How to choose a blog name

blog_name

Choosing a blog name is probably one of the most fun parts of starting a blog. You can be clever, serious, straightforward, or pompous; the possibilities are endless. Just like naming a new pet or a child there is a lot of room to be giddy and let your imagination run wild with ideas – which you should do – but temper some of that enthusiasm with these tips for finding a name that you can live with.

Brainstorm

Likely the most fun part of naming a blog is the brainstorming portion in which you come up with a zillion wild and zany ideas for what your blog might eventually be known as. While you are writing down all of the possibilities it would be wise to consider these few things:

  • Who is your target audience?
  • What tone (humor, serious, pious, etc) is your blog going to be?
  • What is your niche topic?
  • Does your idea for a blog name match your goal for topics you intend to post?
  • How does this blog name idea reflect you as a blogger/writer?
  • Will this super awesome name you have chosen corner you into a specific niche or theme?

2) Test The Waters

Ok, so you have a short list of maybe three or five names that you really like after you brainstormed all the possibilities. Now it is time to test the waters. If you are blogging in a network then do a cursory search to see if anyone else in your network has a similar name that readers may confuse you for.

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If there are no other blog names that match or are similar you should try searching in Google, WordPress, Twitter, and Facebook to make sure that the name you are thinking of using is not already taken, especially if you plan to open a social media account for your blog.

You would be surprised how many blog and social media platforms that exist with names that you would have thought are original – including legal names!

wood-cube-473703_640Create A Header

So now you’ve chosen a name, you’ve searched for it everywhere and it is not taken. The next step is to try it out on a blog template and see how it looks. Is it too wordy? Is it hard to read? Does it still make sense? Sometimes creating a header as close as to what you’d want it to appear online can help you decide if you still like a name or not.

Ask Yourself The Important Questions

While you are looking at your new name in the bright lights of header, as yourself a few important questions.

  • Will this name still make sense in 6 months?
  • Will this name embarrass me in the future?
  • Will this name be easily adaptable if my writing style or topic changes?
  • Is this a name I can put on a business card or say out loud without wincing?

Resources

Sometimes it is just plain too hard to come up with a blog name idea, especially when you keep finding that the names you thought of had already been taken. Try implementing some of these useful resources to help you find a blog name you can live with:

Hilarious Hipster Blog Generator

This blog name generator basically matches up words that are kind of pretentious, but it will give you lots of ideas for names that you may not have thought up yet.

Spinxo

This blog name generator asks you for word prompts and then mixes and mashes them up to create a series of blog name options for you to choose from.

Top 10

This website collected ten popular online blog generators for you to test out. Each generator has its own particular style and focus; some are geared toward personal blogs while others toward business.

Choosing a blog name does not have to be a headache, in fact it should be a fun process. But while you are having fun creating your new name it is wise to remember that whatever you choose in a name will reflect greatly on how your blog is perceived by readers so try to find a name that hits the right tone for you.

 

Good luck!

Sarah Cottrell

About Sarah Cottrell

Maine-based writer Sarah Cottrell is the voice behind Housewife Plus at the Bangor Daily News and is a regular contributor to Disney’s Babble and Momtastic. She is a co-author in six books including I Still Just Want To Pee Alone from the New York Times Bestselling series. Sarah’s work has also been highlighted and featured by SELF Magazine, National Public Radio, Washington Post, and VICE Tonic.