The Case for Boring Company Names

When people are starting a new business they spend way too much time concepting names. 

You already have a name. Use it. 

It’s easy to get tripped up thinking you have to name your company something super-catchy or memorable. 

But the truth is this: it often doesn’t matter as much as you think it does. 

What did Tyra Banks call her production company when she produced America’s Next Top Model? Ty Ty Baby Productions. I assume people called her “Ty Ty” or “Ty Ty Baby” as a nickname. She didn’t overthink it. 

You don’t have to overthink it either. 

A company grows into its name over time.

Off the top of my head I can think of a few unsexy company names, like Brown Shoe Company, U-Haul, Office Depot, Distribution Management. Over decades, these brands have grown into making their company names recognizable. 

I scanned the top 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, and noticed some trends — 

Publicly traded companies named after someone’s name: Ford Motor, Walt Disney, Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett Packard, Kraft Heinz, Charles Schwab, Sherwin-Williams, Emerson Electric, Stanley Black & Decker

Publicly traded companies named after their thing: General Motors, FedEx, Energy Transfer, Performance Food, General Electric, Dollar General, Applied Materials, Dollar Tree, Tractor Supply

Publicly traded companies named after a region: Bank of America, New York Life Insurance, Nationwide, American Airlines, US Foods, Boston Scientific, Global Partners

So, if you’re starting a business, don’t overthink it. Leaning on general descriptors, your region, or your name is a tried and true method for naming a company. The most important thing is just going for it! Besides, the name can always be changed later.