Seven Naming Criteria

Evaluate potential company and product names against seven universal criteria using red/yellow/green scoring

Arielle Jackson
The art of building legendary brands | Arielle Jackson (Google, Square, First Round Capital)

Seven Naming Criteria

"Sound and ease of pronunciation. Is it fun to say, is it easy to say, how is it to spell? We almost named a First Round company Lattice... we went through this exercise and we're like lettuce? It's not so easy to say and spell. So we actually didn't name the company that." - Arielle Jackson

What It Is

The Seven Naming Criteria is a systematic evaluation framework for assessing potential company or product names. After generating hundreds of name options through brainstorming, you filter them through these seven criteria using a red/yellow/green scoring system to identify the strongest candidates.

These seven criteria always apply, regardless of your industry or stage. You can add additional criteria specific to your situation (like "must be pronounceable for native Chinese speakers"), but these seven are universal.

How It Works

The Seven Universal Criteria

1. Trademark

  • Can you legally use this name?
  • Are you violating someone else's trademark?
  • Do you need to proactively protect the name?

2. Domain Availability

  • Is a suitable domain available?
  • Note: You don't necessarily need the .com anymore—Square operated on SquareUp.com for years
  • Consider variants and alternative TLDs

3. Distinctiveness

  • Is it memorable?
  • Does it sound like someone else's name?
  • Will it stand out in your category?

4. Timelessness

  • Will this name sound dated in 10-20 years?
  • Avoid naming trends (e.g., removing vowels like "Flickr," ending in "-ly" like "Optimizely")
  • A timeless name doesn't signal what era it was created

5. Message Alignment

  • Does the name reflect your key messaging?
  • Does it suggest an emotion or feeling you're trying to convey?
  • Is it connected to what your company does?

6. Sound and Ease of Pronunciation

  • Is it fun to say?
  • Is it easy to spell when heard?
  • Consider phone conversations: "Hi, I'm calling from [Name]"—will they understand?

7. Appearance

  • Does it lend itself to good visual design?
  • Consider letter heights and symmetry
  • Will designers enjoy creating a logo from it?

Bonus: Length

  • Two syllables is often the sweet spot
  • One-syllable names (Square, Stripe) are hard to get but memorable
  • Three syllables can work and may be more memorable than one

How to Apply It

  1. Generate hundreds of options first through brainstorming (don't evaluate during ideation)

  2. Create a scoring spreadsheet with names in rows and the seven criteria in columns

  3. Score each name red/yellow/green on each criterion:

    • 🟢 Green = Passes well
    • 🟡 Yellow = Concerns but workable
    • 🔴 Red = Significant problem

  4. Add custom criteria specific to your needs (e.g., international pronunciation, specific industry requirements)

  5. Filter aggressively - Names with any red scores need strong justification to keep

  6. Narrow to 3-5 finalists - Never just one (you might not get it for trademark)

  7. Test finalists through trademark search and domain availability before getting attached

When to Use It

  • After completing a naming brainstorm session
  • When evaluating unsolicited name suggestions
  • When considering a rebrand
  • To explain why a proposed name isn't working

Common Pitfalls

Getting attached too early

"Really big mistake is if you have a code name for your product... they end up getting attached to it and then they want to actually launch under that name. And it's like, well, that's not so great."

Solution: Use an absurdly ridiculous code name you'd never actually launch with.

Waiting for the "perfect" name

"Everyone wants to find that perfect name. If you actually think about it... Apple or Disney or Nike or Volvo, Lego, any of these brands, in a cell spreadsheet in plain Arial in 10 point, they're just okay."

Solution: Accept that great names are grown, not found. A good-enough name with great execution will become a great name.

Source

  • Guest: Arielle Jackson
  • Episode: "The art of building legendary brands | Arielle Jackson (Google, Square, First Round Capital)"
  • Key Discussion: (00:20:53 - 00:24:15) - Walking through the seven criteria
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube
  • Additional Resource: First Round Review article "Positioning Your Startup is Vital, Here's How to Nail It" contains the full naming framework

Related Frameworks

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