volare, Montero, Samurai |
Founders | Hewlett Packard, Hilton, Disney, Ford, Dell |
Geography | Winnebago, Silicon Valley Bank, Budweiser, Mutual of Omaha |
History | Ticonderoga, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, ebay, Cisco |
Humor | Cracker Jack, Yahoo!, Bullfrog, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants |
Ideophonemes | 7-UP, 7-Eleven, Union 76, V-8, WD-40, 3COM, Cambio 16 |
Merged | Packard-Bell, Rolls-Royce, ExxonMobil |
Mimetics (alternative spelling) | Krispy Kreme, Krazy Glue, Kwik Kopy, Kleenex |
Mythological | Oracle, Midas Mufflers, Mercury, Nike |
Onomatopoeia | ZapMail, Sizzler Steakhouse, Kookooroo, Kisses |
Oxymoron | True Lies, Steel Magnolias, Intimate Strangers |
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More naming resources:
Naming How-To:
Naming Mistakes
Six Factors for a Memorable and Motivating Name
History of Best Known Brands
Styles and Types of Brands
Choosing a Name
Try a Recycled Name
Web 2.0 Naming Considerations
What is Brand Architecture
Approaches to Brand Architecture
Brand Architecture and Business Strategy
Companies and Products:
MSNBC vs. msnbc.com and The Bigger Naming Problem
Macy’s Blunder with Marshall Field’s Name Change
Banks and the Name Game from Bank Marketing Magazine
AIG Name Change to AIU
Breaking Up the Motorola Brand
Google’s Speedbook Disaster
Renaming a Small Business
Proxios CEO Talks About Renaming Process
Naming a Green Sportswear Company
Unintentionally Funny Names-BARF
Unintentionally Funny Names-Putzmeister
Unintentionally Funny Names-Bimbo
Renaming a $2 Billion IPG Agency
Renaming Iraqi Freedom
Selected Naming Portfolio