What makes a name work
A strong business name is easy to say, easy to spell, and doesn't box you in. "Ada's Banana Bread" is charming until you want to sell anything else; "Ada & Co." can carry a whole company. Evocative names (a word borrowed from elsewhere — Oak, Harbour, Meridian) feel like brands but take longer to explain; descriptive names (Coffee Roasters, Garden Studio) tell people what you do but are harder to make distinctive. The lists above let you weigh both.
Check before you commit
Three quick checks save a world of pain: search Companies House (or your local register) for the exact name, search the trademark register for your field, and make sure a sensible domain and the social handles you'd want aren't already gone. A name you can't get the address for is a name you'll quietly regret.
The name and the address should agree
People will type your name into a browser expecting to find you. The closer your domain is to your spoken name, the less you'll spend forever correcting people. That's why each idea here has a “domain →” link straight into our domain finder.
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