How do you choose a good app name?

PB · Post by PB » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:19 am

How do you guys choose a memorable name for your apps? Every time I think of something, I do a Google search, trademark search, and Usenet search. Everything seems to already exist!

I basically don't want it to have any Google hits, to make it easy to find with a search. Any suggestions for generating good, memorable names?

Inf0Byt3 · Post by **Inf0Byt3** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:05 pm

Been facing this problem too... Every name that came in my mind was already taken (same thing with the domain names) so what I did was to get a generic name and use it for all the programs. For example if you are developing a video converter you can call it MyCompany Video Converter. Using a generic name will also help get more search engine hits as many developers use this "technique", although it doesn't sound that good as an original name.

Post by **Fred** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:44 pm

Even back in 1996, i got a problem with PureBasic name: it should have been named PowerBasic (!) due to the support of PowerPC cpu on Amiga. Guess what ? Some month after i picked up this name, a guy told me than PowerBasic was used in the PC world... So i tried to find something else which could be abrievated to PB, as some where already used to that

. Ten years later, it's even harder to find a suitable name, and it will become worse and worse with time. Good luck !

PB · Post by PB » Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:51 pm

I originally chose a name made up of 7 random letters, but it was readable and pronounceable. I searched Google and there were 0 matches, and no domain name for it. I kept working on my app, and it's 5 years later now. When I search Google today, there are 59 matches now with that text in blogs and so on.

I don't understand how my 7 random characters can be magically typed by other people. It's like how when a big lottery jackpot is on offer, and suddenly 5 people all choose the exact same 6 winning numbers. Weird! There's more to life than we understand, that's for sure.

naw · Post by **naw** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:27 pm

What does your app do? maybe we can make some suggestions...

PB · Post by PB » Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:38 pm

It does too much for a generic description. Mainly it's a PIM-type app, but helps you with your daily PC use in magical ways too. I can't use a PC without it now.

c4s · Post by **c4s** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:03 pm

For me the most important is how the name sounds. Then I do a few quick searches and if there are just some results I don't care because I know that my application will soon be strong enough to beat the other results.

ar-s · Post by **ar-s** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:35 pm

Agree for the name "sound"
But you can easily taking a name for your product and add a spead name..
for ex your name is Martin Dmas, and you wanna make a resizer.. you could call it Dmas resizer, smaD resiz...
It's not so difficult

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:31 pm

I don't think the problem is that big with phantastic names, only with "realistic" names.

P-Basic is not a good example, because hey, there is really little choice left...

sure, most beautiful would be an abbreviation that is sound to speak, but not everyone could invent a L.A.S.E.R.

Take my nickname, on the first x-ty google sides are only hits of my person or Icelandic websites where both parts are everyday words with a totally different meaning. *BOOM*

Marlin · Post by **Marlin** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:48 pm

About your app name with 7 random letters:

You at least sent it to the outside world by searching google for it

Maybe someone deactivated your browsers warning about
sending unencrypted data to the net.

Rook Zimbabwe · Post by **Rook Zimbabwe** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:55 pm

My Restaurant POS Program is called Blue Mesa Point of Sale. My software company is Blue Mesa Computer Systems... I named it for Blue Mesa Resivoir in Colorado.

There is a little schmuck putz yankee moron MO-FO in Dallas that ows a Blue Mesa Grill. He has been harassing me because he insists he OWNS the words "BLUE MESA" and has trademarked them...

I had to hire an Intellectual Property Law Firm to untangle this mess.

In short... the day is coming when no one will be able to trademark anything... or perhaps only the RICH and HUGE because they will be able to afford lawyers and sue everyone!

I say cll it by you last name and what it does... that way you have a legal right to the name.

Screw google searches!!!

harkon · Post by **harkon** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:52 pm

@Rook

Maybe if the name of your company was Blue Mesa Pub or something like that, and I say maybe.
Remember Lindows? They lost cause they were also selling an OS. As you are not even a restaurant and are selling software as opposed to prepared food, I'm surprised he even got a lawyer to look into this.

Trademark infringement is pretty tough to pursue and you would need to make a pretty good case for yourself, or have really deep pockets. Unless it's a blatant ripoff or you are trying to leverage someone elses brand recognition you're pretty safe.

I really surprised that the owner of the Blue Mesa Grill found a lawyer to pursue this.

*EDIT*
Actually I stand corrected, according to Wikipedia on the Windows/Lindows case

As early as 2002, a court rejected Microsoft's claims, stating that Microsoft had used the term "windows" to describe graphical user interfaces before the product, Windows, was ever released, and that the windowing technique had already been implemented by Xerox and Apple many years before[4]. Microsoft kept seeking retrial, but in February 2004, a judge rejected two of Microsoft's central claims[5]. The judge denied Microsoft's request for a preliminary injunction and raised "serious questions" about Microsoft's trademark. Microsoft feared that a court may define "Windows" as generic and result in the loss of its status as a trademark.

Settlement
In July 2004, Microsoft offered to settle with Lindows.[6] As part of this licensing settlement, Microsoft paid an estimated $20 million US, and Lindows transferred the Lindows trademark to Microsoft and changed their name to Linspire.

So apparently even really deep pockets don't help

PB · Post by PB » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:39 am

> There is a little schmuck putz yankee moron MO-FO

I love it when Texans get angry!

> I say call it by you last name and what it does

I did consider that, but the name of my app has to be kept short for various reasons that I won't go into now.

J. Baker · Post by **J. Baker** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:59 am

PB wrote:It does too much for a generic description. Mainly it's a PIM-type app, but helps you with your daily PC use in magical ways too. I can't use a PC without it now.

You could call it PIMP (PIM Program). ... I'll leave my next comment out, as it's just bad taste in character.

Anywho, I made a simple app that render animations from a program called "Moho" using it's command line features. I just broke it up and called it MoRen. Basically for Moho renderer. Dividing and combining names is a good way.

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:27 am

PB wrote:Mainly it's a PIM-type app

do you mean "Personal information management"?
I get six entries under "computing" alone.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIM

my idea about this:

("Pi I am")
has something nerdy and also personal...

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