How to come up with a catchy blog name

Updated on July 10th, 2022

Sharing your ideas and creativity through a blog is one of the most satisfying things that you can do. You want to start writing, but obviously you’ll need to come up with a cool and memorable name for your website. To devise a catchy blog name, it’s possible that you’ve already thought of something great.

In most cases, however, it’s a longer process. You’ll need to spend some considerable time in thinking, brainstorming and mulling various blog names over, perhaps using some of the tools below. Furthermore, the blog name should be memorable, punchy, catchy and potentially brandable.

An obvious advantage of optimising the name is an improvement in your search engine rankings. This is because your post description (also known as your SEO title) which appears in Google search results shorter domain names tend to be more memorable and shareable. Thereby, they get more clicks.

Eg: Your Post title will normally match your SEO title (ie how your page appears in search engines) –>

Brainstorm and actively create your own memorable and short catchy blog name

Considerations

The first thing to remember is that you’ll need a domain name for your blog. So this should be in front of mind when brainstorming names. If the name you want is already taken, you’ll need to consider the cost of trying to buy it using a domain brokerage service. It could be either really expensive or impossible to get that name, so bear that in mind.

Head over to a domain registry like GoDaddy and leave the browser tab open. Here you can start entering names as you progress and see their pricing. When you’re naming your site, pricing can be a huge factor. Many domains sell for under $20, but the best .com URLs can cost in the thousands of dollars.

This is a Godaddy query to find a domain name based on “screenwriting”:

It’s usually best to go with a .com domain unless your blog is focussed towards one country only. For example, if your blog is only focussed towards restaurants in the United Kingdom, a .co.uk URL might be preferable. There’s also a greater chance that you’ll find the URL that you’re looking for and will be more likely to get ranked in search results for the UK.

What’s the Goal of your Blog

What type of blog do you want to run? The type of blog plus industry or niche will have a huge impact on how you name it. Select a name that fits in with your tribe of readers. You need something that your audience can feel comfortable with and trust.

For example a Tech related blog is suited to a tech-sounding name eg Techradar

Whereas, a blog about music or art might use a fun name like Idolator or Popjustice.

Accordingly, a news blog would sound … well newsworthy! eg. HuffingtonPost and Business Insider

Get Creative

Consider the purpose of your blog and come up with a list of all keyword mashups of the name that you can think of. Throw everything down onto your list. Then use a thesaurus such as the one at Thesaurus.com to find synonyms for all your words:

A common blog name construction contains a mix of a noun (a thing) eg. Tech with a verb (an action) eg. Crunch. Combined together, these words produce a blog name with purpose and clarity. ie. TechCrunch. These mashed up names can be dynamic, memorable and perfect for blogging.

Adverbs (modifying an action) eg. gently, quickly – are generally more passive, less dynamic and should be avoided. On this subject, the author Stephen King, once quoted “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs”.

You can also use one of the free blog name generators such as the one at Name-Generator. It’s worth trying.

Get creative and use a combination of the keywords and names that you developed. By doing this there’s a greater chance that your URL hasn’t been taken. Some of the world’s biggest blogs have been created with this approach eg. Gizmodo , Mashable, Engadget which all riff on common words.

Another great domain name generator is Domain Wheel. This site delivers some really interesting and unique domain name results:

Domain marketplaces – done for you but at a cost

A quicker but potentially more expensive method is to use a domain marketplace such as Brandpa, Brandbucket or Squadhelp. At these sites, you”ll find a range of premium domains for sale, usually as a package with a logo.

Here’s a sample of domain names that I found for the word “writing” on Brandpa:

It’s sometimes questionable whether you will use the logo included so the value of the package is debatable. The value is in the URL.

When you look at the selling prices for these domains, remember that they are starting prices. Given this, I strongly recommend that you try bargain them down by 25% to 50% when using these sites.

Hire Someone to Devise a Catchy Blog Name

There are other ways to help you find that ideal blog name.

One way is to use a service marketplace like Fiverr. There are sellers on this marketplace who’ll create a blog name, domain name and logo for you if you want it. I’d recommend using at least a level 3 seller and review their prior work before you engage anyone.

Here’s a sample of a few of the many providers on Fiverr who could help you to find your blog name ->

The other method is to engage the services of a design agency. This is obviously a more costly option, but the upside is that you should get a professional outcome. As with Fiverr, it’s recommend to review their prior work before agreeing to a contract. Also make sure that you’re happy with their pricing and read any reviews or testimonials of their prior work.

Summary – best way for you to come up with a catchy blog name

While domain marketplaces seem appealing, I’d recommend that you do the process yourself. Feel free to get creative, throw combinations together and use use online tools. Mull your creations over and let your subconscious work on them while you sleep.

Spend days or weeks if you need to. It means a lot to get the name right, so make it something catchy, easy to say and that you would be proud to share.

As you brainstorm your ideas, check domain name availability. Then grab that perfect domain name for your blog before someone else does!

If you’re interested in starting a website or blog, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide that you might find useful. The guide can be found at this link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a blog name need to contain the keywords of its niche?

It’s certainly desirable but in no means necessary for your blog name to contain keywords that you want to rank for.

The main benefit of having suitable keywords In your blog title is that it’ll be more recognisable in search results and hence attract more clicks.

What’s the best domain extension for a blog?

In most cases, .com (dot com) is still the best domain extension for a blog. It’s internationally recognised so you’ll be given authority in search. This will improve your click through rate as search engine users tend to be more familiar with .com domains.

Are all the good dot com domain names already taken?

No, although it might seem that there are no good domain names left, the opposite is actually true. There’s literally unlimited numbers of new dot com domain names available containing multiple name mash-ups.

Should I include the country code In the domain extension for my blog?

It depends upon whom the target readers are going to be. For example, if your blog is meant for your local country primarily then include the appropriate country code domain extension. This will mean that your blog posts are more likely to be shown to search engine users in your country.

Alternatively, If your blog is meant for a worldwide audience then don’t include the country extension.

What’s the best domain extension for a blog?

The .com extension is still by far and away the best choice for most blogs. It’s the most recognisable extension in the world and for this reason alone it’s more likely that search engine users will click on your page in search results.

Main Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

How to come up with a catchy blog name