Lena Sernoff

Nov 13, 20238 min

A guide to podcast names (+ 100 podcast name ideas)

Updated: Feb 1

Short, memorable, and meaningful. Yes, we’re talking about podcast names. Just as we all have our own name and identity, your podcast name should embody your brand and represent your podcast’s content. As the host of Girl, You’re Hired, I know how a podcast name can influence how your audience perceives and engages with your show. I aim to attract an audience of women who want to succeed in the business world, or potentially start a business, so I made sure my podcast name included a gender specific term and playful tone to attract this niche target audience and project ease.

If you’re going in circles coming up with podcast name ideas, you’ve arrived at the right place. In this complete guide I’ll share my learnings and cover strategic tips and tricks to come up with a podcast name. We added dozens of real podcast name examples, plus new titles you can claim. If you're ready, can also find the right name for your podcast with our podcast name generator or with the help of our AI-powered title generator. We’ll also show you how to secure a domain name and create a website with a built-in Podcast Player.

Podcast name ideas

Starting a podcast is a multistep process, from choosing a podcast topic to recording your first episode. But don’t rush choosing the right podcast name as it sets the show’s tone.

To get inspired, check out our favorite real world podcast names—with examples across industries, genres and audience sizes—to get your creative juices flowing. Whether a play on words, a pun, or a spelling error, these names tell a story.

Cool podcast names

This podcast name collection comes with an extra twist: uncommon word combinations that made us double take and get the conversation started, before the podcast even plays.

  1. Freakonomics Radio

  2. Steak for Breakfast

  3. Cheesy Gordita Bunch Podcast

  4. Extra Napkins Podcast

  5. Publish Enemies Podcast

  6. Reply All

  7. The Self Love Fix

  8. The Trash Rats’s Podcast

  9. FireNuggets Podcast

  10. The School of Greatness

Funny Podcast Names

A study found that viewers remembered humorous commercials 17% more than the average commercial. While your podcast isn't a commercial, a funny title can still help you tap into the psychology of the impact of names and audiences remember you.

  1. Spreading Humors

  2. We’re Not Even That Funny

  3. Humor Resources

  4. Dad Joke Loading…

  5. PS You’re Wrong

  6. Dungeons and Daddies

  7. Call Your Grandmother

  8. Butt Dial

  9. We Have Cool Friends

  10. Anything is Poddable

Creative podcast names

Whether humorous or surprising, these creative podcast names caught our eye.

  1. Unholy: Two Jews on the news

  2. ZED Talks

  3. Baking A Murder

  4. But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

  5. Off The Clock Podcast

  6. Decoder

  7. Mysterious Inexplicables

  8. Dark Diaries

  9. Something Was Wrong

  10. My favorite murder

Clever podcast names

These clever podcast names use puns, creativity and other wordplay, resulting in witty titles.

  1. SERP's Up

  2. Last Podcast On The Left

  3. NoPhiltered Podcast

  4. Lovett or Leave It

  5. The $100 MBA Show

  6. One Last Cast Podcast

  7. I can’t Sleep Podcast

  8. SmartLess

  9. Super Soul

  10. No Laying Up - Golf Podcast

Catchy podcast names

To us, catchy refers to a podcast name that won’t be easily forgotten and make encourage discoverability too.

  1. Now What by Wix

  2. Brown Ambition

  3. The Hive Jive

  4. The Mismatch

  5. The Good Life Project

  6. Being Freelance

  7. Design Matters

  8. Y Combinator Podcast

  9. The Beardman Podcast

  10. Harvard Business Review IdeaCast

Unique podcast names

Can a podcast name be one of a kind these days? Maybe, just like these rare finds:

  1. You’re Wrong About

  2. Off Topic

  3. Mom’s Basement

  4. Masters of Scale

  5. Over the Wall

  6. Hidden Brain

  7. Kwik Brain

  8. Buy Nothing

  9. Tug of War

  10. Today, Explained

Funny podcast names

Listening to a podcast should be fun, so why not let your podcast name reflect that experience too?

  1. The Art of Charm

  2. Ball & Chain Podcast

  3. Talk Yo Shxt Podcast

  4. Stuff You Should Know

  5. Not Past It

  6. Off the Record with DJ Akademiks

  7. The Minimalists

  8. The GaryVee Audio Experience

  9. The Rewatchables

  10. The Binge Mode: Marvel

Best podcast names

We thought these podcast names excellently combined different naming elements and used language to create an entertaining yet meaningful name.

  1. Pod Save America

  2. Funny Stories to Tell in the Dark

  3. Sweet Wine & Dry Humor

  4. Can’t Make This Sh*t Up

  5. StartUp

  6. Side Pro Hustle

  7. The Indicator

  8. Mental Illness Happy Hour

  9. Girl Gang Craft

  10. Few Regrets

Podcast names invented for you

Looking for names you can claim? We did the heavy lifting and came up with these new podcast names for the most popular genres, to lighten your keyword research load.

Sports podcast names

  1. Play by Play

  2. Are You Keeping Score?

  3. A Win Is a Win

  4. Roll with the Punches (Boxing Podcast)

  5. Who Dropped the Ball

True crime podcast names

  1. What a Killer Show

  2. A Creepy Freaky Podcast

  3. Spooky-Doo Podcast

  4. You’ll Need a Night Light (True Crime Podcast)

  5. Horrifyingly Interesting

Comedy podcast names

  1. Try Not to Laugh (I Dare You)

  2. Too Funny Not to Share

  3. No, You Didn’t!

  4. Laughing So Hard I’m Crying

  5. Sad, but True

News and politics podcast names

  1. What's News with You?

  2. Let’s Get Political

  3. Breaking News by [name]

  4. Not Just Headlines

  5. News Flash

How to name a podcast?

Follow these tips to narrow your list and finalize your podcast name.

  1. Keep it simple

  2. Try a name generator

  3. Think of your audience

  4. Give some context

  5. Let your personality shine

  6. Optimize for search

  7. Use your network for feedback

  8. Tap into people's emotions

  9. Don't box yourself in

  10. Incorporate puns and wordplay

  11. Check out the competition

  12. Write down all your podcast name ideas

  13. Say your podcast name out loud

  14. Make it spelling and grammar-friendly

  15. Check its availability

  16. Make sure you love it

01. Keep it simple: A best practice is to make your name easy to spell, pronounce and remember. Many great podcast names contain two to four short, simple words. Avoid keyword stuffing.

02. Try a name generator: Use a free, quick and easy name generator tool to find your podcast name. Type a few keywords related to your podcast topic, and the AI-powered tool populates a long list with names to get you started. You can also use AI content generators, like Chat GPT or Google's Bard.

03. Think of your audience: Reflect on the tone and voice your audience uses and what podcast names they might find appealing. What do they want to learn about? These motivational podcasts aspire to uplift their audience.

04. Give some context: Your podcast name should hint at your show’s content. For example, the show How I Built This, highlights how founders started different companies.

05. Let your personality shine: Since a podcast name should be unique to you, don’t be afraid to season it with some personality. Whether you’re quirky or sassy, let your name show it.

06. Optimize for search: Listeners often discover podcasts when searching keywords related to a topic. Include some target keywords in your name to increase your chances of appearing in these searches. Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs can help you find highly-searched terms related to your niche.

07. Use your network for feedback: Get some insights from friends, family, and peers into which podcast name ideas sound best. You can ask those less enmeshed with your topic to see if the podcast title piques their interest, too. Use social tools like Instagram Polls or LinkedIn polls to let others vote on which name they prefer.

08. Tap into people’s emotions: Come up with a podcast name that evokes a specific feeling. Will your podcast scare people with true crime, or will you make them roll on the floor laughing with comedy? Give listeners a taste of what to expect.

09. Don’t box yourself in: Make sure you can grow with your podcast name. For instance, a business podcast named "Stock Market Genius" sounds like it only covers stock market-related content. If you also hope to cover entrepreneurship tips one day, you should pick a broader title.

10. Incorporate puns and wordplay: The best podcast names entertain or intrigue. Include puns, famous sayings, or wordplay for a funny, memorable name.

11. Check out the competition: Explore the podcast landscape to cross off duplicates from your potential name list and further fuel your inspiration. If you find you like a particular naming style or method, you should apply it.

12. Write down all your podcast name ideas: When brainstorming, keep track of all the names you like. The list will come in handy when checking name availability or running polls.

13. Say your podcast name out loud: All too often a phrase reads awesome on paper, but when you say it aloud, it sounds a bit off. Repeat your podcast name out loud and see if it rolls off the tongue. After all, you will be saying it a lot in phrases like these: "Hi, my name is [name], and I'm the host of [podcast name]."

14. Make it spelling and grammar-friendly: Avoid commonly misspelled words. They can prevent your show from populating on podcast directories or search engines. Words like "your vs. you're" and "their vs. they're" can confuse some listeners. Also, stay away from special characters, since they take extra time to type.

15. Check its availability: Research the name on social media, podcast directories and search engines to confirm no one already podcasts under that title. It would be unfortunate if you couldn’t promote your episodes on Facebook or Twitter under the same podcast name.

16. Make sure you love it: You should walk away ecstatic to yell it from the rooftop. Podcasting requires passion and dedication, so take your time picking the perfect name.

How we came up with the podcast name for Now What? by Wix

Rob Goodman, the host of Now What? by Wix, helped create the podcast's name. Goodman interviews leaders in eCommerce, design, development, and technology who redefine the future of business. He explains the show’s title stems from how technology forever changes the way teams work and what consumers expect from their favorite brands. The phrase “Now What?” prompts guests to answer a relatable question for the audience, sharing what’s new and what’s next for the listening audience. The show tackles "the insights you'll need today to seize the world of tomorrow."

To find the right name for your show, Goodman suggests observing the conversations for your episodes. What core subjects, concepts, or questions consistently pop up? These keywords and topics might just hold the key to naming your podcast.

Secure your podcast domain name

You chose a podcast name that makes you proud, now secure the domain name. Mark your online territory and follow this detailed guide on registering a domain name. Remember, you can incorporate an associated keyword to improve SEO.

Showcase your podcast with a website

Help people discover and experience your podcast with a dedicated website. These podcast website templates come with a built-in Podcast Player where visitors can listen to episodes. Just connect your podcast hosting RSS feed and all your episodes auto-populate.

When I launched Girl, You're Hired, I made a website to display my show's episodes and introduce myself to the audience. With the help of the Logo Maker, I created the cover art and podcast logo. Check out these other podcast website examples to get inspired.

Benefits of creating a podcast website:

Pro Tip: You can link to your podcast website and all of your online assets by using a link in bio tool such as Hopp by Wix.
 

  • Tap into website analytics and understand how users find your podcast website and how they behave on your site.
     

  • Add a free blog and turn episodes into transcribed blog posts or summaries.
     

  • If you work with brands, use affiliate links or run ads on your site.

Podcast names FAQ