Brand Naming Brainstorming Techniques That Actually Work

Staring at a blank page hoping for the perfect brand name? That's not how great names are born. Here are structured brainstorming techniques that reliably generate strong candidates.

Technique 1: Mind Mapping

Start with your core concept in the center and branch outward through associations:

1. Write your product/service category in the center
2. Branch into related concepts (benefits, emotions, metaphors)
3. From each branch, add sub-associations
4. Look for unexpected connections between distant branches
5. Circle words and combinations that spark interest

A mind map for a project management tool might branch from "organize" → "compass" → "navigate" → "Waypoint."

Technique 2: Portmanteau Builder

Combine parts of two or more words:

1. List 20 words related to your brand's value
2. List 20 words related to your brand's personality
3. Systematically combine prefixes, roots, and suffixes from both lists
4. Say each combination out loud — do any feel like real names?

Pinterest = Pin + Interest. Groupon = Group + Coupon. Instagram = Instant + Telegram.

Technique 3: Foreign Language Mining

Search for your keywords in other languages:

1. Translate your core concept into 10+ languages
2. Look for words that sound appealing in English
3. Check that the foreign word doesn't have negative connotations elsewhere
4. Test pronunciation with English speakers

"Lego" comes from Danish "leg godt" (play well). "Häagen-Dazs" is completely made up but sounds Scandinavian.

Technique 4: The Alphabet Sprint

For each letter of the alphabet, spend 60 seconds writing every brand name starting with that letter:

• Forces breadth of exploration
• Breaks fixation on one style
• Produces 100+ raw candidates in under 30 minutes

Technique 5: Constraint Forcing

Add artificial constraints to push creativity:

• "The name must be exactly 5 letters"
• "The name must contain the sound 'oo'"
• "The name must be a real word used in a new context"
• "The name must work as a verb"

Constraints paradoxically increase creativity by forcing you out of default patterns.

Technique 6: Metaphor Exploration

Pick a metaphor for what your product does and explore it deeply:

• If your product "illuminates data," explore light metaphors: Beacon, Prism, Luminary, Aurora, Flash
• If your product "connects people," explore bridge metaphors: Bridge, Link, Nexus, Junction, Mesh

Technique 7: Sound-First Naming

Ignore meaning entirely and focus on how names sound:

1. Write consonant-vowel combinations that feel good: "Ka," "Zo," "Lu," "Ni"
2. Combine them: Kazoni, Zoluna, Luniko
3. Test which ones feel right for your brand
4. Add meaning retroactively through marketing

This is how many tech brands are named — sound first, meaning second.

After Brainstorming: Validate

Generate hundreds of names, shortlist the top 10, then check real-world availability.

Use BrandScout to instantly verify any name across domains and social platforms. Turn brainstorming output into verified, available brand names.