Once you've decided to start a blog – whether for personal or business purposes – one of the first decisions you need to make is your selection of domain.
Coming up with a new idea for a blog can be exciting, but before you rush out to set it up, consider the importance of your blog name.
Your blog name is the first thing people will see on your blog and it will set the tone for your brand.
You don't want to regret your choice of name, and you should avoid having to change it repeatedly, as this will make it difficult to find your blog and stay engaged.
Cementing your blog name from the start gives you more time to focus on building your brand and putting the rest of your blog together.
But how do you choose the right blog name, and what should you avoid?
We'll show the exact tips we use on our own blogs when starting one from scratch.
The most important step: determining the “why”
To get started, you'll need to decide if you want to establish a strong brand or just your blog.
People blog for different reasons.
Some just want to voice their thoughts and don't really care about showing up on search results or monetizing them.
Most people, on the other hand, want to make money from their blogs.
If you are the latter, consider this: do you want to build your personal brand or Create a blog community?
This question is important for choosing the name and URL of your blog.
If you want to establish your personal brand and be considered an authority in your niche, use your name as the blog URL.
It is advantageous because it is easy to reserve the domain and people can easily search for your blog.
On the other hand, if you want Create a blog that fosters the community, like this blog, follow these 3 easy steps:
- Determine your niche (is it a gardening, web design or wellness blog?)
- Find relevant keywords that you can easily rank for
- Search for domains containing the keywords you selected
Think about the purpose of your blog, and then think bigger.
If you are creating your blog for commercial purposes, to make money, go for it.
Why is a blog name so important?
A blog name is important because it sets the tone for your blog.
It helps readers know what to expect when it comes to the topics you'll be covering and whether you're a more serious or casual blogger.
Elements of a blog that interact together
When you start building your blog, there are a few things you need to consider.
- Name of the blog: Of course, we have already mentioned the importance of a blog name. You will use it on your website homepage and other parts of your site.
- Domain Name: Your domain refers to the address that visitors will type into their browser to find your website. It includes your blog name and TLD.
- Domain extension: A domain extension or top-level domain ( TLD ) comes after your blog name in a domain. Some examples of domains:
- .com, which is the most common, but there are many alternatives to .com.
- .edu, which would communicate that your blog is meant to be educational and informative.
- .org, which stands for “organization” and is frequently used by non-profit organizations.
- Brand guidelines: Brand guidelines explain how you want to represent your blog to the world. They help keep you and any writers you may hire on the same page.
- Social media profiles: You can use social media to promote your brand, but you need to make sure that your blog name is free on different platforms.
As you can see, the blog name touches many different parts of the website, so getting it right from the start is extremely important.
What makes a good blog name?
When deciding how to come up with a blog name, you need a few things.
Here's how to help you name your new blog.
1. Easy to type and pronounce
A good name for a blog will be easy to say and spell.
This way, your readers can easily search for you and find your content.
They will also be able to tell their friends about your blog so more people can find you.
2. Short and concise
A short name will help make your name easy to type, remember, and pronounce, so people visit your blog more often.
3. Creative
You should also take the time to have fun naming your blog.
Find ways to get creative to help your blog stand out from the competition.
4. Memorable
A memorable blog name will also help people remember to visit your blog again.
If your name is too simple, people might forget about you.
5. Development
Even if you're starting with a small niche, like gluten-free baking, choose a name you can use to grow your blog.
Instead of “Gluten-Free Traits,” choose something like “The Happy Baker” because it has room for growth.
Best practices for blog names
Consider the following best practices for naming a new blog.
- How long should a blog name last? Google recommends choosing a two- or three-word name. A much longer name may be more difficult to remember.
- Should my blog be my name? If you don't know what you're going to blog about, you can use your name. However, you should not do this if your first or last name is difficult to pronounce or spell.
- Should I call my blog a blog? You can call your blog a blog. If you're blogging for your business, you can also name the section "Knowledge" or something similar.
Other things to think about
A few broader things to consider when creating a name for your blog.
1. Who is your audience?
First, you need to consider whether you are targeting parents, students, business owners, or another specific group.
Pick a name that makes sense to your audience.
This is a similar concept to someone writing under a pseudonym.
There are various reasons why you might choose one name or the other, but adhering to your genre or niche when choosing a name is critical to your success.
2. Does your blog name resonate with your niche?
You also want to make sure your name works in your niche.
Then you can attract and retain your readers.
Now that we have the basics out of the way, let's discuss the most creative ways to come up with a blog name.
How to find with a blog name?
Every blog needs a name and once you find the right one, everything seems to fall into place.
You will find it easier to build a brand around your blog, attract your readers and grow it into a successful business.
But where to 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 that you could use to find the perfect name for your blog.
1. Have a creative brainstorming session
One of the best ways to come up with a good name for your blog is to have a creative brainstorming session.
You can do this digitally and take notes.
Sit somewhere quiet and free from distractions — you can focus on nothing but your own thoughts and ideas.
There are many creative thinking exercises you could try, here are our favorites:
- Write down any words that you feel strongly relate to your brand or mission
- Write down the feelings, emotions and reactions you want your audience to feel
- Make a list of words you feel a connection to — it could be because of their meaning, the way they sound, or the way they look
- Associate some of these words together to create sentences or combinations
- Bring your ideas to life in pictures
- Bring colors, patterns or textures
2. Gather your friends
Sometimes the best ideas can come from discussion or conversation with others.
Why not meet friends or local creatives for collective inspiration?
Ask your friends and family for help — they might suggest words or phrases you hadn't thought of.
If you don't have anyone nearby you can collaborate with, ask in a Facebook community
3. Create an unusual pairing
Blog names that combine two words remain popular because they're an easy way to add context to your niche or describe your content.
You can take advantage of this trend and come up with a creative blog name if you opt for an unusual pairing of words.
Think of two words that you wouldn't traditionally put together.
It can be colors or patterns, opposite adjectives or concepts that seem surprising.
Examples of this well done
Take a travel blog adventurerlocal.comEg.
When we think of adventures and travel, we might think of distant places or exotic destinations.
This blog focuses on the local environment, with content that helps people better explore their hometown.
Unusual pairings are also popular with fashion and beauty blogs.
fashionbudget.com inspires fashion lovers to indulge their passion on a budget, in a world where fashion can be expensive and inaccessible.
4. Model a name after a competitor
Another option is to take inspiration from your competition.
Research successful blogs in your niche and see what they are up to.
It might seem like a no-brainer, but doing your research on the types of blogs you'll be competing against will give you an idea of what type of name will work best for your blog.
Don't copy the name, but you can use it to get an idea of a name that might work for you.
You won't copy anyone, but it might just be the perfect boost to get your creative juices flowing.
A similar name is a nice way to go.
Use niche related keywords
You can also consider your niche and use keywords related to it.
If you have a string instrument blog, you can use the word “orchestra” in your blog name.
5. Change a popular phrase
We've gone through taglines in one of our previous tips, but if you can't come up with one of your own, why not take inspiration from a popular one?
There are so many sayings and phrases that are a part of life, and some of them would make for a really creative blog name.
6. Try using alliteration
Can you create content consistently?
Consider using alliteration, this is where your blog name contains words that all start with the same letter.
alliteration (name )
- the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely related words.
- “the alliteration of “sweet birds sang”
You may not realize it, but I bet you use alliteration in your everyday life without even realizing it.
It has an almost musical quality that allows a sentence to flow smoothly from word to word and it's incredibly addictive.
Try alliteration when coming up with your blog name, using the same letter for every word of your name.
A few ideas might be, “Business Blogging Basics” – you can probably come up with something a lot more awesome than me, I'm sure!
[ Don't forget to use this tip in some of your blog titles, too ]
7. Use humor
Nested humor appeals to a specific audience, but something broader, like a pun, works just as well.
Laughter and humor are a contagious tonic with the advantage of making your readers smile.
Try boosting those endorphins by creating a blog name that portrays a wicked sense of humor.
While this won't work for more professional blogs, if your tone of voice is fun, fresh, and witty, there's nothing to lose and is worth a try.
8. Try using assonance
Assonance is similar, but it repeats the same or similar sounds in stressed syllables.
An example might be “I Like Bikes” for a blog about bikes.
9. Use abbreviations
Take a moment to think about which companies and brands you know about 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 little more thought I can probably think of a whole lot more.
Abbreviations are beneficial because they keep things short and sweet, without taking away from your brand and identity.
You can abbreviate your entire blog name, or mix it up as a half abbreviation and use a word at the end.
10. Take inspiration from books
Who says you have to follow the rules when creating names?
Why not follow the advice of 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, all filled to the brim with wonderful words, it won't take long for you to find something to inspire and delight, and be a potential contender for your new blog.
You can use them to inspire your name.
Just be careful not to violate copyright laws.
11. Pull out a thesaurus
If you can't think of good blog names, use a thesaurus.
You can use it to find synonyms for words you can't think of on your own.
There's something about flipping through a good thesaurus that beats nearly every other method I know of for finding interesting new words.
The Thesaurus can be a goldmine of inspiration, especially if you want to say something in a slightly different way.
12. Create a slogan
Although shorter blog names are more popular, you can also develop a blog succeeded with a longer slogan-style name.
Brand names inspired by phrases or lyrics work especially well for travel, lifestyle, and personal blogging, where your personality can often become central to your blog content.
13. Evoke an emotional reaction
When people land on your blog and read 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.
Maybe you want them to feel joy discovering a new musician they'll love on your music blog, or a sense of calm after reading your self-care guide.
If your content is emotionally driven, it might be a good idea to reference that in your blog name.
14. Use your own name
Although it might not immediately sound like a creative idea, a blog that features your name can be a smart move.
It lets you build a personal brand and invites readers to feel an instant connection with you as you become the face of your blog.
The name helps you build an image of the author and the content immediately, and is more unique than something like "Matt Travels" or "Travels with Matt".
15. Consider a different language
You can also use words from other languages in your blog name.
One of my favorite languages now is Icelandic.
There is something incredibly beautiful about the way words and syllables flow together to create their meaning.
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” because “Perros” is dogs in Spanish.
For a creative blog name, try choosing something short with fewer syllables.
This will help keep your blog name easy to remember and pronounce!
16. Ending with a suffix
Currently, many domain names and one-word business names are already taken — as are many phrases and combinations.
There are only a finite number of names available, so sometimes your perfect name already exists.
One way around this is to add a suffix to the end of the desired blog name. It's a trend that originated in the startup world that has also become popular in blogging.
Here are some popular examples from the corporate world Grammar et Teachable
Here are some popular suffixes to inspire you:
- -to the
- -and
- -ation
- -ish
- -full
- -ing
- -glass
- -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 "blog" in the name.
Portmanteau Formula
You can also use a portmanteau, which is a word that mixes two words.
A common point is the “brunch” which combines “breakfast” and “lunch”.
If you can find a coat rack that works for your niche, use it on 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 type of words you want to create.
Then all you have to do is click "submit" and browse through the suggestions.
The great thing about many of these types of name tools is that they not only suggest some pretty awesome names, but they also tell you if the .com in that name is already registered.
Take the stress out of creating a great name, only to find it's being used elsewhere.
By this day you might be inspired or tired
Remember, go through these recommendations step by step and you will have a .com domain name before this post is over!
This way, you can find a name that is available and suitable for your blog.
Try the following blog name generators.
Of all of them, you should be able to find at least one name that you like.
Before naming your blog
When jotting down ideas for your blog name, there are a few things to keep in mind.
You should consider any legal issues like trademarks or copyrights, as well as whether there are already bloggers in your niche with a similar name.
Different countries take a different approach to this, so be sure to fully research the legislation and any restrictions in your area.
If you want to make sure the blog name you choose isn't too similar to others, type the phrase into a search engine and see if anything comes up.
You can also search social media like Instagram to see if influencers are active there under the name.
This is especially important in niches like tech, where many blog names begin with "Tech."
Along with any legal or branding concerns, now is also a good time to think about your blog name and ask yourself a few questions, like:
- Will this name appeal to my target audience?
- Is it easy to pronounce?
- Can it be confused with something else?
- Is it memorable?
- Does it describe my content or my mission?
Blog naming exercise
I have already created more than 50 blogs, which compelled me to find a system to generate the best blog names.
Your business or blog name is the first thing people will notice on your website.
You will use a name to create a logo, promote your blog, share links on social networks, send emails, manage a brand, etc…
So how do you come up with cool and creative blog names?
Follow this simple process to get started, but feel free to brainstorm your own blog name ideas to differentiate yourself from other bloggers using similar domains.
Once you have found your blog name, the next step is to register the domain name for the blog.
Conclusion
Knowing how to come up with a blog name is crucial to getting your website started.
Although you can change the name, it can be difficult to do.
Be sure to make your name easy to remember and type, and keep it short.
You can use a niche related keyword or use your name.
Also consider some successful blogs for inspiration.
Then you may be able to choose a blog name that can help you attract more readers.
Do you still have questions? leave them in our Comment section below!
Remember that coming up with a blog name is all about simplicity and fun for your niche.
