Every blog needs a name and once you find the right one everything seems to fall into place.
You’ll find it easier to build a brand around your blog, to attract your ideal readers, and to grow it into a successful business.
But where do you start? How do you find a good name for your blog?
In this section we’ll take a look at our different activities and ideas you could use to come up with the perfect blog name.
1. Have a Creative Thinking Session
One of the best ways to find a great name for your blog is to have a creative thinking session.
You can do this digitally and make notes online, but the best way is to grab a big piece of paper or a notebook and a pen.
Sit down somewhere quiet and free from distractions — you want to be able to concentrate on nothing but your own thoughts and ideas.
There are lots of different creative thinking exercises you could try, but these are some of our favorites:
- Write down any words that you feel strongly relate to your brand or mission
- Note down the feelings, emotions, and reactions you want your audience to feel
- Make a list of words that you feel a connection to — this could be because of their meaning, the way they sound, or how they look
- Pair some of these words together to create phrases or combinations
- Doodle and bring your ideas to life in pictures
- Bring in some colors, patterns or textures — you could even create a mini moodboard
2. Bring Your Friends Together
Sometimes the best ideas can come from a discussion or conversation with others.
Why not meet up with some friends or local creatives for some collective inspiration?
Ask friends and family for their help — they might suggest words or phrases you hadn’t thought of.
If you don’t have anyone nearby who you can collaborate with, ask in a Facebook community — they’re full of creative business owners and bloggers.
3. Create an Unusual Pairing
Blog names that combine two words continue to be popular, as they’re an easy way to add some context to your niche or describe your content.
You can take advantage of this trend and find a creative blog name if you opt for an unusual pairing of words.
Think of two words that you traditionally wouldn’t put together.
This could be colors or patterns, opposite adjectives, or concepts that feel surprising.
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Examples of This Done Well
Take travel blog Local Adventurer, for example.
When we think of adventures and travel we might think of faraway places or exotic destinations.
This blog brings the focus home, with content that helps people explore their hometowns better.
Unusual pairings are also popular with fashion and beauty blogs.
The Budget Fashionista inspires fashion lovers to indulge their passion on a budget, in a world where fashion can be expensive and unattainable.
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4. Model a Name After a Competitor
Another option is to take inspiration from your competition.
Look for successful blogs in your niche and see what they’re doing.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but doing your research on the kinds of blogs you’ll be competing against will give you an idea of what type of name will work for your own blog.
Don’t copy the name, but you can use that to get an idea of a name that could work for you.
You won’t be copying anyone, yet it may just be the perfect nudge to get those creative juices flowing.
A similar name is a fine way to go.
Use Niche-Related Keywords
You can also consider your niche and use keywords related to it.
If you have a blog about string instruments, you could use the word “orchestra” in your blog name.
5. Change a Popular Phrase
We walked about catchphrases in one of our earlier tips, but if you can’t create one of your own, why not be inspired by a popular one?
There are so many sayings and phrases that have become part of life, and some of them would make a really creative blog name.
A great example of this is Almost Makes Perfect, a home decor and DIY blog with a name that’s a play on the phrase “practice makes perfect.”
6. Try Using Alliteration
Can you create content consistently?
Consider using alliteration, which is where your blog name has words that all start with the same letter.
alliteration (noun)
- the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
- “the alliteration of ‘sweet birds sang’”
You may not realize it but I bet you use alliteration in your day-to-day life without even realizing it.
It has an almost musical quality that allows a sentence to flow fluidly from one word to the next and is incredibly addictive.
Try alliteration when coming up with your blog name, by using the same letter for each word in your name.
A few ideas could be, “Business Blogging Basics” or “Blogging Blues Busters” – you can probably come up with something much more awesome than me, I’m sure!
[Remember to use this trick in some of your blog titles, too]
7. Use Humor
Niche humor appeals to a specific audience, but something broader, like a pun, works just as well.
Laughter and humor is an infectious tonic with the benefit of making your readers smile.
Try boosting those endorphins by creating a blog name that portrays a wicked sense of humor. According to NamePepper’s blogging study, 7% of blog names use humor.
While it may not work for more professional blogs, if your tone of voice is fun, fresh and witty then there’s nothing to lose and is well worth giving a try.
Some of the names I’ve seen online using this method include Uncork Your Dork, Mommypotamus, and The Pillage People.
8. Try Using Assonance
Assonance is similar, but it repeats the same or similar sounds in stressed syllables.
One example could be “I Like Bikes” for a blog about bikes.
9. Use Abbreviations
Take a moment to think about the companies and brands you’re aware of and how many of them have an abbreviated name.
I can think of at least ten off the top of my head and with a bit more thought I can probably think of many more.
Abbreviations are beneficial because they keep things short and sweet, without removing your brand and identity.
You can abbreviate your whole blog name, or mix it up by half-abbreviating and use a word on the end – a bit like Devish, the owner of WPKube, does.
10. Take Inspiration From Books
Who said you have to conform to rules when creating names?
Why not take advice from the world’s greatest authors and use your favorite literature as inspiration?
Consider your favorite books and if there are any characters or quotes you like.
With millions of books out there, all full to the brim with wonderful words, it won’t take you long to find something that inspires and delights, and be a potential contender for your new blog.
You can use those to help inspire your name.
Just be careful you don’t violate any copyright laws.11. Break Out a Thesaurus
If you can’t think of any good blog names, use a thesaurus.
You can use that to find synonyms for the words you can think of on your own.
There’s something about flicking through a good thesaurus that beats almost any other method I know for coming up with interesting new words.
The Thesaurus can be a goldmine of inspiration, especially if you want to say something in a slightly different way.
A quick scan of the word “Tips”, brings up suggestions such as: buzz, hint, inkling, and pointer – all of which sound much more exciting to an ear that’s well-tuned to that more common phrase
12. Create a Catchphrase
While shorter blog names are more popular, you can also grow a successful blog with a longer, catchphrase-style name too.
Brandable names inspired by phrases or sayings work especially well for travel, lifestyle, and personal blogs, where your personality can often become central to your blog’s content.
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Examples of This Done Well
A great example of a blog named after a phrase is Pinch of Yum, a food blog full of delicious recipes.
There’s also One Mile at a Time, a blog that covers travel, flights, and hotel reviews.
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13. Evoke an Emotional Reaction
When people land on your blog and read through your content, you want them to feel an emotional connection to it.
If your content captures your reader’s attention and makes them feel something, they’re more likely to read more.
You might want them to feel joy as they discover a new musician that they’ll grow to love on your music blog, or a sense of calm after they read your self-care guide.
If your content is driven by emotion, it can make sense to make reference to that within your blog name.
From the example above, your wellness blog could become “Calm and Well” or “Living Lighter.”
If you have a fashion blog that’s full of color and patterns, a creative blog name for you could be “Pop and Print” or “My Bright Style.”
14. Use Your Own Name
While it might not immediately sound like a creative idea, a blog that features your name can be a smart move.
It allows you to build a personal brand and invites readers to feel an instant connection to you, as you become the face of your blog.
Nomadic Matt is a wonderful example of how you can integrate your name into a creative blog name.
His travel blog features travel tips and tricks, as well as travel guides that you can buy.
The name helps you to build a picture of the author and content immediately, and is more unique than something like “Matt Travels” or “Travel with Matt.”
15. Consider a Different Language
You can also use words from other languages in your blog’s name.
One of my favorite languages now is Icelandic.
There’s something incredibly beautiful about the way the words and syllables flow together to create their meanings.
If you’re looking to stand out in a saturated market, choosing an abstract word or phrase in a language other than English can be a great way to draw attention to yourself.
A simple online translator such as Google Translate will get you off to a good start.
For example, maybe you have a blog about dogs, so you name your blog “Perfect Perros” since “Perros” is Spanish for “dogs.”
For a creative blog name, try choosing something short with fewer syllables.
This will help to keep your blog name easy to remember and pronounce!
16. End With a Suffix
By now lots of one-word domain names and company names are already taken — as are many phrases and combinations, too.
There’s only a finite number of names available, so sometimes your perfect name is already in existence.
A way around this is to add a suffix to the end of your desired blog name. It’s a trend that originated in the startup world that’s become popular in blogging, too.
Some popular examples from the business world include Grammarly and Teachable.
One of the most well-known fashion blogs, The Sartorialist, is an example of a blog name that ends in a suffix.
Here are some popular suffixes to inspire you:
- -al
- -ary
- -ation
- -esque
- -ful
- -ing
- -ly
- -ous
- -y
17. Blog Naming Formulas
These aren’t hard and fast rules, but they should help you find the right direction.
Blogging Tips Formula
To name this blog, we combined our topic and desired audience with our end goal.
Since this blog focuses on blogging, we chose to include “blogging” in the name.
The end goal is to offer tips, which meant that “Blogging Tips” was the perfect name.
Portmanteau Formula
You can also use a portmanteau, which is a word that blends two words.
One common one is “brunch” which combines “breakfast” and “lunch.”
If you can find a portmanteau that works for your niche, use it in your name.
18. Blog Name Generator
If all else fails, you can use a blog name generator.
These are actually some of my favorite ways to come up with fun word combinations.
These creative generators allow you to set your own limits on the kind of words you want to create.
Then all you need to do is hit “submit” and browse through the suggestions.
The great thing about many of these types of name tools is that not only do they suggest pretty awesome names, they also tell you whether the .com of that name is registered by anyone.
Taking the stress out of crafting a great name, only to find out it’s being used elsewhere.
By now, you may be getting inspired or tired out 🙂
Just remember, go step-by-step through these recommendations and you’ll have a .com domain name before this post is done!]
That way, you can find a name that’s available and that suits your blog.
Give the following blog name generators a try.
Between all of them, you should be able to find at least one name you like.
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