the perfect name is a lie.
apple is a fruit. nike is gibberish. you're fine.
the thing that sells your brand isn't the name. it's what you pour into it.
here's why that's good news if you've been stuck.
most iconic brands have "meaningless" names
quick reality check on the names we worship:
apple — a common noun. borrowed meaning from the product, then branding made it iconic.
nike — for most people, it's just a sound. (yes, it's a greek goddess, but that's not why people buy shoes.)
google — a misspelling of "googol." still worked.
adobe — named after a creek. nobody cares. the product made the meaning.
pattern: names are containers. meaning is built through consistent execution.
so if the name isn't the thing, what are we really afraid of?
the real fear: being misunderstood
i used to think the right name would make people take me seriously.
back when i was the shy kid who preferred staying in the shadows, charging for my first logo felt like impostor syndrome on steroids. i thought if i could just find the perfect name, maybe people would see me as a "real" designer.
spoiler: the name wasn't the problem.
take my current obsession: GTA online (i know, I know i’m years late to this game)
But even more specifically, I LOVE this creator, Subscribe for tacos.
this guy picked his name randomly for gaming content.
zero literal meaning. definitely not a restaurant. and yet he's built one of the most engaged communities i've ever seen around a game.
how?
he leaned on clarity everywhere else. pinned bio. recurring phrases. community language ("taco family"). consistent personality. clear content themes.
the takeaway: meaning-making beats name-picking every time.
my own "imperfect" name story
brainstorm africa.
here's what i worried about when we started:
do people hear "brainstorm" and think we're disorganized?
does "africa" make it sound like we only work on the continent?
is the spelling confusing?
are we boxing ourselves in geographically?
seven years later, we're still workshopping whether to remove "africa" because it represented where we started, not necessarily where we're going.
but here's the thing — we didn't let an imperfect name stop us from starting.
instead, we focused on what actually moved the needle:
leading with our faces online
consistent content about strategy over design
client results and case studies
clear messaging about who we help and how
result? we went from zero to over 100k followers across all platforms. the name didn't hold us back. the meaning we built around it carried us forward.
we don't eliminate confusion by hunting perfect letters. we eliminate it by being unmissably clear.
why a "weird" name might actually help you
here's something nobody tells you: when your name doesn't carry literal meaning, your messaging has to do the heavy lifting.
that's good discipline.
it forces you to be crystal clear about:
homepage header: "we [verb] [who] with [what] so they [result]."
social bio: "helping [who] get [result] with [approach]."
pinned content: a 30–60s "who we are, who we help, what we do" with a simple call to action.
email signature: a 5–7 word promise (e.g., "simple brands that actually sell").
case studies: "[client] grew [metric] by [x%] in [y time] — here's how."
notice how none of that required a perfect name.
a 30-minute name process
you don't need a two-week offsite and a whiteboard. give yourself 30 minutes.
5 minutes — quick brainstorm
write 20–30 options. anything goes. real words, made-up words, mashups. don't evaluate yet.
10 minutes — shortlist 3
gut check for vibe and pronounceability. pick 3 that feel flexible and not boxed-in.
10 minutes — fast checks
domain: search .com, but allow .co/.studio/.io if .com is gone.
social handles: instagram, tiktok, twitter/x, linkedin. acceptable variants are fine.
pronounceability: send a voice note to 3 friends. can they say and spell it?
meanings: quick translation/urban dictionary sweep for red flags across major markets.
trademark: quick search (uspto/tmview) to avoid obvious collisions. not legal advice; just a sanity check.
5 minutes — decide and commitpick the one you'll be excited to say out loud daily. write a one-sentence promise under it. that's your day-one tagline.
cool. you've got a container. now, fill it.
the 4 things to pour into any name
this is the actual game. not the letters.
pour 1: promise
one clear sentence of value. who you help, with what, to what end.exercise: write 3 versions. pick the simplest.
pour 2: proof
3–5 receipts. results, client quotes, before/after visuals, process snapshots.exercise: one case study you can publish this week.
pour 3: personality
your voice in 3 adjectives (e.g., calm, direct, playful). set "do/don't" language rules.exercise: write a 3-line bio in that voice.
pour 4: product
a focused flagship offer with a clear outcome.exercise: name your offer and define deliverables in bullet points.
do this for 90 days and watch the name start to feel "right."
quick fixes for common objections
"what if people get confused?"
fix your tagline, bio, and pinned post. confusion fades with clarity and repetition.
"what if i need to rebrand later?"
you're not marrying the name. you're building equity in the meaning. migrations are doable when your message is strong.
"will a non-literal name look amateur?"
amateur = inconsistent and unclear. professional = consistent and clear. pick your side.
the real work starts after you pick a name
start before the name feels perfect.
meaning is earned in public.
name anxiety is a stall tactic. building is the work.
the truth is most of the brands we love today are old names that mean nothing literally except what the brand owners make us believe. apple. nike. google. brainstorm. subscribe for tacos.
they all started as empty containers.
the magic happened when someone decided to fill them with intention, consistency, and clarity.
your turn.
reply with your current name (or top candidate) + what you'll pour into it: promise, proof, personality, product. i'll give quick feedback.
if you want us to fill the container end-to-end — strategy, identity, messaging, content — this is what my studio does. hit reply with "full-service" and we'll send next steps.
either way, stop hunting for the perfect name.
start building the perfect meaning.
Good read? Coffee donations appreciated :)
I appreciate all the support!
See you on social
Love, Mike.