Whether you’re new to online business or an established entrepreneur, it can be hard to come up with blog name ideas. When creating a blog, you might find yourself 100% sure of what you want to write about, but have no idea how to actually name your masterpiece.
Of course, you can try using a blog name generator, but it’s hard to find one that fits. If you find yourself struggling for inspiration when coming up with a blog name, then this is the guide for you. Keep reading to learn some helpful tips on everything you need to know about blog names: what they should do, how to brainstorm different options, and important technical aspects to consider.
Ready? Let’s go.
What Should a Good Blog Name Do?
Before you name your blog, think of what you want it to achieve. Blog names should:
Be True to Who You Are
Similar to the template you choose, your blog name has to represent you, which includes not only your personality but also your tone. Are you humorous? Serious? Philosophical? When you choose a name for your blog, it has to match your personality.
Appeal to Your Target Readers
Your blog name has to appeal to your audience. Are you writing for teenagers? Women? Working moms? Picking the right domain name goes a long way towards attracting the right readers; if you choose to use a name generator, the more information you can provide, the better.
Give Readers a Clue About the Theme
What will this blog be about? What is your area of expertise? If you review wines or document your travels across Europe, naming your blog has to reflect that theme.
Grab the Attention of Your Readers
When you browse through a bookstore, the cover and the title will determine whether you pick a book up off the shelf. Make sure that your blog title, like a book title, draws the attention of your audience. Your blog name creates the first impression.
Grows With You
You don’t want to pick a name that won’t evolve with you over time. Of course, choosing a name like My Pregnancy Journey won’t be applicable when you’re raising teenagers. But you should also consider the relevancy factor. If you start a blog titled “A Day in the Life of Vine Influencer,” you probably don’t have many fans left. Words like "20s" or any date-related name will also expire in a few years. If your creative blog is going to stay relevant, don't pick domain names that will age. Keep something that can stay with you across the years.
Start with the Basics
Before starting your blog, ask yourself a few key questions before looking at the words you will use.
What Style of Blog Are You Creating?
Is this going to be more of a personal blog, similar to journal entries that others can relate to? Is this going to be a blog showcasing your area of expertise, such as fashion, design, photography? Will you focus on helpful content related to your professions, such as SEO or marketing? Coming up with ideas for your blog isn't easy, but it gets easier once you generate a few. Think of what you are most passionate about and go from there. And remember - the benefits of blogging are numerous, and can be the stepping stone towards making your online business successful.
You should also decide whether your blog will be primarily visual and use images or whether you would prefer to use words and writing? Google domain names of blogs, check their availability (on a hosting site) and style, and then use name generators for inspiration.
Who Are Your Readers?
Create a profile of your target audience. Are they music lovers in their twenties that want to discover more bands to follow? Or are they stay-at-home moms that are looking for content to relate to? You need to create domain names that they will click on. Make sure it is easy to remember. Your blog will become your brand name, and it has to resonate.
What Do You Want to Achieve With This Blog?
There are many reasons to start a blog. Some intelligent bloggers want to generate money through a popular blog or get sponsored goods to review. Others simply want to express themselves and build a community. You have to know where you want to go as a blogger. A good blog name will reflect your brand and niche.
Who Is Your Competition?
Make sure to look at the different blogs in your chosen genre before you register your new domain. What will make your blog unique? As a blogger, what makes your life or style unique? Why should people read your blog and not choose another one to follow? Search for competitors. Once you can answer these questions, you can start your search for a blog name.
Strategies for Finding a Blog Name
Conduct Keyword Research
Search through keyword research tools since they can be valuable for finding catchy and relevant names. You may notice that some keywords rank high or that your competitors keep using. Keep in mind, you can use these keywords in your blog name, blog description, and posts over time, so keep the list handy. Choose a blog name that ranks well, but don't forget to check domain availability.
Don’t limit yourself to blogs. What books, TV shows, or popular culture references can you use in your blog name? Search for inspiration everywhere. Plug your blog names and ideas into name generators.
Make sure to secure your domain name early on, and if you can, secure related keywords too. You can set up redirects to get them to the right site.
Check that the name is available on social media channels too. You’ll need that when you start blogging.
Try Different Formulas
Try combining your keywords with your theme to find a catchy blog or business name. There are a few different formulas you can try to name your blog during your search.
Let’s say you are a life coach focused on mindfulness blogging, and your target audience consists of business executives that want to feel more fulfilled in their careers. You could try combining your primary adjective with a keyword noun to create blog names, for example:
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The Mindful Executive
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Mindful Business
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Alternatively, you could use a play on words:
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Minding Your Business
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Keeping Your Mind Full
Another helpful exercise is to think of the ways your audience will search for content that you will cover in your blog, like money-saving hacks or weight loss tips. Some lifestyle blog names could include:
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Free Money Hacks
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Money Hacks For New Moms
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Save a Million in a Year Lifestyle
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Everyday Weight Loss Tips
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Tipping the Scale Your Way
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How Can I Lose Weight Fast?
Use a Portmanteau
Are you still looking for name ideas? Consider combinations! You can use online tools for this, but you can also try googling synonyms and putting them together.
For example, if you blog about fashion and your experiments with different styles, you could google style and experiment with synonyms.
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Chic + Trial and Error: Chic & Error
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Mode + Methodology: Mode & Methodology
Use Your Thesaurus
Speaking of synonyms, why not pick up the good old thesaurus? Your thesaurus has a list of words in groups of synonyms to check to help spark a lot of new ideas for your blogging.
Let’s say you want to write about your marketing genius. Chances are there are a lot of blogs from self-proclaimed geniuses that claim to be:
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Mental Giants
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Brains
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Polymath
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Egghead
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Bright Sparks
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Walking Encyclopaedia
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Alpha Geek
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Boffin
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Brainbox
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Brainiac
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Maven
You can use less popular synonyms to craft your blog name.
Adapt Sayings
Word Plays and common sayings or proverbs make great blog names. What about a life coaching blog called “Louder Than Words” that encourages others to take action? Or a health-related blog called “An Apple a Day”?
Check out the most common English language sayings on Google and find some inspiration.
International Flair
If the English Language doesn’t inspire, why not add exciting names or concepts in a different language?
If you are starting a cooking and food blog, Google how different countries express the phrase “Yummy.” You could call your blog Ukusan (Bosnian), Deliziosu (Corsican), Lekker (Dutch), Nami (Estonian), Gostoso (Galician), or Sabroso (Spanish) to add a pinch of yum.
You can also look for Sanskrit or Buddhist concepts that match your goals but try to avoid cultural appropriation while you do so.
Alliteration and Rhyming
Alliteration has a nice ring to it. Have a look at these examples. Are you writing a travel blog? Timeless Travel sounds compelling. Are you a Foodie? Marvelous Meals sounds excellent, as do Meals & Memories. Simply put the two words starting with the same letter together, and you have your site! You can even check a Scrabble dictionary as a tool to find words starting with a specific letter and create a name that matches your brand.
You can also make use of a rhyming dictionary as a handy tool. Smirk at Work. Good-Looking Cooking. Trip and Dip. Enter your theme into a free rhyming dictionary and see if anything catches your eye.
Your Name or Abbreviations
If you’re still stuck on ideas, consider using your own name! If you are writing a professional blog, you might want to avoid nicknames and stick to something simple. Think of examples like neilsmith.com or joejohnsonseo.org.
However, if your blog is more personal, niche, or consumer-focused, feel free to dub your site LuLu’s Style or Di’s Dishes. You can also inject other appropriate descriptions, like Susan The Movie Reviewer or Jill The Poet, as examples.
You can also use adjectives. CWC could mean CrossFit with Chris or PiP for Pregnant in Pennsylvania. Aim for something that isn’t already an abbreviation.
Create a Word Jumble
Another method bloggers will use when looking for inspiration is mixing up different words that don’t necessarily go together. Think of an adjective and a noun. The Singing Kettlebell. The Whistling Camera. The Blue Kitchen. My Smiling Shoes. Free Thoughts.
Keep brainstorming until you find something that clicks! You can even ask your friends and family for help.
Use Your Location
Sometimes it’s best to be direct. You can also find a lot of followers by highlighting where you are based. Whether you are a Mom In Memphis, doing Photography in Philly, or getting Fit in Fresno, naming your location can help your SEO and become your handle.
Invent a Word
You can always try jumbling the letters of your name or hobbies. You can also try inventing a name that you simply like the sound of. Does that sound weird? Google and Sony made up their names, and they seem to be doing OK. As long as it sounds good to you, it could work.
Describe What It’s All About
You could just state the obvious. It doesn’t sound creative, and maybe it’s not too original, but everyone who sees the name will know what your blog is all about at a glance.
It could also help you rank pretty high in search rankings, provided that the name is available. Some examples could be: The Car Repair Guy, Traveling through Thailand, Daily Recipes for Busy People.
You don’t know what type of blogs we’re describing – but you can guess! Being straightforward can go a long way. You can also try to use three simple words as descriptors.
Think of the word art that you see on walls all the time. Live, Love, Laugh. Eat, Drink, Repeat. You can do the same thinking easily.
Snap. Share. It can be a great photography blog name! Cooking something every day for your blog? Shop, stir, serve. Perhaps you are living the life and want to share it with your readers. Caffeine, Corporates, and Conversation sound like a great title.
How to Approach This List
Now that you have tons of ideas, you want to test them out. There are a few things you should do before you can determine that you’ve found a real winner.
Check the Domains
As mentioned earlier, check whether the blog name is available and can be registered. It is best to register the name as early as possible. Your hosting platform should enable you to check.
Ask Others
Test your blog name with friends and family, preferably with someone that matches your target reader audience.
Sleep on It
Make a shortlist of five to ten names that you like and then sleep on it. You can revisit the names in the morning to see if it still resonates.
Craft a Logo
You can also create a logo or header image to see if the name fits in with your aesthetic. This is especially important if you use your blog name elsewhere, e.g., on merchandising or letterheads.
Finding a Great Blog Name: The Recap
Are you ready to get started? Let’s recap a few of the ways you can find your unique blog name:
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Do keyword research
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Try different formulas
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Use a portmanteau
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Use your thesaurus
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Adapt sayings
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International flair
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Alliteration and rhyming
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Your name or abbreviations
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Make a word jumble
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Use your location
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Invent a word
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Describe what it’s all about
Remember that your blog name should be true to you and who you are, appeal to your target readers, provide a clue about the theme, grab your readers' attention, and it shouldn’t be something that you can outgrow.
Have fun creating your blog!