Key takeaways:

• 50% of founders brainstorm for domain names
• One in four founders use online tools for name discovery
• Fewer than one in ten founders rely on agencies in 2026.

Objective: AI tools and brandable domain marketplaces are making it easier than ever for founders to discover great names for their new ventures. To help entrepreneurs approach naming strategically, we quizzed a panel of founders and C-suite leaders on the naming process for their most recent startup.

Question:

How did you come up with the name for your current or most recent startup? Choose all that apply.

• Brainstormed internally (solo or with co-founders)
• Brainstormed externally (with friends, family, or advisors)
• Used online naming tools (e.g., AI name generators)
• Discovered the name through a domain marketplace
• Worked with a branding or naming agency

Audience:

C-Suite (e.g., CEO, CFO, COO) and Founders

Overall Results

• 50% of founders brainstorm internally for domain names
• Almost half brainstorm with external partners
• One in four founders use online tools for name discovery
• Fewer than one in ten founders rely on agencies.

How did you come up with the name for your current or most recent startup? Choose all that apply.

Conclusion

With under one-in-ten founders leveraging naming or branding agencies, this traditional route appears to be on the decline while brainstorming remains the dominant creative aid for founders when naming a brand, with internal and external stakeholders represented almost equally. Meanwhile a quarter of founders leverage powerful AI naming tools. These can now complement internal and external creative processes to present founders with available and fully validated name and domain ideas.

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

• Must-Read Insights on Domain Names Backed by Deep Audience Research
• Startup Domain Choice: The .ai Extension is Credible with 67% of Investors for Startups Outside the AI Industry
• Owning Your Identity: 75% of Founders Consider it Risky to Not Own the .com Domain of Your Brand Name

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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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