Name Garden
A living document for cultivating, researching, and pruning names for the venture.
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Philosophy
A great company name does not explain the product.
It accumulates meaning.
The goal is not to describe what the company does today, but to choose a word capable of becoming synonymous with what the company stands for tomorrow.
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North Star
The ideal name should feel:
- Institutional rather than trendy
- Timeless rather than fashionable
- Discovered rather than obviously invented
- Strong when spoken aloud
- Beautiful when typeset
- Globally pronounceable
- Broad enough to survive multiple product evolutions
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Private Etymology
The hidden lineage of a name known only to the founder.
Customers never need to know where the name originated.
The private etymology exists to guide the creative process, not the marketing.
Rather than beginning with literal meanings, names may evolve from:
- concepts
- phonemes
- fragments
- emotions
- memories
- places
- historical references
The name should eventually stand completely on its own.
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Current Shortlist
| Name | Category | Seed / Private Etymology | Obtainability | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tent | Root | Intent / Intentionality | Unknown. Evaluate trademark classes. Likely requires alternative launch domain. | 🌱 | Surprisingly memorable. Worth sitting with. |
| Reign | Word | Sovereignty / Stewardship | Crowded dictionary word. Premium domain expected. Trademark investigation required. | 🌱 | Strong institutional feel. |
| Rain | Word | Natural systems / abundance | Difficult dictionary word. Domain likely premium. | 🌱 | Softer emotional tone than Reign. |
| Uto | Fragment | Autonomy | Abstract fragment. Investigate uto.ai, uto.io, utohq.com. | 🌱 | One of the strongest fragments so far. |
| Xec | Fragment | Executive / Execution | High probability of trademark availability. Explore goxec.com, xec.ai, xec.io, xechq.com. | 🌱 | Distinctive and modern. |
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Growing List
Candidate names graduate here before reaching the shortlist.
| Name | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Voli | Volition | Elegant phonetics. |
| Tono | Autonomy fragment | Interesting international feel. |
| Mous | Autonomous fragment | Needs exploration. |
| Merg | Emergence / Merge | Strong root but awkward ending. |
| Rader | Radar / Reader / Leadership | Explore further. |
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Evaluation Rubric
Every serious candidate should eventually receive a score.
| Attribute | Score (1–10) |
|---|---|
| Memorability | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Visual identity | |
| Institutional feel | |
| Distinctiveness | |
| Emotional resonance | |
| Global usability | |
| Trademark potential | |
| Domain strategy | |
| Longevity |
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Obtainability Research
For each serious candidate, document:
- USPTO screening
- International trademark conflicts
- Existing AI companies
- Existing software products
- Existing startups
- Domain ownership
- Acquisition possibilities
- Launch domain strategy
- Long-term acquisition strategy
Examples:
Launch on goxec.com, acquire xec.com later.
Launch on utohq.com, acquire uto.com if the company reaches scale.
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Rejected Garden
Rejected names aren't failures.
Sometimes they become future product names.
| Name | Reason |
|---|---|
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Inspiration
The goal is not to find a perfect name.
The goal is to cultivate a small collection of extraordinary names until one becomes inevitable.