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Choosing a great LLC name can be overwhelming. With so many naming options and companies offering advice, it’s normal if you’re at a loss of where to start when choosing a business name and starting an LLC.
In this guide, we’ll cover the top factors to take into consideration when picking an LLC name, as well as examples of clever (and thoughtful) names.
Be inspired: eCommerce business names
4 characteristics of a good LLC name
A catchy name will only get you so far. On the contrary, your LLC name should reflect your brand's core values, offerings and vision.
You’ll want to think about these four aspects while brainstorming your LLC name:
Memorability
Uniqueness
Relevance
Brandability
01. Memorability
The best eCommerce brands have easy-to-recall names. A memorable LLC brand name is generally short and improves the chance of people associating your brand with your best products.
This is why big tech brands like Hewlett-Packard and International Business Machines shortened their names to abbreviations (HP and IBM, respectively).
While there's no exact science to it, try to keep your brand name to three syllables or less.
02. Uniqueness
To stand out from a crowded marketplace when starting a business, your LLC name needs to be distinct. Not only will customers recall your brand easier, but your brand may potentially rank better in search engines by avoiding competition with similar-sounding brands.
Moreover, you’ll want to check that your LLC is available and avoids trademark infringement. Check with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to ensure that your LLC name is free to use.
03. Relevance
For starters, your LLC name (aka your “business name” or “legal name”) needs to contain the word “LLC” in it.
Special note: Your LLC name can be different from your trade name. Your trade name is customer-facing and used for advertising or marketing purposes. It could be the same as your LLC, just without the “LLC.” Or, it could look very different. In either case, you’ll most likely need to file for a DBA and register your trade name. The rules around DBAs vary from state to state and county to county, so make sure you study how DBAs work.
Your LLC name should ideally relate to what your company does or reflect the types of products you sell. In fact, this is how some of the biggest tech names got their start.
Google initially conducted business under the name “Backrub”, a term that related to the search engine’s original purpose of analyzing backlinks. Meanwhile, Apple was known as “Apple Computer Company” because Steve Jobs was on a fruitarian diet at the time, and “Computer Company” helped to convey the general nature of their LLC.
Including a relevant descriptor in your LLC name, especially when you’re just starting out, helps customers understand what types of services you offer right off the bat. Then, when you become much bigger and more renowned, you can consider changing the name to something quirkier or more creative.
04. Brandability
While relevance makes your brand name easy to identify, brandability refers to the practice of ensuring that your name is meaningful to your brand. LLC names that have strong brandability usually relate to something personal to the founder.
Take BAXTER & Bella as an example. This company is named after the founder’s two dogs. As a professional dog trainer, Amy Jensen uses her platform to share dog training techniques and sell products that assist with at-home training.
In the same vein, you’ll want to try incorporating something that is close to your heart and/or your product into your LLC name. Include a reference to the inspiration behind your brand (like BAXTER & Bella) or describe the feelings you want to evoke with your products (such as Something Good Studios), as examples.
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Creative ideas for LLC names
We've gone over some key things to keep in mind when coming up with the best LLC name for your store, but you might still be left with a blank canvas at this point.
To help you arrive at an LLC name, try these approaches.
Experiment with wordplay
Some of the best brand names are a simple play on words. For example, Handy Industries is an Iowa-based company that sells motorcycle lifts. It’s a simple play on words on their products being “handy” to have, and also communicates that they’re always willing to lend a hand.
Puns work well because they put a smile on people's faces when done well. They don’t have to be overelaborate or deep, either. Kandy Cocktail, a bartending service, is a simple play on Candy, and describes how fun it is to create your own cocktails.
While puns and wordplay makes it much easier to remember, don’t feel like you have to force it.
Incorporate industry-specific terminology
If your eCommerce store or online business idea is in a specific niche, including specific terms that your target audience understands or resonates with can be a smart idea.
Apply alliterations
Alliteration works just as well and is equally sticky. Take The Crafty Couple and Chip City Cookies as examples. Since alliteration relies on pairs or trios, you've got more wiggle room to experiment with them by using descriptors.
Use geographical names
If available, including geographical names can be really powerful for local SEO. Customers will associate your store with selling products in their area. But keep in mind that this could also limit your sales if your LLC name is too localized to a single area.
Best LLC name ideas by industry
Sometimes, showing is better than telling. We’ve compiled a list of LLC names for you to draw inspiration from that were generated with Wix's Store Name Generator.
Pet supply
Enchanted Pet Supply LLC
Joyful Treats LLC
Pet Supplyist LLC
Happily Ever Pet Supply LLC
Pet Supply Capital LLC
Electronics
Speakerful LLC
Sound in Color LLC
Either Side Electronics LLC
Dreams N’ More LLC
Electronics Station LLC
Beauty and skincare
Limitless Beauty LLC
Clean Beauty LLC
Beauty Dish LLC
Sunrise Skincare LLC
Surefire Skin LLC
Home decor and furniture
Wall Artful LLC
Home Decor Warrior LLC
Drawing House LLC
Art Dessert LLC
Mystical Home Decor LLC
Cleaning products
The Purge LLC
Wisecleaning LLC
Clutch Cleaning LLC
Mother Earth Cleaning LLC
Kenning Cleans LLC
Fashion
Shape Fashion LLC
Fashion in Color LLC
Clothing Registry LLC
Bubbly Cloth LLC
Custom Sew LLC
Vintage clothing
The Brace LLC
Vintage Capital LLC
Simply Vintage LLC
Eastside Vintage Clothes LLC
New Wine Clothing LLC
Fitness
Interfitness LLC
Paleo Fitness LLC
Bands and Withstands LLC
Bandzone LLC
Simply Fitness LLC
Toys
Toys Side LLC
Puzzles Corner LLC
Toys Nook LLC
Jigsaw Joints LLC
Toys & I LLC
Food
Food Talent LLC
Food Cycle LLC
Food Library LLC
Food Fire LLC
Spice Capital LLC
Halloween decorations
Party Store N More LLC
Festoons Party LLC
Hallo’ DeCo LLC
Soulful Decor LLC
Frights R Us LLC
4 naming tips for your LLC
As you add more ideas to the drawing board, you should also be aware of the following factors before you register your LLC name. Keeping these in mind to land on a name you’re happy with form the start:
01. Research your competition
This is not just limited to researching business name ideas. In all things entrepreneurship, you should check out the landscape of what your current competition looks like and how they've positioned themselves through their LLC name. If they've got some solid picks, you could consider thinking out of the box to carve your own niche in the space.
02. Consider your target audience
To know what your customers are looking for, you need to spend time with them. Hang out on the social media platforms that your customers often use to talk about your industry, whether that’s in Facebook groups or on specific subreddits. Once you gather enough information, you can create buyer personas; a core part of any eCommerce marketing strategy.
03. Avoid names that are too similar to existing brands
When customers look for a solution to their problems, they usually turn to search engines. You want your brand to appear in the first few search results so that customers will consider buying your products over your competitors. Having a distinct name from other brands will make it easier in terms of SEO to rank higher in search engines.
04. Check domain availability and trademarks
Before filing your LLC name as a legal entity, you should research if another company is using the same or similar name. Run a state business check to see if your LLC name is available. You can also run a check with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Make sure you check that your store name is available to register as a domain, as well as social media accounts. If the domain isn't available, you can get creative or use abbreviations.
Make sure you do your due diligence on existing trademarks so you don't have to deal with legal action or potential conflicts over the name. With enough research, you’ll find a future-proof LLC name that customers will remember for the right reasons.