Finding a Brand Name and Checking Domain Availability
We explain how to come up with a memorable brand name and then check domain, social media handle and trademark availability step by step.
Aurora YazılımEditorial team
6 min read
A sound brand naming process has four steps: write down the brand's promise and audience, generate many candidate names within that frame, filter out the ones that are short and easy to read and say, then check the finalists for domain name, social media username and trademark registration availability. Only a name that passes all three checks is ready to use.
What Does a Good Brand Name Do?
The brand name is the one word customers use to remember you, search for you and recommend you to others. A good name is easy to say, is spelled the way it sounds and stands apart from competitors. A name that can be spelled correctly after being said once over the phone saves advertising budget for years.
A name alone is not a brand; it gains meaning together with the logo, colors, tone of voice and experience. We covered this whole in detail in our article what is brand identity. Still, the name is the cornerstone of that structure, and changing it later is the most expensive decision.
- Short: preferably 2-3 syllables, a single word
- Spelled as it is read, with no special-character problems
- Does not narrow the industry and leaves room to grow
- Carries no negative or easily misunderstood association
- Distinct from competitor names
First Write the Brand's Story
Before you start generating names, write a short frame. What are you selling, who are you selling to, and what feature will make your customer choose you over competitors? The answers to these three questions set the direction of the brainstorm.
Then describe the brand's personality in a few adjectives: reliable, friendly, luxurious, young, technical. The right names for a "luxurious and calm" hotel and for a "young and energetic" cafe are very different. Doing this work through a professional brand management process makes it easier from the start for the name to fit the logo and the communication style.
Types of Brand Names
Brand names are created with a few basic approaches. Each type has strengths and weaknesses; which one you choose depends on your industry and budget. Descriptive names tell what you do from day one but can be weak in terms of registration and distinctiveness.
| Type | Example structure | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Industry + place name | Says what you do right away | Hard to register and to stand out |
| Evocative | A word that hints at a feeling or benefit | Memorable, carries meaning | Takes time to find |
| Invented | A newly coined word | Easy to register and get a domain | Its meaning has to be taught |
| Founder name | A family or personal name | A sense of trust and tradition | Hard to hand over and to scale |
| Abbreviation | Initials | Short and formal | Hard to remember |
How to Generate Company Name Ideas
Picking a name straight from ready-made company name ideas lists rarely works; those names are either taken or not specific to you. A more productive way is to build your own word pool and combine it with different techniques. The goal in the first round is not quality but a large number of candidates.
Brainstorm without criticism and leave the filtering to a separate session. AI tools and word generators can provide inspiration, but run every name they produce through the checks below.
- Write a pool of 30-50 words related to your brand: benefit, emotion, place, nature, color, material.
- Combine, shorten or change syllables to coin new words.
- Look at equivalents in other languages, but eliminate those that are hard to pronounce.
- Say each candidate out loud and try having someone write it down over the phone.
- Show your top 10 candidates to a few people from your target audience and ask for their first associations.
- Take the remaining 3-5 finalists into the availability check.
Domain Name Search
Once your finalists are set, the first check is the domain name search. Just type the name into the search box of a domain registrar and you immediately see which extensions are free, starting with .com and .com.tr. For a business operating in Türkiye, .com.tr gives trust, while .com gives international recognition.
If possible, get both extensions and redirect one to the other. Avoid hyphens, digits and special characters in a domain name; customers may spell a name containing "ş" or "ı" in different ways. The first thing to do after getting the domain is usually to set up a fast, trust-building corporate website.
- Is the main extension free? (.com.tr, .com)
- Are similar spellings and likely typos owned by someone else?
- Is there an active site on a taken domain, and if so, is it in the same industry?
- Is the domain short and easy to say and to use in an email address?
Checking Social Media Usernames
A check as important as the domain is whether the same username is free on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. The same username on every channel makes it easier for customers to find you and to tell you from fake accounts.
If the name is taken, use a short, consistent addition; for example, adding a city name or "official" to the end of the name on all channels. What matters is keeping the same form everywhere. Once the name is settled, open the accounts right away and add your logo and website even if they are empty; you can set up your social media management plan for a regular content flow later.
Brand Name Availability and Trademark Registration
Even if the domain is free, your name may be another business's registered trademark. To check brand name availability, you can use the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office's online trademark search service. Check whether an identical or similar name is registered in the same class of goods and services as yours.
Trademark registration is done according to the Nice classification, which groups goods and services. The same name can belong to different businesses in different classes; what matters is that there is no conflict in your field of activity. Assessing similarity is a technical matter; in doubtful cases it is recommended to get help from a trademark attorney.
- Exact and similar name search in the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office database
- Determining the classes you operate in
- Knowing that a trade name and a brand name are different things
- Filing the registration before investing in the website and signage
After You Find the Name
A name that has passed the three checks is now ready to become an identity. The next step is a logo to carry the name visually; we covered the process in our logo design article. Then colors, typefaces and usage rules should be collected in a corporate identity guide.
Once the name, logo and guide are ready, you can build your digital storefront. A web design project that goes live on your domain and reflects your brand's tone sets the first impression of the new name. Keeping this order avoids the cost of redoing the logo, site and printed materials later.
Frequently Asked Questions
01Can I use Turkish characters in a brand name?
You can, but these characters cause problems in domain names, email addresses and social media usernames. A common solution is to keep the name with Turkish characters and use the plain-letter equivalent in digital addresses; make sure customers can easily find both spellings.
02If the domain is free, can I use the brand name?
No, that alone is not enough. Even if the domain is free, the name may be a trademark registered to another business, so a Turkish Patent and Trademark Office search must be done as a separate check.
03Can AI tools be used for naming?
They are useful for generating ideas because they give many candidates quickly. But you must always check yourself that the generated names do not belong to someone else and create the right association with your audience.
04Should I change the name of my existing business?
Consider it if your name has trademark problems, is constantly misspelled or holds back your growth. A change requires a planned transition for signage, website, social media and customer habits.
A good brand name is the combination of a creative brainstorm and careful domain, social media and trademark checks. Once you have your name, you can explore our brand management service to build the logo, identity and communication style under one roof, and reach us through our contact page with questions.
