268 Creative Business Name Ideas (Curated, Not Generated!)

Did you know…

• Kodak got its name because the founder thought the letter K sounded strong and incisive?
• Lego comes from the Danish “leg godt” which means “play well?”
• WD-40 was named so because the formula was finally successful on its 40th try?

My point is, you do NOT need a business name generator to come up with a creative name for your business.

I rest my case.

I know I know, pet businesses are easy for creative names. But creative doesn’t have to mean funny. It just has to have character.

So in this post, I’ll be sharing over 200 business names ideas and examples to help you come up with business names that are catchy, personal, cryptic, thought-provoking, bold, and more.

About this business name ideas list

The examples accompanying each idea are real business names, so use them only as inspiration. See the end of the post for ways to check for business name availability in your state and the U.S.

Here are the categories of business name ideas this post covers:

And don’t miss my guide on how to come up with a business name—complete with mistakes to avoid, even more ideas, and how to register your name officially.

Creative business name ideas

There are so many ways to be creative with your business name. Here are just a few ideas.

Use (or make up) words associated with your industry

Think about adjectives that describe your customers or how they want to feel as a result of your products or services. For example, “intrepid” means fearless and adventurous—a good name for a travel company!

• Percepta (security)
• Exela Movers
• Ibotta, Inc. (consumer services)
• Wanderu (hospitality & tourism)
• Aceable, Inc. (online learning)
• Intrepid Travel
• Defendify (security)(Plus, how freaking fun is this word to say?)
• Twisters Gymnastics Academy
• Aims Community College
• Kaboom Fireworks
• Compass Mortgage
• Marathon Physical Therapy
• Semicolon Bookstore

Image source

Use an idiom, adage, or common phrase

We claim to hate cliches, but our brains inherently trust that with which it is familiar, so this isn’t a bad way to go. Plus, not all common phrases are annoying cliches. Try out idioms, famous quotes or lyrics, or just small bits from them.

• 9Yards Media
• When Pigs Fly (food)
• Light As a Feather (health and beauty)
• More Than Words (retail)
• Top It Off (fashion)
• Bent Out of Shape Jewelry
• To Each Their Own, LLC (beauty salon)
• Like You Mean It Productions
• What You Will Yoga
• EBA’s (Everything But Anchovies)
• Soft As a Grape (clothing and retail)

Image source

Go for something epic

There are tons of characters in history and entertainment that signify traits or qualities you may want associated with your business. Here are a few examples:

• Atlantis Sports Club & Spa
  Atlantis is a legendary utopian civilization.
• Saga Innovations
  A saga is a long story of heroic achievement.
• Atlas Ventures
  Atlas is the Greek god of endurance and strength
• Titan alarm
• Jarvis Surgical
  J.A.R.V.I.S is Just a Rather Very Intelligent System, a character in Marvel movies..

Then again, Jarvis is also a name that translates to “spear man” which also works… (Image source)

Catchy business name ideas

Catchy business names are easy and fun to say and stick well in peoples’ memories. Here are some ideas on how to come up with a business name that rolls off the tongue and plants itself in the brain.

Combine words

There are ample ways to be clever here. Just make sure that the word combo is actually easy and intuitive to say, and doesn’t just look good written out. For example, ValiDaTEk is clever (validate + technology), but is it “va-LID-a-tek” or “val-i-DAY-tek”? These are micro interruptions that can subconsciously deter someone from referring or even contacting your business. Here are some fun combo business names:

• Groupon
• Influitive
• Spinfluence
• Intellivision
• Perficient (proficient, perfect, efficient)
• Omnilert
• Technologent
• Securiteam
• Innometrics

Give it a rhyme

Want to know another copywriting psychology fun fact? The cognitive fluency of a piece of content influences how true or trustworthy the reader perceives it to be. And we all know how fluent rhyming words read (and get remembered).

• Puzzle Huddle
• 7Eleven
• Hobby Lobby
• The Knickknack Shack
• Los Amigos Taqueria
• Plan4Demand
• Chic Boutique Consignments
• ElemenOPillows

The best part of the alphabet.

Try out alliteration

Alliteration is another easy way to come up with a catchy and cognitively fluent business name. Here are some alliterative examples for you:

• Clickety Clack (game store)
• Horizons for Homeless Children
• Superscapes
• The Tiny Tassel
• Mighty Mule (security)
• Decorating Den Interiors
• Encore Electric, Inc.
• Beet Box Cafe

Image source

Unique business name ideas

“Creative” and “unique” are interchangeable adjectives, but for the sake of this post, I’m allotting this category of business name ideas to those of eccentric nature.

Go for colors, animals, or fresh produce

I’m not even kidding here. It would seem as though any combination of animals, colors, and organic matter is game for a business name—even if the name gives no indication of the business type.

• Arctic Wolf Neworks, Inc (cyber security)
• The Zebra (car insurance comparison website)
• Purple Mango (this is the name for a cafe, a skincare and laser office, and a media company)
• Blue Kite Web Solutions LLC
• The Maroon Door (restaurant)
• Unchained Carrot (marketing)
• The Orange Goat (restaurant)

How to come up with a unique business name: Combine (1) color + (1) animal or plant.

Tap into onomatopoeias

Words that define themselves by their very pronunciation? Prime business name material. Plus, these words usually help indicate what kind of business you are.

• Thump Coffee
• Clink Boston (a bar)
• Clink Inc
• Crunch and Munch (also rhymes!)
• Crunch Fitness (not used as onomatopoeia, but still a fun word!)
• Whoosh Auto Care
• Beep Beep Auto School
• Whizz Kids Tutoring

RELATED: The Best Small Businesses to Start for Every Type of Motivation

Go for something over the top

This all depends on your industry, brand, and personality. For example, using slang or movie titles isn’t going to fly for an insurance company, law firm, or consulting business.

• The Breelancers (brie/cheese store)
• Weed Man Lawn Care
• Real Imposters Jewelry
• Kerplunk Portables
• The Codfather
• Indiana Bones and the Temple of Groom

Can you even?

Smart business name ideas

These business names may not be as catchy or creative, but they contain words that are meant to reflect the value proposition or core values of the company. Keep in mind though, that this can put your business under extra scrutiny.

Reflect your core values

This could be a good way to keep your core values at the forefront of your employees’ minds. But again, they’ll also be at the forefront of your customers’ minds too—which can raise expectations. Not saying you can’t meet them—but no business can please everyone.

• PrimaCARE (medical)
• Kindness Animal Hospital
• Patient First Chiropractic & Physical Therapy
• Fidelity Investments
• Tenacity (education)

Persistence and stick-to-itness go hand-in-hand with education and career success. (Image source)

Indicate your value proposition

Similarly, you could go with a name that highlights an element of your value proposition. Just remember that unfortunately, there are people out there just waiting to find a reason to to complain. The second someone has a hard time at your EZ Eyecare business, you’ll be sure to hear it from them.

• Bottom Line Tax Services
• B2B Salesify
• Anytime Fitness (24-hour gym)
• Holistic Business Excellence
• One Stop Painting & Renovating
• CustomMade (jewelry)
• EZ Eyecare
• Reliant At Home
• EveryStep (home care)
• 5280 Digital (5280 feet in a mile)
• Siteimprove (websites)
• Forecast5 Analytics
• Five Star Senior Living

Right idea, brave move. (Image source)

Small business name ideas

Most business name ideas can work for any size business, but here are some suggestions geared specifically for small businesses.

Use “people” words

While larger businesses and corporations might end their business name with their product/service (Apex Technologies) or a word with a large connotation (“group,” “corp,” etc.), small businesses can go with more personable “people” words. These often represent the founders or owners of the business.

• The Moving Guys
• Sister’s Restaurant
• Ruggiero Brothers Oil
• Angela’s Bridal
• The Tree Fellas
• The Coffee Girl
• The Building People, LLC
• The Wine Guys

The Wine “Company” just wouldn’t have that same small business feel. Image source

Try other languages or synonyms

One way to add a little creativity is to use a family pronoun in another language (if that language is relevant to you personally or your business). You can also use synonyms.

• Amigos Barber Shop
• Tatte Bakery
  Tatte means grandma in Hebrew.
• Zio’s Deli
  Zio means uncle in Italian.
• Aegis Chiropractic & Physical Therapy

Aegis is another word for the protection, backing, or support of a person or organization. (Image source)

Go for small words

Embrace the smallness of your business! Use words to emphasize small things, or better yet, small things with big power.

• Tiny Rebellion
• Small Giants
• Think Big Work Small
• Small Ax Creative
• Small Potatoes Catering
• Small Dog Creative
• Tiny Legend Learning Academy

Make it known that you’re a small business with big impact. (Image source)

Add local language

Local businesses tend to be more authentic and personable, and consumers are generally inclined to support them. Feel free to amp up your business appeal by using local language in your business name.

• Local Bounti
• Local Roots
• Neighborly Software
• Neighbors Construction
• Nearby Notary LLC
• Local 149

  

Bonus: 149 is this restaurant’s street address number. (Image source)

Now we’re going to head into some company names for specific industries, including marketing, media, consulting, technologies, and security.

Marketing company names

Marketing company names tend to contain words associated with growth, visibility, and attention.

• Growthonics
• ClatterChatter
• Fewofmany
• Volume Nine
• Ignite Visibility
• The Bureau of Small Projects
• Idea Grove
• KickStart Marketing
• Digital Dive Marketing
• She Runs It
• Be Busy Being Awesome Agency
• SmarkLabs
• The Growth Co.
• Creative Juice
• Be Seen Solutions
• Color 9 Creative
• The Invisible Paintbrush
• Obvious Agency
• Brandopedia
• Fill the Gap Marketing Limited
• Empiric Marketing

Empiric means verifiable through observation. (Image source)

Media company names

I learned upon writing this post that media company names are the most eclectic ones out there. There isn’t really a common theme other than the fact that they’re all kinda quirky and fun.

• Webpreneur Media
• Medsnake Media
• Big Honcho Media
• Everglow Media
• Clicky Media
• Vibrant Media
• Fearless Media
• Splash Media
• Velvet Media
• Vertigo Media
• 9Yards Media
• Redsprout Media
• Bluesteak Media
• Weekend Media
• Fork Media
• Idiotic Media
• Tiny Milkshake Media

Because media company.

Consulting company names

Consulting company names tend to contain words associated with foundation, authority, collaboration, impact, achievement, and reward.

• Acumen
• Affirma
• Answerport
• Archimedes (greek mathemitician)
• Navigate
• Pivotal Resources
• Advisian
• Alliance Solutions Group
• Allied Consultants
• Anchor Advisors
• Catalyst Consulting
• Cognizant
• Collabera
• Data Driven Decisioning
• Delegata
• Diligent Innovations
• Edge Strategies
• Eight Revolution
• Endeavor Partners
• Experience Impact
• Fusion Alliance
• Fresh Squeezed Ideas
• Genesis Consulting
• Ground floor Consulting
• Holistic Business Excellence
• Ilumina Solutions
• Incrementa (un)Consulting

Incrementa uses “unconsulting” as a term to indicate that the client is the real hero. (Image source)

• Innosight
• Integrated Insight
• Optimity
• Perficient
• Plan4Demand
• Proactive Worldwide
• Protiviti
• Sage Consulting
• Sapient
• Swingtide
• Utopia Global
• Visionary Consulting
• The Prize

Technologies company names

Technology company names contain words associated with intelligence, forward thinking, agility, the ether (air and space), and connectivity.

• 2Gig Technologies
• Airbyte
• Alfatek
• Aurora IT
• Axle
• Exacq Technologies
• Excelero
• Evolv Technology
• Gecko Dynamics
• Hello Ace
• Hello Nerds
• Ideas2IT
• Innominds
• Innoometriks Incorporated
• Looking Point
• Let’s Think Wireless
• Matrix Systems
• Nerd Crossing
• Personetics
• Quisitive

After all, as Francis Kingdom Ward puts it, “Questions are creative acts of intelligence.” (Image source)

• Reef Technology (love this one)
• EnableIP
• Converged Communication Systems
• Stratosphere Networks, llc
• ThinkSys
• UniVoIP, Inc
• WeDigTech
• SAGE Integration, Inc.
• Savant Systems LLC
• Scality
• Sparkline
• Technologent
•  Plexus

A plexus is a network of nerves and vessels in the body. (Image source)

Security company names

Security company names use words associated with vision, strength, speed, readiness, and instinct.

• 3rd Eye Surveillance
• 4Front Engineered Solutions
• ActivIdentity
• Alpha Arseanl LLC
• Bandit Solutions
• Blackbelt Technologies
• BlackHawk Products
• Bombardier
• BrickHouse Security
• BullGuard

Doesn’t get much stronger’nat. (Image source)

 

• Castle Defense 360
• Champion Alarm Systems, Ltd
• Datawatch Systems
• Deep Instinct
• Deep Sentinel
• Defendify (this is my personal favorite)
• Deterrent Technologies
• Digital Guardian
• Drawbridge
• Eagle Eye Systems
• Eye Spy Security
• FIDO Alliance (Fast Identity Online)
• Fierce Access Distributors LLC
• First Defense
• Fortified
• GateKeeper Security
• Glympse
• Hawkeye Security
• Scorpion Protection

A venomous sting operation? I’ll take it. (Image source)

• Instantly Safe
• Intellicam Systems
• Intellicheck
• Keeper Security, inc.
• KEYper Sytems
• LaserShield
• LiveWatch
• NestLabs
• Nuance Communications, Inc.
• Omnilert
• Orion Networks
• Preventia
• Rapid Security Solutions, LLC
• Reliant Safety
• ReliaQuest
• Safe Haven Security
• Safetrust Inc
• Salient Systems
• Securiteam
• SheildIT
• Silent Sentinel Stealth Monitoring
• Sting Alarm
• Stone Security
• Surety Security

Super catchy, rhymes, and uses alliteration! (Image source)

• Threat Extinguisher
• Tripwire
• Ultrasafe Security Specialists
• Videolarm
• VigilEASE, Inc.

And remember, as mentioned above, these are real business names, so stay away from infringement by checking your business name idea with the ​​US Trademark Checker as well as entity name availablity in your state.

Have any cool business names to add to this list for inspiration? Let us know in the comments!