Back to Branding & Design
Branding / Naming

The name has to survive a trademark search, not just a brainstorm

Most naming projects die because nobody checked availability until after the room fell in love with an option. I build the trademark and domain check into the process from day one, not as an afterthought.

Names checked before they're pitched, not after Domain + trademark screened at shortlist stage One dedicated workshop, not a name-generator list
What's different

Naming is its own discipline, not a branding add-on

A name has to do more work than a logo ever will — it gets said out loud, searched, spelled from memory, and lived with for a decade. That takes a different process.

Naming workshop

A structured session to define what the name needs to signal — sector cues to lean into, clichés to avoid, and the words your competitors have already worn out.

Linguistic & pronunciation checks

Names that misfire in speech, look wrong in a URL, or mean something unfortunate elsewhere get cut before they reach your shortlist.

Trademark & domain screening

Every shortlisted name is checked for UK trademark conflicts and realistic domain availability before you get attached to it.

Rationale, not just a list

Each finalist comes with the reasoning behind it, so you're deciding with logic, not just gut feel on a Friday afternoon.

A great name that's already trademarked isn't a name — it's a rewrite waiting to happen.
Two ways to name a business

The naming process that avoids an expensive rename later

The common approach

  • A shortlist of names nobody's checked against the trademark register
  • Picking the name the loudest person in the room liked best
  • Discovering the .com is squatted after the logo's already designed
  • A name that sounds great in the pitch but nobody can spell from a phone call

How I do it

  • Every finalist pre-screened for UK trademark conflicts
  • A shortlist backed by reasoning tied to your positioning
  • Domain and social handle availability checked before sign-off
  • Names stress-tested out loud, not just read silently on a slide
Available for projects

Tell me what's broken, or what you're starting.

One email or a fifteen-minute call. I read and reply to every one myself.