Naming
The name that accompanies the brand its entire life.
Naming is the discipline that creates a brand's name: the first piece of its verbal identity and one of the most enduring branding decisions. At Baud, a brand consultancy based in Madrid, we design memorable and trademarkable brand names with a method that goes from sixty candidates to one.
What is naming?
Naming is the process of creating the name for a brand, product, or company. It combines creative exploration and method: generating candidates, screening according to strategy, and verifying that the name is available to register and use as a domain. It is the foundation of verbal identity and comes before the logo.
A good name is born from brand strategy what defines the course and orders the naming architecture When several brands coexist under the same group, corporate, product, and service naming share the same method, although the scope and trademark classes may change.
Naming types: six ways to name a brand
Each type of name resolves a different balance between clarity, differentiation, and ease of registration. Choosing the right typology is the first step in the process.
Descriptive
Explain what the brand does. Immediate clarity, with little room to grow.
Acronym
Acronyms that simplify a long name. Professional, low emotional load.
Compound
Combine two ideas into one. Unique and memorable when well-executed.
Evocative
A real word loaded with meaning. Creative, emotional, and easy to register.
Invented
A new word, just yours. Maximum legal protection, more investment in giving it meaning.
Abstract
Flexible and timeless, adaptable to any sector. It needs marketing to mean something.
A name accompanies a brand throughout its entire life: it is the most strategic decision in branding.
What makes a brand name good
A good brand name is easily remembered and pronounced, suggests the brand territory without describing it entirely, and stands the test of time. Above all, it is available to be registered as a trademark and a domain name: an impeccable name that cannot be protected doesn't make it to the final table.
Memorable
It is retained at first glance and is effortlessly recognized among the others.
Pronounceable
It is said and written without hesitation, even outside of its language of origin.
With territory
Suggest the brand territory without fully describing it, and leave room to grow.
Scalable
It works today and continues to work when the brand enters new categories or markets.
Registrable
It is available in the relevant registration classes and as a domain.
Without noise
It carries no negative connotations or misunderstandings in key languages.
How a naming agency works: from sixty names to one registrable one
A naming agency orders the creation of the name in phases: exploration of territories, generation of candidates, screening according to strategy and sonority, and legal and domain verification. At Baud, we start with up to sixty names and arrive at a registerable one, presented with its rationale. Creative criteria and legal criteria are one and the same filter.
Creation
Up to sixty candidates based on the brand's strategy and semantic fields.
Screening
Linguistic and cultural filtering in key markets.
Legal and domain viability
Trademark search, Nice classification, and domain availability.
Presentation
The finalists, with their arguments and applied in a real-world context.
Descriptive naming versus evocative naming
Say what you do
It is understood instantly and communicates specialization. In exchange, it limits growth and costs more to register and differentiate.
Suggest a territory
A word with its own meaning, memorable, and capable of storytelling. It is registered more easily and grows better with the brand.
The strategy, the sector, and the brand's ambition dictate the choice.
Names to reach one. In each project, we explore up to sixty candidates, and only one passes the linguistic screening, legal check, and domain availability. Murmui, the murmur of the sea, was that one: a Laus-awarded name for a Mallorcan artisanal ice cream shop.
Shall we name your brand?
Frequently asked questions about naming
What is naming?
Naming is the creation of a brand name. It is a branding discipline that combines creative exploration and strategic judgment, and ends with the verification that the name can be registered and used as a domain.
How does naming differ from branding?
Branding encompasses all brand work: strategy, identity, name, and experience. Naming is one of its pieces, the creation of the name. Good naming stems from brand strategy and gives rise to verbal and visual identity.
What types of naming exist?
The most common are the descriptive, evocative, abstract, acronym, compound, and invented. Most brands combine several. The choice depends on the strategy, category, and trademark availability.
Can any brand name be registered?
No. A name is only viable if it is available in the relevant trademark classes and as a domain. That is why naming includes a legal and domain check, in official databases such as the EUIPO and WIPO, before deciding.
How much does a naming project cost?
The investment depends on the scope: how many territories are explored, whether it includes verbal identity and tagline, and the registration coverage in countries and classes. A brand naming with legal and domain verification is a limited project; we will give you an estimate as soon as we understand the assignment.