Help! Losing Sleep Over a Business Name...

[MaitriBB]

I clicked on your post because a friend of mine recently asked me to help her name her new jewelry business and she wanted something Celtic/magical, but easy to pronounce and not off-putting to potential conservative clients. Needless to say she shot down my favorites:

Dichotomy
Erzuli

A lot of people don't know how to pronounce "dichotomy" when reading it, so I wouldn't use it, although it really is a pretty word.

I'm a gamer so I've had times in my life where I had to come up with a character name that wasn't already taken in a game. There is an Elvish Name Generator here (apparently my Elvish name is Eámanë Carnesîr) and it also does Hobbit names (Bramblerose Loamsdown of Deephallow LOL).

I wanted unique ethereal names for my perfumes so I use the Angel name generator here.

There's a Steampunk Name Generator here. It gave me Queen Martha Penchin Cowley (Aristocracy) or R. Semple Hopwood (Commoner). Another name generator here gave me Admiral Selma Kingston-Peckham .

There are also searchable word dictionaries online where you can put in a word and it'll give you the Celtic, Gaelic, etc. For example, words in Gaelic that can mean soap:

snàthad...
snàthainn
sneachd
snigh
snìomh
snìomhaiche
snodha
snodhach
snotraich
snuadh
so
soap
sóbhrach
soc
socair
sochair
sochar
socharach
socrach
socraich
sodal
sodan
sodar

Although I do not think that "snotraich" is a good name for a soap company

Ok that was fun Lemme know if you need me to find other such sites for ya!

 

[MaitriBB]

Oh and another steampunk name generator here gave me Admiral Selma Kingston-Peckham.

This is a fun topic for me, so I just wrote a blog post with links to various name generators. Please share it if you are so inclined!

 

[Birdie Wife]

Couple more ideas:

Froth & Steam
Soap'd
Steam Emporium

I went through a similar process a year ago... it's so much easier to find names for someone else! ! Enjoy the process

 

[cerelife]

Thanks for the blog link, maitri!! I just forwarded it to my friend!
I know nothing about celtic names, but I've always loved the word dichotomy...both the pronunciation and the definition are just FUN! And Erzuli is one interpretation of the name of one of the voodoo loas associated with beauty, so I tossed that one out there as well...I was thinking jewelry/beauty.
One of my friends' thought for a name for her jewelry business was "Diva Designs"...oooh, just DON'T! Makes me think of rhinestones and ribbons/cheap and tacky!!! Thank goodness she ditched that one, LOL!

 

[cerelife]

Oh, and Maitri...I just soaped today with my Conservatorie micas! Absolutely Gorgeous stuff!! I can't wait to cut them tomorrow
Thanks for the advice about Conservatorie; I'd never even heard of them until you answered my post....I'm in your debt!

 

[MaitriBB]

Oh, and Maitri...I just soaped today with my Conservatorie micas! Absolutely Gorgeous stuff!! I can't wait to cut them tomorrow
Thanks for the advice about Conservatorie; I'd never even heard of them until you answered my post....I'm in your debt!

Aren't they great?? I need more but am resisting .. badly .. I love their antique gold glitter for my soap tops.

 

[Lenimae]

A lot of people don't know how to pronounce "dichotomy" when reading it, so I wouldn't use it, although it really is a pretty word.

I'm a gamer so I've had times in my life where I had to come up with a character name that wasn't already taken in a game. There is an Elvish Name Generator here (apparently my Elvish name is Eámanë Carnesîr) and it also does Hobbit names (Bramblerose Loamsdown of Deephallow LOL).

I wanted unique ethereal names for my perfumes so I use the Angel name generator here.

There's a Steampunk Name Generator here. It gave me Queen Martha Penchin Cowley (Aristocracy) or R. Semple Hopwood (Commoner)

There are also searchable word dictionaries online where you can put in a word and it'll give you the Celtic, Gaelic, etc. For example, words in Gaelic that can mean soap:

snàthad...
snàthainn
sneachd
snigh
snìomh
snìomhaiche
snodha
snodhach
snotraich
snuadh
so
soap
sóbhrach
soc
socair
sochair
sochar
socharach
socrach
socraich
sodal
sodan
sodar

Although I do not think that "snotraich" is a good name for a soap company

Ok that was fun Lemme know if you need me to find other such sites for ya!

Super cool idea! Thanks so much MaitriBB! And I giggled at "snotraich" as well, haha!!

My name came to me before I even thought of selling...just popped into my head one day
I clicked on your post because a friend of mine recently asked me to help her name her new jewelry business and she wanted something Celtic/magical, but easy to pronounce and not off-putting to potential conservative clients. Needless to say she shot down my favorites:
Dichotomy
Erzuli
And BTW, just a word of warning about using "Apothecary" in your name...a friend of mine who is a master herbalist had a shop named "(her last name)'s Herbal Apothecary" and after several years in business, someone apparently complained to the FDA about her use of the term...long story short; she was forced to change the name since she didn't have a pharmacist's license.

Thanks for the heads up on "Apothecary"! Wow, some people hey!! A completely unnecessary complaint imo. :roll: