How to name your app
A good app name is easy to say, easy to spell after hearing it once, and not already taken by a similar product. It doesn't have to describe everything the app does: it has to be findable and memorable.
What makes a name work
- Short and sayable: people should be able to tell a friend about it without spelling it out.
- One obvious spelling: double letters, swapped letters and sound-alikes cost you people who search for it.
- Room to grow: a name tied to one feature gets awkward when the app does more.
- Free where it matters: a domain you can get, no similar app in the stores, and handles on the social networks you plan to use.
How to check a name
- Domains: check the endings you care about. A different ending can be fine; an active business on the .com with a similar product is a warning sign.
- App stores: search both stores for the name and close variants.
- Trademarks: search the registers for your markets, for example TMview for the EU and many national offices and the USPTO trademark search for the US. For a final decision, ask a trademark lawyer.
- People: say the name to five people and ask them to type it. If they get it wrong, so will your users.
About the ideas
The generator combines your words with prefixes and suffixes, blends two words into one, shortens them and adds endings, depending on the style. It doesn't know whether a name is free: the links take you to the searches, and only those tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Does this tool check if a name is available?
No. It suggests names and builds links to the right searches. Whether a domain, a store listing or a social handle is free, and whether a trademark exists, you check yourself through those links and the trademark registers.
Do I need the .com domain?
Not necessarily. A name people can find, say and type matters more, and many apps use other endings such as .app. If the .com belongs to an active business with a similar product, that is a good reason to pick another name.
Can my app have the same name as another app?
Even where it's technically possible, a name that's already used for a similar app makes you hard to find and can lead to trademark trouble. Search both stores before you decide.
How do I check trademarks?
Search the official registers for the markets you plan to launch in, for example TMview for the EU and many national offices, and the USPTO trademark search for the US. For a final decision, ask a trademark lawyer.
Are my words or favorites stored?
Your words never leave your browser. Favorites are saved in this browser's local storage only when you click the star, and you can remove them in the tool at any time.
Related
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