How to create a clothing brand name

The creativity required to design beautiful garments is undeniable. But even if fashion design comes naturally to you, you might feel stuck on how to find a clothing brand name. Your company name will be intrinsically linked to your brand identity, so it needs to be memorable as well as meaningful. There are also practical considerations to keep in mind, like whether your name will be easy to find in online searches and if a suitable domain name is available.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a business naming expert to come up with a great name for your clothing store or fashion line. In this guide, we’ll provide strategies to help you develop creative clothing business name ideas.

Start with some brand basics

Before you come up with a creative name, it’s important to figure out what you want to convey about your brand. Your name should align with key aspects of your branding and give customers an idea of what they can expect from your business. Use the following steps as starting points for coming up with clothing line name ideas.

Define your brand personality

Defining what makes your brand unique will help guide you in the naming process. This is one of the most important steps in creating a brand identity, which will ultimately include your business name as well as all of the visual elements associated with your brand.

To come up with a brand personality, apply human qualities to your company. For example, a high-end couture fashion brand like Chanel or Prada may have a brand personality that’s luxurious, chic, and discerning. Streetwear brands like Urban Outfitters and Zara are more approachable, youthful, and trendy. Once you have a list of words, phrases, and concepts tied to your brand personality, you can use them to inspire your business name choice.

Write your mission statement

A mission statement clarifies the values and goals for your clothing company. It explains the company’s “why” and provides a roadmap for how you run your business. This isn’t something that’s just for major fashion brands. Startups and small businesses need mission statements, too.

There are three key features that should be included in the mission statement for your clothing brand:

Purpose: Why does the business exist, and what does it do?
Values: What are the core values the business is based upon?
Vision: What does the business hope to accomplish in the long run?

Ideally, the business name that you choose will be able to express one or more of these key mission statement elements.

Prioritize your customers

As you develop some clothing brand name ideas, your target audience should always be top of mind. Consider which types of names your potential customers will be drawn to, and whether each possible name accurately conveys your brand identity.

For example, Forever21 has a catchy clothing brand name that clearly indicates its target market of young adults. Some customers are more drawn to associations with a specific designer, which is how brands like Louis Vuitton and Donna Karan New York (DKNY) got their names.

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

If you need a little extra inspiration in this area, think about what other clothing brands your customers might wear. Are there any naming trends you need to be aware of? For instance, many sportswear brands have simple, short names like Nike, Puma, Adidas, and Reebok. If your name deviates from this pattern too much, it could be confusing to your target audience.

Photo by Agata Samulska on Unsplash

Time to get creative

Now that you’ve outlined the essential features of your brand, you can start brainstorming ideas for your own name. At this point in the naming process, it’s best to come up with a shortlist of possible name ideas. The next section has additional guidance on how to narrow that list down to the perfect name for your clothing business.

In order to come up with a memorable brand name, you need to exercise some creativity and find innovative tools to assist with inspiration. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

Think outside the box

The clothing industry is filled with unique brand names. In order to make sure yours stands out and makes an impression on customers, you’ll need to tap into your creative side. Try to be open to many different avenues for inspiration, such as:

Synonyms: Look at the thesaurus to find related words. If a key feature of your brand personality is sophistication, for example, synonyms like poise, tact, finesse, and polish might provide additional naming inspiration.
Foreign words: Using a foreign word can open up new naming possibilities you may not have thought of yet. For a teen clothing brand, you could look up translations for the word “young,” such as “jeune” (French) or “wakai” (Japanese).
Alternative spelling: Consider whether a unique spelling could help set your brand apart. Some examples of businesses that have used this technique include Tumblr, Lyft, BHLDN, and Cheez-It.

Use a name generator

Namecheap Business Name Generator

Need a little extra help bringing out your creative side? A business name generator online can provide added inspiration. This is one of the easiest ways to brainstorm unique clothing brand names, especially if you feel like you have a case of writer’s block when it comes to name ideas.

Typically, you only need a few keywords to get started. This is where you can pull from all the work you did defining your brand personality and mission statement. Instead of vague terms like “women’s clothing brand” or “designer fashion line,” you can be more specific to your brand. Incorporate search terms that describe your aesthetic, your values, or your impact on the fashion industry.

Narrow down your shortlist

Ready to finally choose your clothing company name? This final step requires combining the conceptual with the operational. The conceptual stage is all about finding a name that sounds great and expresses some key qualities of your brand. But in the operational stage, you investigate each possible name in more detail to make sure it’s actually a practical choice for your business.

Make sure you complete the following steps before deciding on your clothing brand name. This final vetting process is critical before launching your clothing brand.

Analyze your name ideas

A good clothing brand name needs to pass a series of tests to make sure it’s suitable for use. Before you get too attached to any of the names on your shortlist, make sure they won’t cause you any problems down the line.

The following FAQs for how to name a clothing brand can be used to evaluate each name you’re considering. In order for a name to pass the test, you should be able to answer “yes” to every question.

Is it easy to spell? The name shouldn’t be too difficult to spell out, and it should be easily understood when someone reads it. As a test, try telling people the name and ask what they would type into Google to search for it online. If they’re way off on the spelling, you may want to consider an alternative name option.
Is it easy to pronounce? A fashion brand name that’s hard to say will also be hard to remember. Show the name to several people who are not involved in your business and ask how they would pronounce it.
Is it memorable? A catchy business name is more likely to leave a lasting impression. If someone were to ask a customer where they got a piece of clothing, you want them to be able to recall the brand name later on.
Is it unique? Avoid any names that sound too similar to other brands. You don’t want your name to simply serve as a reminder of another brand, especially if it’s also part of the fashion industry.
Is it uncontroversial? It’s important to research potential names for your clothing business to see if they have any negative connotations. Check for possible slang usage and translations into other languages.
Is it available? Search your shortlist names on copyright and trademark registries to make sure they’re not already taken. Start with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's trademark database, then search Secretary of State records to see if the name has been registered in your state.

Plan ahead for branding

By now, you’re probably down to just a few potential clothing business name ideas. The only thing left to do is to make sure the name is a good fit for your branding needs. A good business name will be effective when used to promote your clothing line.

For starters, imagine what a logo for each possible name might look like. You can use an online logo maker to create some potential designs. Then, visualize how that logo could be applied, whether it’s on a social media profile, business website, clothing store sign, or even the tag inside a T-shirt. The business name you choose should look good in a visual format and help to sell your fashion designs.

The final factor to consider is your web presence. People will search your name to see where your stores are located, browse through clothing options online, or learn more about the brand. You need a name that will perform well for search engine optimization (SEO). If there’s another company by a similar name, it could be very difficult to rank highly in search engine results. In addition, make sure there’s a matching domain name available. Ideally, the web address will be intuitive and easy to type into a web browser address bar.

Start your search with Business Name Generator

To get some help in your search for the perfect brand moniker, use Namecheap’s Business Name Generator. This free tool is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and delivers an unlimited number of memorable names for any type of business. Just type in some keywords and this clothing brand name generator will get to work coming up with not only unique business names, but also website domains and logos to match — all within seconds. Try it today to begin building your clothing empire.