When you think of iconic brands, there’s no doubt that a select few immediately come to mind. But how exactly did these businesses create such successful and memorable company names?
In this post, the UK’s leading company formation agent, Rapid Formations, shares the stories behind some of the most famous brand names. They might even inspire you to create your perfect company name if you’re considering starting a business.
Google is one of the most memorable company names. But did you know that it came about by mistake?
In 1998, it was first known as ‘Googol’, a mathematical term for a very large number (1 followed by 100 zeros). The term intended to represent the endless results that the search engine could generate. Clever.
However, when founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin went to register the domain name, they accidentally misspelt their company name as ‘Google’. The rest, as they say, is history.
One of the main reasons behind Google’s success is its timing. Having launched when the internet was still relatively new, it was all to play for, and its superior user interface has given it the search engine monopoly it has today.
Also, decades after its launch, Google is a powerful company name because its users converted it into a verb. We don’t say, “I need to look something up;” we say, “Google it.” And so, the company name has become part of our everyday vocabulary—it was even added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2006.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is another world-famous brand that was created by accident. In the late 1800s, pharmacist Dr. John Pemberton sought a headache cure.
He created a medicinal sweet syrup, the taste of which went down a treat. Later, it was combined with carbonated water and sold as a “delicious and refreshing” soda fountain drink.
While the recipe remains top secret, it is said to have initially contained coca leaf extracts and kola nuts. However, Pemberton saw the advertising potential in the alliteration, so the Coca-Cola company name was born.
Although the product’s origin may have been unintentional, its superior taste and quality immediately captured consumers’ taste buds, making the company name incredibly memorable to this day. In the early 1940s, the company endorsed the shorter and snappier name ‘Coke’, which is now more commonly used.
Therefore, we can attribute the success of the company name to product quality. Coca-Cola is the market leader in soft drinks. Naturally, numerous copy-cats have attempted to recreate it but haven’t been quite as successful.
Monzo
Are you surprised to see such a new company on our list? Despite only launching in 2015, Monzo has proven to be a true innovator in the banking industry.
The brand completely transformed the cold, old-fashioned banking style into a personalised, convenient, and modern experience. They paired that innovation with big, bold advertising and clever partnerships to stand out from the crowd, making Monzo one of the hottest company names around. They’ve been so successful that they were crowned The Marketing Society’s ‘Brand of the Year 2024’.
But the company name ‘Monzo’ wasn’t the founders’ first choice. Originally registered as ‘Mondo’, the company was sued for breach of copyright, sounding too similar to an existing company name.
To rename the brand, the founders launched a customer competition, asking their community to come up with a new company name starting with ‘M’ to coincide with their logo, which they were keen to keep. The team eventually chose ‘ Monzo ‘ primarily because the domain name was still available from over 9,000 suggestions (which included ‘Monni’, ‘Milo’, and ‘Mido’).
How to choose your perfect company name
Registering the name of a limited company in the UK is relatively simple, but there are some rules and restrictions. It must:
- Be unique and unlike any other existing company name
- Avoid offensive or sensitive words
- Avoid prohibited characters, signs, and symbols
- Not imply a connection to a public authority (like HMRC)
- Be no longer than 180 characters
- End in ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’ (or the Welsh equivalent, if limited by shares)
- End in ‘Public Limited Company’ or ‘PLC’ (or the Welsh equivalent, if public)
There’s a lot to think about. The easiest way to see if your ideal company is available is to use the Rapid Formations company name checker.
Don’t worry; you don’t have to commit to the first company name you register. You can always change it if you find something more fitting or want to rebrand later.
If you’re inspired to start your own success story, the company formation experts at Rapid Formations have you covered. With company formation packages starting at just £52.99, your vision could come to life in hours. Register your company online in four steps or call their team on 020 7871 9990.