Ask HN: How do you name your product? Are there any standardized ways?

6 points by milanspeaks 295 days ago | 12 comments

I am building an API based infrastructure tool for developers. I have been thinking for over a week to find a name but am just not able to find one. I have my UI design done, DB design done, APIs specifications ready but I couldn't come up with a name. I have thought of 1000+ names and cannot find it. I think I am now the worst person to name due to so much of overthinking.

Since my Product is about developer experience a nice name matters to me. I would wish to wear a hoodie with name daily so need something nice.

The emotions I want developer to experience is that this is something that would speed up their Dev cycle.

How do I solve this naming dillemma?

VivaTechnics 295 days ago |

Start with “A” if possible to ensure top-of-list visibility. Use “AI” as a prefix when relevant to anchor the identity in AI/infra/dev tooling. Keep it short—4 to 5 letters ideal, max 6. It must be memorable: phonetically crisp, simple, and sticky. The name should be brandable—distinct, clean, with no generics or clutter. Prioritize domain availability under .dev, .io, .tech, .host, or .xyz. Don’t obsess early; names evolve and rebranding is easy. Examples like “Aidev” balance AI-focus and clarity well. Currently, devo.host and aidev.host are available.

milanspeaks 295 days ago | |

My Product is not related to AI and more about messaging and voice calling. Something like Twilio.

VivaTechnics 295 days ago | | |

Understood. Twilio, despite its scale, isn’t really a good name—uninformative and clunky. Starting with “dev” would be an option. I'd prefer `.io` for credibility, but `.host` and others can work depending on positioning.

I just checked, these are available domains:

devote.host: Memorable; blends “developer” and “vote” (community-driven).

devios.io: Sounds sleek, futuristic. deviz.io or dewiz.io: Snappy, suggests tools or wizardry.

Dig deeper, you will find simpler names.

- `devop.tech` is also available. - `oz.dev` is also available, if you want a premium domain.

herbst 295 days ago |

You are to deep into the name finding, first you need to get some distance. Every name will sound shit before that.

Then remind yourself that the name is not as relevant as we want it to be. If it's sounding and kinda rememberable that's usually good enough for a tech product. It also doesn't have to be a .com or .io even if it would be cool.

Personally I always try to pick one ASAP, either it grows on me and feels fitting after a while (it never feels "right") or I need to change again.

mzk_pi 295 days ago |

Here’s how we name our products:

We always begin with a prayer — a quiet wish for how the future might change through what we’re building.

It’s not just branding. It’s a form of intention: “May this tool help create the kind of world we want to see.”

Sometimes we use words with double meanings, or sounds that evoke multiple layers. But when no name comes, maybe it’s simply not the moment yet.

Wishing you a beautiful spark of insight soon.

m4jor101 295 days ago |

I tried building this tool(https://bilgu.com/tools/ai-generated-names) to solve such dillemma, You can also get only those that have .com available.

muzani 295 days ago | |

Thanks but I'm always paranoid of these tools. They're sort of like "check your password security" apps, seems like a way to farm valuable data.

PaulHoule 295 days ago |

"Tell me, Tom, have you given it a name yet?"

Tom smiled ruefully. "No. I have a harder job naming some of these things than I do figuring them out. Have you any ideas?"

"How about calling it the Spacelane Brain?" Arvid Hanson suggested.

-- https://www.tomswift.info/homepage/rocket2.html

I hate to be that guy but you can ask an LLM. I cut 'n pasted your query into Copilot and got a long personalized response addressed to me by name, but it came up with: Devique, APiha, Infirtion, Chisel, Scaffold, Launchpad, CodeSprint, CycleUp, SnapAPI, Syntax, Rapidly, Zeed.

I was in a team that made a game over a weekend at a hackathon, one member got an LLM to make up a name, we won a prize, maybe the name was 5% of that.

You might want to be smarter than Microsoft and run a trademark search before you use it!

milanspeaks 295 days ago | |

Thank you for such a lovely answer. I tried all LLMs - free and paid, used name generator, namelix.com but nothing seems to attract me or is not available.

I liked Launchpad from your suggestions but it's not available.

PaulHoule 295 days ago | | |

How about Launchpad9?