Key takeaways:

• Poetic names are the most appealing, with 58% of consumers drawn to these names
• 19% say they’re strongly drawn to poetic names
• Metaphorical names are a draw for 50% of consumers
• Made-up or abstract names are the least impactful, with 29% of consumers saying they’re averse to these names

Objective: From Apple to Amazon, the best names draw consumers in, inspiring curiosity and building trust from the first impression. There are many ways to do this, and brands around the world leverage metaphor, poetry and puns to appeal to their customers. To help brands understand which name may have the biggest impact, we asked consumers how much they’re drawn to brands with some of the most popular name types.

Question: 

How much are you drawn to brands with the following name types?

Name types:

• Made Up/Abstract, e.g., Upzon, Nyter
• Play on Words, e.g, Pawjamas, Mugnificent
• Metaphor, e.g., Mindful Meadow, Iron Impact,
• Poetic/Rhyme, e.g., Wordbird, Black and Jack
• This & That, e.g, Rebel & Grace, Lilac and Lime

Answers:

• Strongly drawn to this type of brand
• Moderately drawn to this type of brand
• Neither drawn to nor put off by this type of brand
• Moderately averse to this type of brand
• Strongly averse to this type of brand

Audience:

A representative panel of American consumers aged 18 – 64.

Overall Results

• Poetic names are the most appealing, with 58% of consumers drawn to these names
• 19% say they’re strongly drawn to poetic names
• Metaphorical names are a strong draw for 50% of consumers
• Made-up or abstract names are the least impactful, with 29% of consumers saying they’re averse to these names

How much are you drawn to brands with the following name types?

**separator**

Gender Breakdown

• Women (56%) are more drawn to This & That style names than men (43%)
• Men (34%) are more drawn to abstract names than women (29%)

Men

How much are you drawn to brands with the following name types?

Women

How much are you drawn to brands with the following name types?

Age Breakdown

• Younger consumers are significantly more drawn to made-up/abstract names (43%) than average (32%)
• Older consumers were less likely to be drawn in by names overall, and 30% were averse to made-up/abstract names

18 – 34

How much are you drawn to brands with the following name types?

35 – 54

How much are you drawn to brands with the following name types?

55 – 64

How much are you drawn to brands with the following name types?

Conclusion

Our research shows that poetic and metaphorical names, evocative and pleasing to the ears, have the strongest immediate impact on drawing customers in. Meanwhile, abstract and made-up names can leave consumers cold — but do resonate most strongly with younger consumers. Regardless of the name type you choose, names don’t exist in a vacuum. They should be chosen carefully, fitting brand positioning and audience expectations.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into our findings, or asking your own questions on domain choice and branding topics, contact thom@atomradar.com to learn more.

Further Reading

• Key Naming Insights Every New Brand Needs: Latest Data and Research
• First Impressions and Naming Style: Pragmatic Names Have the Edge on Trust with All Demographics
• Must-Read Insights on Domain Names Backed by Deep Audience Research

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About The Author

Thom Davies

Thom Davies is a researcher at AtomRadar and content strategist for Atom.com. His background in quantitative and qualitative analysis is the foundation for data-led brand strategy.

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