How to Come Up With the Perfect Name for Your Blog

Welcome back to the blog! A good number of my readers have reached out to me over the years expressing they too want to start their own blog, many of which are unsure where to begin and how to complete the first step: coming up with a name. Your URL is what sets the tone of your website and how you display yourself online, so the pressure to pick one that makes sense for you and isn’t one you’ll hate later on down the road is understandable. Keeping reading for the stories behind how I selected my blog and freelance names and why + my tips for coming up with the perfect name for YOUR blog!

HOW I DECIDED ON MY BLOG NAME

Back in 2015, as you can see, I decided to go with my first and last name (now my maiden, but still part of my name that I use online) for my blog for a few reasons. The main reason is that since it’s just my name, I knew I wouldn’t get sick of it. If you select your blog’s name based on current interests, I think it’s important to remember that those can change over time and eventually be things you no longer identify with. Another reason I felt my name was great to use is that it’s short and fairly easy to spell. My first name is spelled in its most common form, and my last name is easy to pronounce and spell based on how it sounds. Lastly, my name was an available domain at the time, so it worked out in my favor! Even though I knew I’d get married and change my name one day, Saylor has always been a name I wanted to be part of my life in some way — thus, abbysaylor.com was born!

HOW I DECIDED ON MY FREELANCE NAME

Starting my freelance business was my opportunity to further extend my brand and handpick a totally new and secondary name from my blog that’s independent, yet still intertwined at the same URL destination. As a creative person, I’m always brainstorming various names, projects and ideas. Bone & Bloom is something that came to me randomly during one of those times before I even started my freelance work. I loved the name, felt it represented me well and the rest is history. It developed meaning for me too, which I describe on my Bone & Bloom page here on my website:

The ideal website and branding materials represent your identity to the bone, while providing a framework that can bloom with you as you grow and expand your reach. 

Sometimes ideas just come to you, so I was lucky in that way I guess! It was a quick decision for me and one that I still love so much to this day.

TIPS

Alright, now that you know the stories and reasoning behind my names, here’s how you can come up with your name.

Make a list of buzzwords.
If you’re having trouble coming up with anything, make a list of words that you’re drawn to, that you think describe who you are and what you want your brand to be online. These can also be things that inspire you too, but I recommend getting it all down on paper and using that list to brainstorm and put together different combinations or phrases. I find this to be a huge help!

Maybe stay away from these.
In my personal opinion, these are some things I recommend staying away from:

• Consider not using your name is it’s complicated and difficult to spell. It won’t matter as much once you establish yourself, but it could make your site difficult to locate or remember in the meantime.
• There are so many “blonde,” brunette,” etc. blogs out there, so I feel like those are ones to stay away from since a lot of those can get lost in the masses. Though selecting a name like this can feel very you since it’s directly related to your physical appearance, remember that you’re more than your hair color. That’s just my opinion of course and since it is so popular, it obviously works favorably for a lot of people (like blogger queen Amber Fillerup of Barefoot Blonde and Barefoot Blonde Hair) — so it’s up to you, but I just wanted to put that out there!
• If it’s too long for the social media handle character limit, it’s too long in general. Less is (usually) more!
• Consider that changing the spelling of words to make your name fit in it (like something punny) could get too confusing and may not be easily searchable. It’s all about balance!

Consider readability, spelling and pronunciation.
You want your name to be something you can say to someone in passing that they’ll not only remember, but will be able to enter in their search bar and quickly locate your website without issue. For me, this means you need the perfect balance of practical and unique so it’s nothing too bland or too out there, but easier said than done, right? 😂 I know, it can be tricky!

Check availability.
This goes for your URL and your coordinating social media handles on all platforms. Regardless if you decide to use GoDaddy.com to purchase your domain, you can use their search tool to check the availability of your desired URL. If it’s not available, it will generate similar options that are, which is really helpful. I recommend checking Instagram specifically (also Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. if you wish to use those) for availability of the same name too.

Use filler words if needed.
Consider using “the” at the beginning, “online” or “blog” at the end, etc. if the exact domain you want isn’t available (i.e. theabbysaylor.com, abbysayloronline.com, abbysaylorblog.com). However, also consider that without using these words or forgetting they’re part of your URL, people could be falsely routed to someone else’s site instead of yours. However, if you’re absolutely in love with the name and this doesn’t matter to you, then do as you wish!

Lastly…
As a final note, keep in mind that your blog name is something that you can change in the future if you wish. You can buy a new URL, forward it to your existing website and change your social media handles if the name you want is available. Although it’s much easier to stick with one name and not rebrand to prevent more work for yourself and not confuse your audience, it is an option if you wish to do so.

__________

Those are the stories behind how I came up with my names online + my tips for doing the same! I hope this was helpful for you & feel free to browse my other blogging-related posts with more tips here. If you have some name ideas and would like to hear a blogger’s opinion on them, feel free to send them my way — I’d be happy to help! As for upcoming posts, I have a DIY house project (painting our exterior door and shutters) to share with you very soon, so check back for that & follow along on my Instagram in the meantime!