Types of names: creative

We’re back talking about the four primary ways of describing different types of names: structural, legal, creative, and linguistic. So far we’ve covered the structural and legal lenses. In this article, we’re covering names from a creative perspective.

The types of creative names are truly endless, as endless as the imagination itself. The graphic below indicates a few ways to think about types of names from a creative lens, but the list could easily continue.

In our work as namers there are some creative types of names that we reference and leverage in our creative work most often.

Metaphors

These are names that use commonly understood terms or concepts from a different context than the context of what is being named in order to create a shortcut to customer understanding.

Metaphors speak to System 1 , the emotional, gut reaction thinking process. In that sense, metaphors light up emotions and can be extremely evocative without compromising clarity – which is the ultimate goal in naming! In this sense, metaphors can be a key strategic tool for naming effectively. While metaphors are almost always creative, they can range from lightly suggestive (Microsoft Surface) to more arbitrary (Nest), depending on how far removed they are from the actual functionality and benefits of the company or product(s) themselves.

Metaphorical names can be used on their own as the name with no other words, such as with Apple, Amazon, and Nest. When using a metaphor in this way, with no other brand name or “grounding” term, you’re indicating a great breadth in scope, and that the product or company being named is more about the promise of a specific emotional outcome, rather than the promise of a particular capability or functionality.

Metaphorical names with a grounding term, like Burger King, United Airlines, and Microsoft Cosmos DB use the term attached to a metaphor to create clarity and category definition. By applying a grounding term, there is less risk in the metaphor being misconstrued by customers

Coinages

Coined names are names that are made-up words. They may be wholly made up like Xerox (lawyers call these types of names “fanciful”) or they may be lightly coined like Verizon, meaning you can recognize the root word or root words in the name, in which case the name often is simply suggestive without veering into the huge-in-scope but light-on-clarity territory of fanciful naming.

Beware! Coined names are a double-edged sword. They convey innovation because the word itself is new to the language, but can also quickly sound contrived or overly scientific, and therefore unapproachable by customers

When done well, and the goal is always to do them well, coined names can create an expansive scope for a name while placing a heavy emphasis on tone and its respective connotations, rather than on the actual denotation of a term or word. Google sounds infinite and fun. Spanx sounds a little naughty and playful. Nespresso sounds sophisticated yet simple. They are great for breathing new life into what could be an overly technical or overly functional category.

When done poorly, as in the case of Zyrtec (which is the active ingredient in this drug spelled backward) or Altria, the result is confusing or clunky. Pharmaceuticals in general have fallen into the coined trap, with Humira, Xeljanz and Eliquis creating an alphabet soup.

Compounds

Compound names are names that are technically coined, because they are forming a new single term, but actually combine two whole words. They can appear in five ways:

1. As two individual words, but frozen together as a brand name, like Red Bull or Hot Wheels.
2. As camelbacks that smash both words together, capitalizing each, like SurveyMonkey.
3. As hyphenated compounds, like U-Haul.
4. As portmanteaus that blend parts of the two words together, like Microsoft from microcomputer + software.
5. As a natural one-word entity, like Facebook.

Compounds, while technically being a version of coining, offer greater clarity and help to seat two separate concepts within a single name. EarthGen is a great example, as Earth on its own would not be specific enough, and Gen on its own would not be grounding in the category. Combined, you get just enough information to get excited for what the name might be about, without so much information that you turn on System 2  and lose all ability to evoke or inspire emotion.

A word of warning that compounds can run aground when they feel too obvious or awkward, and they sometimes can feel dated. For example, Travelocity, Fruitopia and Comcast will always feel trapped in the 90’s. Others though, like Triscuit or Microsoft, become so embedded in our minds as unique words that they weather the test of time.

Verbed

Some names can easily become verbs in colloquial usage.

• “Google that restaurant”
• “Swiffer the floor”
• “Let’s Uber to the airport”
• “Slack me that file.”

While you can’t really force a name to become a verb, we see it happening after a few criteria are met:

1. The brand is offering something related to an action, like searching (Google), mopping (Swiffer), driving (Uber), messaging (Slack).
2. The brand becomes so popular that people abbreviate what they mean by verbing the name: “Slack me that file” is easier to say than “send me that file on Slack.” Notice that we use Uber as a verb, but we don’t say “Let’s Lyft to the airport.” (and Lyft is even a verb!) It’s because Uber is a more popular brand.

If you want customers to use the name in a sentence as a verb to indicate the functionality of the brand or product, you can at least make it easy for them to verb it by keeping the name short and easy to say.

Adverbed

These are names that use a common term or coined term and add -ly to them. Adverbed names peaked in the 2010s when startups needed a unique URL and Libya had .ly domains to offer: using a construction like bit.ly provided a short URL with an adverb as an added bonus.

There is something approachable and dynamic about turning a word into an adverb. It can seem friendlier, taking a product or service and intuitively demonstrating how it works: Leafly, Lively, Warmly. Even bit.ly. It’s a common construction that mimics English in a way that makes a plausible-sounding word.

Use this strategy sparingly. Now that the trend has already passed its peak, adverbed names can come across as trying too hard to sound startup-y. Instead, try using other suffixes and prefixes in creative ways to enhance a root word that needs more dimension or flavor.

Personifications

These names literally borrowing equity from a human face to communicate the personality of the product or service. Tesla evokes the spirit of invention, Watson a helpful sidekick, and Nike the goddess of victory. Siri, Alexa, and Cortana become the literal ghost in the machine.

You can use this method to awaken the personality or describe the functionality your product or service delivers. A personified name creates an approachable invitation for customers to identify and connect, with the expectation that the product or service will, in fact, deliver on the promise inherent in the name. A personality implies intelligence, reaction, and foresight.

Using human names in branding is a more recent trend in tech , with brands like Casper (retail), Marcus (finance), and Oscar (health). It’s become especially popular in the booming AI category with the rise of virtual assistants. So much so that in most cases we recommend avoiding personified names in AI if you want to stand out from competitors.

History is rife with proper names and professions that can inspire your naming exploration. But be careful! Many names have religious, cultural, or historical baggage that can have the opposite effect that you intend.

In summary, the creative naming strategies discussed here—metaphors, coinages, compounds, verbed names, adverbed names, and personifications—each offer unique avenues to evoke emotions and convey brand messages effectively. By leveraging these methods thoughtfully, namers can craft distinctive and memorable names that resonate deeply with customers, enhancing brand identity and market appeal. As the landscape of naming continues to evolve, these creative approaches remain vital tools in the art and science of brand naming.

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