Naming is part and parcel of an effective branding strategy. Given the fierce competition in the app market, missing out on an opportunity to stand out is never a good idea. A fortunate title will get the user interested, increasing the likelihood of them making themselves familiar with what you offer.
There’s a variety of answers to how to come up with an app name that is memorable and makes a good impression. A number of techniques can help you, from using market intelligence data to playing with words. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get interesting app names ideas.
Describe Your App’s Features
The primary purpose of an app name is to tell the story behind your product. Most importantly, it should offer the user a glimpse into what it does. Make up a list of your app’s core features and try describing each with simple words.
One example of this approach is Calm, an app that offers guided meditations, a practice aimed, among other things, at making one calmer and more composed. It’s not uncommon for fitness apps to have “fit” in their names, although the sheer number of App Store app name examples featuring this short word makes it suboptimal if you want to stand out. If you want to keep it, though, it might be wise to spice it up with a witty twist.
Play on Words
The best names for apps are remarkable because they come with a built-in joke. Here are just some of the techniques you can use to make an app title less boring:
- misspelling, such as in Waze, a successful navigation app;
- portmanteau words consisting of two meaningful parts, for example, Asolytics, which is a powerful analytical tool you can rely on for ASO intelligence data;
- foreign words, like Hulu, which is a crossover of two Mandarin words, one for a gourd and the other meaning “interactive recording.”
Keep It Memorable
When competition is high, being remembered almost automatically translates to profit. It’s usually wise to involve some meaningful positive associations. If you can think of a name that can be built into everyday language seamlessly, it’s even better. One example is Bolt, a name that “sounds fast” and can be either a verb or a noun.
Easy to Search
The primary purpose of naming software applications is to make your product easy to find. You can employ ASO data on keywords search to find out what users look for. Your app’s name should represent the desired functionality and be easy to type.
Good Names for Apps Examples
Here are some app names ideas you might want to use as inspiration apart from those mentioned above:
- Reddit, a misspelled version of “read it”
- Pinterest, a portmanteau of “pin” and “interest”
- Vinted, an app where you can buy and sell second-hand clothes that sounds cooler than just thrifty
- Deezer, a music streaming app named after nothing at all—but the name does stand out!
- Tinder, originally Matchbox, is a dating app name with nice associations. We just got on like a house on fire, you know.
The Most Natural Way to Stand Out
The name of your app is so much more than just another field on App Store or Google Play. Just like informative, eye-catching screenshots, it has a good chance of winning the attention of your potential audience. The universal key to how to name apps is to base your naming strategy on research. Use ASO stats, combined with your creativity and unique vision, to convey a message with an intriguing and compelling title.
Which name app has recently sparked your imagination? Share some noteworthy examples in the comments.
