Should I name my business after myself?
When you have a personal brand (meaning you’re the face of your brand), naming your business after yourself is always a wise move. After all, you created the work, and putting your name to it builds a strong connection between the two.
But we get it, sometimes it’s not that easy.
We’ve come across a lot of hesitation from creatives to put their names front and centre of their brand. The reasons vary, but to help you decide, we’ve created a collection of your top six concerns.
We look at name combinations you may never consider, and also let you know when it’s a good time to name your business something else.
Before we start – missed a part of our Creative Business Series? Catch up below.
- How to Pick the Perfect Email Address
- Are Business cards still necessary?
- How to Prepare Your Business for the New Year
- Spring Clean Your Computer Checklist
Q1. Should I name my business after myself…“When my name is hard to pronounce?”
ANSWER: Do you have a NICKNAME you’re known by? You could use that on its own, or try taking a PART of your NAME and abbreviating it.
ABBREVIATING SURNAME EXAMPLE: Remember Full House? The actor who played Uncle Jesse, John Stamos, used this technique on his surname. When attending auditions, he believed Stamatopoulos was too hard to pronounce, so he shortened it to Stamos.
ABBREVIATING SURNAME EXAMPLE: Pinterest expert Jana Osofsky also used this abbreviation technique.
Instead of calling her business after her full name, she opted for Jano O Media. Not only is it easier to say, but also to remember.
ABBREVIATING FIRST NAME EXAMPLE:
Oprah Winfrey’s birth name is actually spelt O-r-p–a-h.
But no one knew how to pronounce it and would say “Oprah”. And she decided to keep it.
Her Production Company, Harpo, is also Oprah spelt backwards!
ABBREVIATING FIRST NAME EXAMPLE:
My sister runs school readiness classes, and the children she taught had a hard time pronouncing her name, Letitia.
She shortened it to Tish, creating the name Miss Tish. Her new name has become part of her business identity (& nickname) in a fun and personal way.
Whatever the meaning behind shortening your name or using your nickname, it could be a great story to share with your ideal clients.
Q2. Should I name my business after myself… “If I have a difficult name to spell?”
ANSWER: If your FIRST name is tripping people up, try your MIDDLE name with another combination. Tricky SURNAME? Try using your MAIDEN name. If you’re not married, combine your FIRST name and your mother’s MAIDEN name.
EXAMPLE: Our client wanted a logo for her clothing company named after her children. Due to the unconventional spelling of their names, she opted for a combo of their MIDDLE & NICKNAMES.
Q3. Should I name my business after myself …“If I have a very common name?”
ANSWER: Try only using your FIRST & MIDDLE name. Or combine SURNAMES with your partner.
EXAMPLE: One of our friends combined his SURNAME Wood with his wife’s MAIDEN name Nutt to create Nuttwood. The fact that he was an environmental planner made the new name memorable and a perfect fit.
Insider Tip
Nuttwood took on a life of its own and even became what friends called their home. (So they created the plaque opposite.)
Now, clients, friends and family always check in with them by asking, “How’s everything going at Nuttwood?”.
Q4. Should I name my business after myself …“If someone else has my domain name?”
ANSWER: Combine your FIRST name with what your business does. Try words such as Design, Art, Studio, Photography, etc. This new connecting word can be at the beginning or end.
EXAMPLE: My designer friend, named Catherine Frank, had trouble securing her name. Instead, she used her nickname, Frankie and added what she did to the beginning of her name, creating Designs by Frankie.
Q5. Should I name my business after myself …“If there are privacy issues around using my name?”
ANSWER: Instead, you could take the SURNAMES of two family members you admire or who might have been an influence on your business and combine them.
EXAMPLE: Reese Witherspoon did this with her clothing label, Draper James. She honoured her grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon.
Q6. And… “Isn’t it egotistical to name my business after me?”
ANSWER: I can guarantee your ideal client will not think that about you! And if they did, that’s not the type of customer you want, and they were never going to buy from you anyway.
EXAMPLE: Think of your favourite fashion label. The majority use the designer’s FULL NAME or SURNAME because it’s their creations, and they want to put their name on the designs.
If you’re uncomfortable using your FIRST name, try using your SURNAME (Such as Christian Dior for Dior) to keep the connection between you and your designs.
As long as there is some type of meaning behind the new business name, you might end up loving it even more.
Name Alternative Tip:
Try combining your name with what you offer.
You may have heard of the brand, Christy Wright’s Business Boutique.
Christy is the face of the brand, and even though there are many people behind the scenes of this amazing business source for women, only adding Christy’s name to the title personalises the brand.
Image: Christy Wright’s Podcast.
Don’t overthink or worry that there’s a right or wrong way to name your business. People will follow you because they love your work (and you), not because of your business name.
Bonus Questions:
“THREE of us started a business together – which name should we use?”
Instead of focusing on one name, try combining all three. You could use an initial from each of the three partners and combine these other words to create your new name.
Mammoth Club did this.
Consisting of a married couple (Molly and Alan) and their best friend Max, they took their first initials, MAM, to create MAMMOTH.
Image: mammothclub YouTube
This word summarised what they would deliver: a mammoth-sized variety of online content covering all their favourite things from Disney, Universal, theme parks, trivia and beyond!
To complete the name, they added CLUB, reflecting on their childhood days of forming a club with their friends. However, this time, their friends related to their followers, whom they welcomed to join them on their new adventures.
“When should I NOT name my business after myself?
One of the main reasons might be that a personal name might limit your business’s growth.
Especially if you ever want to expand your offerings or sell in the future.
If your business offers a product or service (with many people involved), you might opt for creating a name that best represents your business or naming it after what you provide.
This is what we did with our business, The Template Emporium.
My husband Tom and I wanted to make it clear and easy to understand what we offered, so we named it after that.
It’s still a personal brand, however, the emphasis is on our product and what it can offer you.
Your action steps
Decide which question above best resonates with your business name situation.
- Write down 3 new name options (Using this question above as a guide).
- Leave the list and think about it for 24 hours.
- Come back, review your list and read the three options out loud.
- Choose the one that best describes & reflects you & your business.
Where to next?
Need a Domain name for your business? Here’s How
Want us to create a Signature Logo for your business? Visit Here
Prefer to create your own business logo? Click Here
Want more insider tips?
Grab our FREE Essential Guide for Creatives. “Do’s & Don’ts of what to add to your website”. We give you a simple plan to follow so that you’ll never have to question what to show online again.
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