How to pick a business name that doesn't alienate customers
Unconventional or edgy business names can instantly alienate conservative clients and make everyday buyers reluctant to even speak the name aloud. Choosing a polarizing moniker stops people from hiring your company or ordering your product, no matter how good the actual service or quality might be.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 32.8× more often in r/smallbusiness than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1sticking to traditional descriptive naming conventionsDid this help you?
- 2running two different brands or DBAs to separate playful and serious servicesDid this help you?
- 3doing a market comparison against competitorsDid this help you?
- 4Using domain registrars combined with excessive brainstorming timeDid this help you?
- 5Asking online communities for random words, quotes, or phrases for inspirationDid this help you?
- 6Focusing on clarity about the product or service and location for searchabilityDid this help you?
- 7Ensuring the name can be trademarked if it is a product businessDid this help you?
- 8Brainstorming names independentlyDid this help you?
- 9Asking online communities for name suggestionsDid this help you?
- 10Asking AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude for name suggestionsDid this help you?
- 11Putting the unusual term in a tagline or 'about us' page instead of the main titleDid this help you?
- 12Using an acronym or shortened version of the nameDid this help you?
- 13Choosing a name that explicitly states what the product or service isDid this help you?
- 14Using online name generator tools like Namelix to brainstorm and play with optionsDid this help you?
- 15Pulling descriptive words directly from brand moodboards to build new name ideasDid this help you?
- 16Keeping the business name short, easy to spell, and incorporating a bit of humorDid this help you?
- 17Brainstorming service business lines such as window cleaningDid this help you?
- 18Asking online communities for suggestionsDid this help you?
- 19Asking online communities for feedback on whether the current name is off-putting to potential business clients.Did this help you?
- 20Considering variations of the name like adding "Studio" or "Stickers" instead of a full rebrand.Did this help you?
- 21avoiding personal names for privacy reasonsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’d like to either grow my existing business to fill the time gap or start another side hustle that I can grow to make the same amount of money im making with windshield repair.”source ↗
“I just don’t know what that new business will be.”source ↗
“The juice is amazing but I'm that much less likely to order it because I have to say the name to my husband.”source ↗
“I don't know, I just never really liked it or warmed up to it. Whenever I see it on my email I just kind of die inside a bit.”source ↗
“I'm not sure if a name alone would kill it.”source ↗
“I definitely wouldn’t hire any business that sounded macabre… unless it was to decorate my Halloween party.”source ↗
“my whole thing is about dogs. i’m sooo stuck. how did yall come up with your business names?”source ↗
“Hey everyone, I’m struggling to find a good name for my commercial and residential cleaning business.”source ↗
“It took me forever to come up with a name and now I feel like I’m back to square one.”source ↗
“What should I do to come up with a brand name?”source ↗
“U might be right I might just be overthinking it but I came across a video on tiktok and the comments were like “exactly why Coachella is a huge group of cultural appropriation” and how the word bohemian is a slur and I’m like damn 😭 I just don’t want to start a business and someone tries to cancel me for this.”source ↗
“I’m in the process of starting a new company and could really use some help with naming ideas”source ↗
“Want to name my curated online vintage shop something with the word Schlepped in it. But I’m not sure if people know what this means?”source ↗
“May be a weird question, but I was wondering how people name their llcs, especially those that will act as an umbrella for multiple businesses.”source ↗
“Do you guys have your last name in it or something personal? I'm not too big on that for privacy reasons.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 7How do I find a trustworthy business partner and avoid split mistakes?
- 2Can I start selling before my LLC is officially approved?
- 16Should I use WordPress or Wix for a new business website?
- 3how to register a business as a teen
- 2Where do I even start when opening a small business?
- 2Should I use my personal phone number for a new business?