Choose a distinctive, easy-to-spell name, test it with a few people, then check company records, trade marks and domains before committing to your brand.
Write a one-sentence brief
Describe what your business does, who it serves and how it should feel. A local architectural practice and an online craft shop might need very different names. Keep the brief close as you write ideas; it helps you choose consistently.
Explore three directions
Try a descriptive name, a name built around a distinctive word, and a personal or story-led name. Write several ideas in each direction before judging them. Then reduce the list to three options that fit your brief.
Avoid a name that limits you to a service or location you expect to outgrow. Leave enough room for your next chapter.
Run the conversation test
Say the name without showing it. Ask a few people what they heard and how they would spell it. Picture it in an email address and at the top of an invoice. Shortlist names that remain clear in all three settings.
Research before you design
Check the company register, the web, relevant trade marks and your preferred domain. If one area raises a concern, consider a different option before investing in design. Keep a backup name so a disappointing search does not send you back to a blank page.
Build a coherent identity
Once the registration questions are resolved, use the same spelling and visual identity across your website, email and customer materials. A name becomes valuable through consistent use and the experience customers associate with it.
Use a shortlist scorecard
| Test | How to run it |
|---|---|
| Clarity | Ask someone to spell the name after hearing it once |
| Fit | Compare the name to your one-sentence business brief |
| Room to grow | Imagine the name beside a future service you might offer |
| Distinctiveness | Identify the memorable word and research similar uses |
| Online use | Write a sample domain and email address without claiming availability |
Score each test from one to five for your own shortlist and write a short reason. The scores are a discussion aid, not a legal assessment or a scientific ranking. A scorecard is useful because it makes your trade-offs visible when different people favour different names.
Compare two fictional directions
A fictional founder starts with “Dublin Design Services” and “Alderline Studio”. The first clearly describes a service and place; the second may leave more room for a distinctive brand story. In this exercise, the founder tests both with customers, checks how easily they are spelled and researches the distinctive wording before choosing. Neither example has been checked for availability or rights.
A name that wins the conversation test can still fail a registration or rights check. Leave those columns unresolved until the actual research is done. Keep your second choice genuinely different so that a concern about the first does not affect every option on the list.
Create a clean handover to the next step
Once the shortlist is ready, read how to check an Irish company name. Keep a brief explaining what each shortlisted name means and what research remains. Ask your presenter or adviser to resolve registration questions before you commit to branding.
Then use the domain tool and discuss separate trade-mark and domain decisions. Agree the spelling, account ownership and contact address that will appear on customer materials. Consistency after a well-researched decision makes the name easier to recognise.
Sources & review
Editorial owner: Thomas O'Sullivan. Sources checked 9 October 2026. Professional review: Thomas O'Sullivan (Company formation expert and writer), 9 October 2026. Scope: Current naming, formation and domain guidance, practical examples and source references.
Examples are fictional and do not establish name or domain availability. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or provider. Report a correction.