Picture this: You’re someone who is ready to start your own business. You already have a great idea for a venture. It is almost 100% sure to be lucrative, as you know your target market and what they want.
Also, capital is not a problem anymore and investors are available. It is going to be a success, and you can feel it. However, there is one problem: you still do not have a name. You might think that this is easy, but as you think more it becomes more complex.
It has been written in the annals of history that names do have power. In almost every belief or religion, their major gods have names that their worshippers cannot utter. It can be out of fear or reverence. Even emperors and other leaders followed the same principle with their subjects, employing a signature phrase like “Your Majesty” or “Your Highness”.
There are also many other creative ways that people tried to make sure that they can follow these customs as you can see in this article. Until today, millions of people follow these rules without them knowing it.
Why Naming is Important
In business, branding is everything. You can think of this as the perception of the people to your company. This is a reputation that you must uphold at all costs since this would reflect anyone associated with it.
There are many facets of the concept of the brand, but one of the most important ones is your name. It is going to be the greatest part of your business identity. Everything that you will do as an entity would be encapsulated by this one or a group of words. Even the language of choice would be important since this would determine a lot of things like understanding and background.
It might have been dead for a long time, but Latin continues to be a part of our spoken language. Latin has always been associated with the Roman Empire and the Church. Since the fall of the former, it has been the duty of the Church to teach the language by using it for their religious texts.
However, they have adapted by using the local language as it would be easier for their constituents. Other languages like Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese have sprouted from Latin and they have been more popular in their homesteads.
People might have stopped using it for everyday conversation, but some words will linger even in modern English. It might have a different spelling and pronunciation, but it is still cognizable even for those with limited ideas of Latin. Words like ”Magna” and ”terra” has always been synonymous with their common word counterparts ”great” and ”earth”.
There is also a certain musicality with this dead language and people associate its use with wisdom, antiquity, and elegance. This is the reason why many companies are looking for great Latin name ideas to use for themselves. After all, it does give an air of sophistication.
Even if you are using another language, it is still important to keep in mind some aspects of your choice. It might be challenging but you still need to think thoroughly about your name as this would stay with you as a business entity. You can change it through legal means, but your identity can be lost in the process.
Aspects of Name Choice
- Easy to Say and Remember
It might be in Latin, but you still need to make sure that even the common person can say it. For example, “superbiam” might sound cool and hip but it might be too complicated for your target market. Always remember that you are trying to reach as many people as possible.
It is said that the business name should only have at least 4 syllables. “Superbiam” might fit into this, but there might be other better options that are shorter. You may also opt for an abbreviation, but it might defeat the purpose of using Latin.
- Recognizable
This aspect might be more art than science. There are so many words in Latin that you can fit in, but that does not mean that it would be recognizable. It can also come down to your logo design, but you need to choose a name beforehand.
Aside from being memorable, it should also fit well with your company. You can start looking for it in your motto or mission-vision and try to translate it. Better yet, you can use a name generator for it so that you may have more choices.
- Unique
As mentioned before, there are so many words in this language that you can use. Unfortunately, most of the best ones might already be taken. Terms like “pax” and “utopia” have been thrown a lot so many times. You can try creating a portmanteau out of these words like “UtoPax”.
However, you may need to scour the internet on whether this is already taken. It can be an option for you though, as choosing only a single word might be riskier. Read more about portmanteaus here: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2012/09/now-were-just-making-it-guide-rise-portmanteauing/323626/.
- Meaningful
Lastly, the meaning should be in line with your products, services, or mission-vision. It cannot just be a random word that you got from some questionable sources. For example, naming your shop with “aurum” (gold) but you are offering massages. This can refer to your “gold” standard for service, but this is rather boring. It might be already taken as well, and that could lead to some legal complications.
Aside from looking into your mission-vision, you can look into your goals as well. It can lead to something that would surprise you.
Naming your possible business empire is a big responsibility. You would be labeling your future with just a few words. It should be something that is going to make an impact on your consumers as well as the competition.
However, do not forget about your products and services. Your name might carry them at first, but the quality will be the deciding factor. A good name helps, but the quality will always be more important.
