Website name or domain name? They are not the same thing
Your website name is the brand people see in your header, logo and social profiles. Your domain name is the address they type to reach you. The two are often identical, which is the easiest setup for visitors, but they do not have to be. Many sites use a friendly brand name with a slightly different address, and the mismatch is usually where people get lost.
The practical approach is to choose the name first and then check the domain, which is exactly what this tool does. Start by picking what you are naming: a blog, an online store, a portfolio, a community or a business site. The tool then sets a matching style, audience and tone, and adds endings that suit that kind of site, such as notes and journal for a blog or studio and works for a portfolio. Every idea is looked up on the extension you choose, and each one has quick links to check whether the same name is free on X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, because a name that works everywhere is easier to promote.
How to name different kinds of websites
Blogs and personal sites
A blog name should suit your voice and last as your interests shift. Topic words combined with a friendly ending such as notes, journal or diary work well, as do short invented words. Avoid locking the name to a year or a single topic you might outgrow.
Online stores
A store name needs to sound trustworthy and be easy to pass along by word of mouth. Pairing your product category with a word like shop, store or market is clear, while a brandable name gives you room to add new product lines. Try the Classic style for the first approach and Brandable for the second.
Portfolios and freelance work
Your own name, or your name with a word such as studio, works well because clients search for it. If your name is common or hard to spell, a short brand name that you can say in one breath is a better choice.
Communities, guides and review sites
Topic-led names such as a subject plus hub, club or guide tell visitors what to expect. Make sure the name does not promise more than the site delivers; a name that suggests official or expert status you do not have can damage trust.
A simple process for choosing the name
- Describe your website in three words and use the strongest one as your keyword.
- Pick a style: Classic for descriptive names, Startup or Brandable for names that feel like a brand.
- Shortlist five to ten names and ignore the rest.
- Say each name aloud, then type it from memory the next day.
- Check trademarks and matching social media handles.
- Register the domain with a registrar you trust, using an account you control.
What to avoid in a website name
- Hyphens and numbers, which people forget when they type or speak the name.
- Names so narrow that they stop fitting when your site grows.
- Close copies of well-known brands, which can cause confusion and legal trouble.
- Very long names, which are hard to remember and awkward on mobile screens.
For the background on how the address side works, including extensions, costs and privacy, read the complete guide to choosing a domain name.