Kunal Vora, Founder-Partner, ABND, argues that brand naming should be driven by strategy, not sentiment. Drawing parallels between naming babies and brands, he warns against emotional biases, personal nostalgia, and lucky charms influencing naming decisions.
New Delhi: Remember the late ’90s? Raj and Simran were all the rage (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge). Every parent thought they’d picked an iconic name, only to realise their kid’s school had more Rajs and Simrans than the whole of Punjab.
Fast forward a few years: Shah Rukh names his son Aryan, and suddenly 30% of every graduating class is Aryan. Add the spin-offs (Aryaveer, Aryaman, Aryanraj) and you’ve covered the next 20%.
And what am I complaining about? My own name, Kunal, was such a common occurrence, you could stand at Andheri station, shout “Kunal!” and a mini cricket team would turn around. I’m serious. Two of my best friends are Kunal. My brother-in-law is Kunal. My 10th-grade batch had seven. Bollywood has at least five, sadly, all flop. Oh, and even Hollywood has a few, I’m told.
The point is, when you name emotionally, you often name generically.
That’s okay when naming your child. Not when naming a brand.
Naming a baby is emotional.
Naming a brand is strategic.
Confuse the two, and you’ll end up with something that may be cute to you but confusing to everyone else.
I’ve sat in enough brand-naming workshops to tell you: founders and marketers often treat naming as emotional, short-sighted, and personal rather than strategic and long-term. It becomes less about customer perception and more about childhood nostalgia, gut feelings, lucky numbers, and occasionally…the mother-in-law’s name. (No one actually does, and if they do, it’s usually followed by a rebrand.)
Which may have worked decades ago. It doesn’t today.
You are not the target audience
Repeat after me: You are not the target audience.
Your brand name isn’t a tattoo or a love letter. It doesn’t need to hold deep personal meaning. It needs to work out there, with people who don’t know you, your dog, or your favourite Sanskrit word.
I knew of a founder who rejected a name that tested brilliantly across demographics because it didn’t “feel lucky” to him. He chose one and improvised it with common-sense-defying extra letters for numerology. He still spends a major part of the day explaining to customers how to pronounce it.
Personal meaning ≠ Market clarity
Using a French-sounding name just because French feels aspirational. Translating a meaningful word into a random language that has no relevance to your brand. These things may be meaningful to you, but they do not result in market clarity. Even the classic tribute: “Let’s name it after my grandfather. He started the company.” It’s beautiful. Truly. Write it in your company’s ‘About Us’ section, not on your product.
Your gut can be wrong
Instinct is valuable. But if your gut keeps overriding research, testing, and feedback, you’re not being intuitive. You’re being stubborn. (and I’m being polite)
The best names often get blank stares in boardrooms but resonate with customers in the wild. Because real users don’t carry your baggage. They look at names fresh, without bias.
If it works for them, it’ll eventually work for you. But the reverse is rarely true.
Your job is to make them fall in love
You may name your child Raj, but that doesn’t mean he’ll grow up to be royalty. He will define himself through action and character, not just a name.
Founders often say, “But I don’t feel anything when I say this name.”
You’re not supposed to. Not yet.
Don’t burden the brand with the weight of meaning from Day 1. Meaning is built over time – through experience, association, and reputation.
Nike didn’t feel like ambition and grit on Day 1. It became that.
Zomato sounded odd at first. Now, it’s the first app you open when you’re hungry.
Stop waiting for goosebumps.
Start focusing on clarity, distinctiveness, and recall.
Your job is to make your audience fall in love.
If they will, you will too.
What actually matters
Ask these instead:
- Is it short, simple, and memorable? (If you need to explain it, it’s already broken.)
- Is it distinctive? (Not another ‘Kart’, ‘ify’, or ‘genics’.)
- Is it easy to spell, say, and search? (Try saying it after two beers.)
- Is it legally available? (Don’t name your brand like a lawsuit waiting to happen.)
- Does it scale emotionally and geographically? (Can it grow with your business?)
None of these checkpoints involve your dog’s name, your astrologer, or your wedding anniversary.
The harsh truth? No one cares what the name means to you.
They care if they can remember it, trust it, and recommend it.
So before you fall in love with a name, ask yourself:
Is this a Raj–Simran nostalgia trip?
Or is it something that stands out, scales up, and speaks clearly?
Make it memorable. Not emotional.
Originally Published:
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