8 Naming Mistakes to Avoid (For Babies and Brands Alike)
Most bad names are not bad ideas — they are good ideas that skipped a check. Whether you are naming a child or a company, the same handful of mistakes appear again and again. Here they are, with the quick test that catches each one.
The spelling and pronunciation traps
The first trap is a spelling nobody can guess from the sound, which condemns the name to a lifetime of 'no, with a y'. The second is the opposite: a sound nobody can guess from the spelling. Fix both with the one-hearing test — say it once and ask a stranger to write it down.
The third trap is the hidden word. Read every candidate slowly and look for smaller words lurking inside the letters, especially across the seam where two blended words meet.
The 'it's taken' traps
Falling for a name before checking availability is the most expensive mistake on this list. Check domains and social handles early, and search the name to see who already owns the conversation around it. A crowded first page of results means an uphill climb for years.
For brands, skipping even a basic trademark search invites legal letters later. For babies, an unexpected celebrity or news association can arrive overnight — a quick search tells you what the name is currently attached to.
The 'too clever' traps
Puns, deliberate misspellings and inside jokes feel delightful on day one and tiresome by year three. So does a name so trendy it will date the moment the trend passes. Ask whether the name will still feel right when it is ordinary, because one day it will be.
The final trap is deciding alone. Say your shortlist out loud to people outside your household — the reactions of fresh ears catch problems you have become blind to.
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