brand-namer

Audience: Founders and marketers who need evocative brand, company, or product names.

Goal: Generate category-defining names using Igor naming methodology + NFX principles.

Core Philosophy

Names operate like rudders, steering positioning and perception. Great names become self-sustaining PR vehicles that go viral on their own.

Information Gathering

Collect before naming:

1. What are you naming? (company, product, feature, app)
2. What does it do? (one sentence)
3. Target audience
4. Brand personality (3-5 adjectives: warm, fun, futuristic, confident, human)
5. Competitors (3-5 names in this space)
6. Key differentiator
7. Constraints (words to include/avoid, domain requirements)

Brainstorming Techniques

Mind Mapping

Start with the brand's emotional core and expand outward:

1. Write central concept in middle (e.g., "speed", "trust", "craft")
2. Branch to related themes, metaphors, cultural references
3. Branch again to specific words, images, sounds
4. Look for unexpected connections between branches

Word Association

Free-associate from brand adjectives — write everything without judgment:

• Mythology, legends, historical figures
• Nature, animals, elements
• Emotions, sensations, textures
• Cultural references, art, literature

Imagery Lists

Generate 20+ words in each category relevant to positioning, then blend/transform.

Cross-Domain Exploration

Search for words in seemingly unrelated domains to find surprising connections:

• Mythology: Greek, Roman, Norse gods and heroes (Atlas, Mercury, Odin)
• Science: Periodic table elements, physics terms, astronomy (Cobalt, Quark, Nebula)
• Nature: Geological formations, weather, botany (Mesa, Cirrus, Sequoia)
• Aviation/Maritime: Aerodynamics, navigation, sailing (Mach, Zenith, Helm)
• Architecture: Structural terms, materials (Keystone, Lattice, Canopy)
• Music/Art: Movements, techniques, instruments (Forte, Mosaic, Crescendo)

Principle: The best names come from lateral thinking. A fintech named "Stripe" beats "PayProcessor" because it borrows from an unrelated domain.

Power Words for Naming

Draw from these emotional trigger categories when brainstorming:

Category	Evokes	Name-Inspiring Words
Authority	Trust, expertise	Sentinel, Guardian, Apex, Citadel, Anchor, Keystone
Novelty	Innovation, discovery	Pioneer, Spark, Nova, Genesis, Catalyst, Frontier
Exclusivity	Prestige, insider	Elite, Cipher, Vault, Haven, Summit, Pinnacle
Gravity	Power, scale	Titan, Colossus, Forge, Atlas, Mammoth, Monolith
Energy	Action, momentum	Bolt, Blaze, Surge, Pulse, Ignite, Velocity
Simplicity	Ease, clarity	Breeze, Flow, Glide, Swift, Zen, Clear
Safety	Protection, stability	Shield, Harbor, Bastion, Refuge, Bedrock, Anchor
Wonder	Amazement, magic	Aurora, Cosmos, Ethereal, Luminary, Prism, Radiant

Usage: Pick 2-3 categories that match brand positioning, then riff on those themes.

The Four Name Types

1. Functional/Descriptive

Describes what the business does.

Avoid for company names. They draw from a small keyword pool, causing "brand fade out" (BrandJuice, BrandForward, NameLab = all forgettable).

Key insight: Company names always have context (websites, conversations). Free them to do more productive work.

2. Invented Names

Greek/Latin morphemes (Acquient, Agilent): Easy trademark, but need massive ad budget, emotionally void.

Poetically constructed (Snapple, Oreo, Google): Fun to say, memorable, viral potential.

3. Experiential Names

Connect to direct human experience (Explorer, Safari, Navigator).

Risk: Overused across industries, similar names = similar positioning.

4. Evocative Names (HIGHEST POTENTIAL)

Evoke positioning rather than describing function.

Sector	Functional	Experiential	Evocative
Ride share	RideCharge	Lyft	Uber
Airlines	Trans World	United	Virgin
Computers	Digital Equipment	Gateway	Apple

Why they win: Rare, nonlinear, multidimensional, creates non-commodity brand.

Competitive Taxonomy

Map competitor names on this matrix:

Score: -2 (worst) to +5 (best)

| Score | FUNCTIONAL | INVENTED | EXPERIENTIAL | EVOCATIVE |
|-------|-----------|----------|--------------|-----------|
|   5   |           |          |              | [best]    |
|   0   | [most]    |          |              |           |
|  -2   |           |          |              |           |

Find the empty quadrant for differentiation.

Name Evaluation (Score 1-5 Each)

Criterion	Measures
Appearance	Visual appeal in logos
Distinctive	Stands apart
Depth	Layers of meaning
Energy	Vitality, buzz
Humanity	Warmth (imagine as child's nickname)
Positioning	Relevance to brand
Sound	Pleasing AND easy to say
"33" Factor	Word-of-mouth buzz potential
Spellable	No confusion
Fluency	Brain processes it easily despite being surprising (Impossible Burger, BlackBerry)

Phonetic Principles

Sound shapes perception. Use these patterns intentionally:

Sound Type	Effect	Examples
Short plosives (K, P, T, B)	Simple, punchy, down-to-earth	Kodak, Pepsi, TikTok
Long vowels (ee, oo, ay)	Regal, expansive, magical	Google, YouTube, PayPal
Soft consonants (S, L, M)	Smooth, luxurious, gentle	Tesla, Lexus, Calm
Hard consonants (X, Z, K)	Edgy, tech, distinctive	Xerox, Zoom, Slack

CVCV Pattern

Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Vowel is the most fundamental language structure. Names following this pattern are instinctively easy to learn and recall:

• Two syllable: Sonos, Hulu, Roku, Visa, Lego, Nike
• Three syllable: Toyota, Banana, Adidas

Memorability Boosters

• Alliteration: Coca-Cola, PayPal, Best Buy
• Sound repetition: Snapchat, TikTok, Fitbit
• Uncommon starters: K, X, Z, Q, Y stand out (Kayak, Xero, Zapier)

Spelling Variations

Intentional misspellings create distinctiveness:

• JELL-O, FROOT LOOPS, Lyft, Tumblr, Fiverr
• Caution: Must still be phonetically intuitive

A.S.S. Test (Associations + Slogans Score)

For top candidates, count:

Associations:

• Apple: Garden of Eden, Isaac Newton, William Tell, Snow White, "Bad apple," "Apple of my eye," "Big Apple"
• Strawberry: Strawberry Fields, shortcake, blonde

Slogan potential:

• "Igor. Bringing Your Vision to Life."
• "Igor. Never Say Die."

More associations = more cultural depth = stronger name.

NFX Essential Guidelines

1. Memorable - Recall after one hearing?
2. Spellable - No written confusion?
3. Avoid Generic Descriptors - HipChat underperforms invented terms
4. Embrace Friendliness - PayPal, Google succeed through approachability
5. Strategic Controversy - "A great name might hit 10% of people wrong" (Virgin, Monster)

Avoid "Happy Idiot" Patterns

Invented Nonsense

"Mirvie draws on Romance languages: Mira means 'objective' in Italian..." Red flag: Linguistics rationale = scam.

Foreign Words

"Ikena, a Hawaiian word meaning 'vista'..." Red flag: Meaning irrelevant if audience doesn't speak it.

Compound Wallflowers

Bridgescape, Bridgespan, Everbridge, Flybridge Red flag: Generic word pairs = forgettable white noise.

The Comfort Trap

Choosing the name everyone "likes" in research. Consensus = mediocrity. Red flag: If nobody hates it, nobody will love it either. Polarization signals energy — if half the room feels the name is "dangerous," it likely has the strength to cut through market noise. Safe names compound friction; bold names compound advantage.

Output Format

## Naming Results for [Project]

### Competitive Taxonomy
[Matrix showing competitor clusters]
**Opportunity:** [Underserved quadrant]

### Name Candidates

#### Evocative (Recommended)
1. **[Name]** - [Rationale, associations]
2. **[Name]** - [Rationale]
3. **[Name]** - [Rationale]

#### Experiential
4. **[Name]** - [Rationale]
5. **[Name]** - [Rationale]

#### Invented
6. **[Name]** - [Rationale, sound/feel]

### Evaluation Matrix

| # | Name | Appear | Distinct | Depth | Energy | Human | Position | Sound | "33" | Spell | Fluency | **Total** |
|---|------|--------|----------|-------|--------|-------|----------|-------|------|-------|---------|-----------|

### A.S.S. Test (Top 3)

**[Name 1]**
- Associations: [list]
- Slogans: "[Name]. [Tagline 1]"

### Top Recommendation

**[Name]** (Score: X/50)

Why it wins:
- [Positioning alignment]
- [Category differentiation]
- [Cultural depth]
- [Sound/memorability]

Domain options: [name].com, [name].io, get[name].com

### Proof of Concept
Place top name in real-world contexts to test believability:
- **Headline test:** "[Name] Raises $10M Series A" — does it carry weight?
- **Intro test:** "I work at [Name]" — does it spark curiosity?
- **Search test:** Is it Google-able without competing with dominant results?

### Next Steps
1. Domain availability check
2. Trademark search (USPTO)
3. Social handle check
4. Test pronunciation with 5 people
5. Sleep on it (24 hours)

When Invoked By Other Skills

When called by other skills for naming:

• Accept their context (product, audience, positioning)
• Generate 3-5 evocative options with brief rationale
• Return top recommendation with A.S.S. score
• Include domain suggestions

Focus on evocative names that differentiate and dominate.