You chose a name you like and printed it on business cards and the office sign. Then you found that the .com domain was taken, that a company in a neighboring country trades under a very similar name, and that customers on the phone spell it three different ways. It happens often, and the cost grows the later you find out. The name is the first decision in your brand identity and the hardest one to change once people know you by it.
The checks described here take a few days and can save you from reprinting everything later.
What makes a good business name?
A good name can be said and spelled correctly after hearing it once, and it does not resemble a competitor's name in your market. Once it passes those two tests, the other qualities follow: keep it as short as you can, and make sure it still fits if your business grows or changes.
The names we usually see fall into three types, and each comes with a cost:
| Type of name | Example of the idea | What you gain | What you give up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | City name plus service name | Customers understand it right away | Hard to stand out with or protect, and it gets tight if you expand |
| Suggestive or compound | Two words that hint at the benefit | Combines meaning with distinctiveness | Needs longer checks for domain and trademark |
| Invented | A new word with no prior meaning | Easier to get the domain and register | Takes time and marketing before people connect it to what you do |
No type is right for everyone. A repair shop serving one neighborhood benefits from a descriptive name, while a company planning to enter three countries usually needs something more distinctive.
How do you test a name in Arabic and English?
Say the name over the phone to five people who have never heard it and ask them to write it down. If they spell it in different ways, you will have the same problem with every customer who searches for you on Google.
Arabic letters with no English equivalent, such as haa, ayn, qaf and khaa, cause most of these problems. A lovely Arabic name can turn into a long or confusing Latin spelling that everyone writes their own way. The fix is to choose one official Latin spelling and use it on the domain, social accounts and invoices without exception.
Check the meaning too. A word that is neutral in one dialect can carry an unwanted meaning in another, and an ordinary English word can read awkwardly when written in Arabic script. Ask people from each market you sell in, for example Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, before you settle on the name.
How do you check whether the domain and social media handles are available?
Search for the domain at any registrar before you get attached to the name, then search for the same name on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. Ideally the handle is identical on every platform, because that is how customers will try to find you.
If the .com is taken, you have reasonable options: the domain of the country where you operate, or adding a short, clear word such as your city or type of business. Avoid hyphens, numbers and doubled letters, because you will be spelling the domain out loud a lot. If the domain is in use by an active company in your field, treat that as a sign to change the name more than as a domain problem.
Register the domain and the handles as soon as you pick the name, even before the logo is finished.
Do I need to register my business name as a trademark?
If you are building a business you will invest in, the answer is usually yes. Trademarks are registered country by country, so what matters is registering in the countries where you sell or plan to enter.
In most countries, registering the company in the commercial register is a separate procedure from registering the trademark, and trademarks are usually registered under classes of goods and services. Before you commit, search the official trademark office database in each country for identical or similar names in your field, and consult a lawyer or trademark agent on the details. That consultation costs far less than a dispute over a name after you have printed it on everything.
What are the steps for choosing a business name, in order?
Start with a long list and cut it down quickly. Getting attached to one name early makes you overlook its problems.
- Long listTwenty names or more, no criticism yet
- Saying and spellingThe phone test in both languages
- Competitors and trademarksSearch the market and official registers
- Domain and handlesAvailability on every platform
- Customer testTwo or three names in front of your audience
- RegisterDomain and handles, then the trademark
When you test with customers, ask what they would expect from a company with this name. Do not ask whether they like it. Liking tells you nothing, while expectations tell you whether the name suggests what you do.
Does a product need its own name, separate from the company?
Not always. If the product is a natural extension of what the market already knows you for, the company name plus a clear description is enough and spares you from building a second brand.
A separate name is worth the effort when the product speaks to a different audience from the company's, or when you expect it to grow into a business of its own. In that case the product name goes through the same checks, and you also decide how the company name appears next to it, for example as a small line under the logo or only as a mention on the website.
What comes after choosing the name?
After the name come the logo, colors and fonts, and all of them benefit from a name that is easy to say and spell. Read what makes a good logo before design starts, and what determines the cost of brand identity design so you know what to ask for.
We help check names and build the identity around them as part of our branding and design service. Send us the names you are considering along with your markets, and we will tell you where we see problems with pronunciation or distinctiveness.
Questions our partners ask
Should my company name be Arabic or English?
It depends on your market. If most of your customers are local, an Arabic name is easier to remember and pass along. If you sell in more than one market, choose a name that is easy to say in both languages and fix one official spelling in each.
Does registering my company protect its name as a trademark?
In most countries these are two separate procedures, each with its own authority and rules. Check with the official trademark office in your country or a specialist lawyer before you commit.
What if the .com domain is taken?
You can use the country domain where you operate, or add a short, clear word to the name. Avoid hyphens and numbers, because they make the domain hard to spell out over the phone.
Written by the Visual Innovate team, the people who build, host and follow up systems, websites and apps for our clients in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt.
