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brand-naming

Generates and evaluates brand name candidates using naming frameworks, sound symbolism, and availability templates.

Updated Jun 12, 2026
Search Tags:#branding#startup#trademark#brand naming#domain availability#name evaluation#naming framework
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/taylorelley/skills --skill brand-naming-taylorelley
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: brand-naming
Source: https://github.com/taylorelley/skills/tree/main/skills/workflow/brand-naming
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/taylorelley/skills --skill brand-naming-taylorelley

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Naming a startup, product, or company is hard: most founders generate too few candidates, fall in love with unavailable names, or pick names that fail basic memorability and trademark tests. This Skill provides structured naming frameworks and evaluation templates to run a disciplined naming process. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Evaluation Frameworks: Apply the SMILE and SCRATCH criteria, Marty Neumeier's 8 criteria, and Catchword's 10 Touchstones to score and filter name candidates. - Generation Techniques: Use syllable recombination, portmanteau creation, root word mining, and sound symbolism guidance to produce large candidate pools. - Templates & Tracking: Use the included reference templates for naming briefs, comparison matrices, domain availability trackers, and final selection documentation. - Use Case: A founder needs a name for a new SaaS product. The Skill guides a naming brief, generates candidates across the naming matrix, filters them with SCRATCH, scores finalists with SMILE, and documents the final pick with domain and trademark status. ## Quick Start Help me generate and evaluate brand name candidates for my startup using the SMILE and SCRATCH frameworks.

Frequently Asked Questions about brand-naming

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I evaluate brand name candidates objectively?▼

Score each candidate with the SMILE framework (Suggestive, Memorable, Imagery, Legs, Emotional) on a 1-5 scale, then apply the SCRATCH filter to reject names with deal breakers like spelling problems or copycat similarity. The comparison matrix template totals scores across finalists.

What is the SMILE and SCRATCH naming framework?▼

SMILE lists five qualities of strong names: Suggestive, Memorable, Imagery, Legs, and Emotional. SCRATCH lists seven deal breakers: Spelling challenged, Copycat, Restrictive, Annoying, Tame, Curse of knowledge, and Hard to pronounce. Both come from Alexandra Watkins' naming methodology.

How many name candidates should I generate before choosing?▼

Professional naming firms like Lexicon generate 1,000 to 3,000 candidates before finding strong options. The naming funnel narrows these to 200-300 screened names, 30 availability-checked names, and 5-7 vetted finalists for decision.

Which domain extension should I prioritize for a startup name?▼

Check the .com domain first since it carries the highest value and trust. If taken, consider .io for tech startups, .co as an alternative, or patterns like [name]app.com and get[name].com. Verify availability via whois before presenting any candidate.

What are common brand naming mistakes to avoid?▼

Common mistakes include generic descriptive names, falling in love with names before checking domain availability, ignoring negative meanings in other languages, overly complex spellings, and trendy suffixes like -ify or -ly that date quickly.

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