Naming a blog takes an afternoon if you separate generating from deciding. Most people do both at once, fall in love with the third idea, and discover the problem two weeks later when nobody can spell it. The prompts below split the job into two stages so you get a shortlist worth arguing about.
Step 1 — Generate a shortlist worth arguing about
1. Positioning-First Ideas
My blog covers [topic] for [audience], and the main promise is [what the reader gets]. Generate 20 name ideas that reflect the promise rather than the topic. For each name, add one line explaining what it promises. Avoid names that could describe any blog in any niche.What it does: Starts from the promise, which is the part a reader reacts to.
How to use: Fill all three brackets before running it. If the promise is vague, the names will be too — fix the promise first.
2. Reader-Vocabulary Names
Here is how my readers describe their own problems: [paste 5-10 phrases from forums, reviews or comments]. Turn their words into 15 blog name ideas. Use their vocabulary, not marketing vocabulary, and avoid any name that sounds like a consultancy.What it does: Builds a name from language your audience already uses, which makes it memorable for the right people.
How to use: Paste raw quotes. Real phrasing beats a cleaned-up summary every time.
3. Pattern Variations
Take my best three names so far: [list 3 names] and generate 12 variations using different patterns: two-word compound, verb plus object, a place-like metaphor, a number, an unexpected pairing. Keep each one under three words and avoid hyphens.What it does: Pushes past the obvious first idea into patterns you would not have tried.
How to use: Paste names you only half like. Variations of a mediocre name often beat the original.
Step 2 — Test before you commit
4. Say-It-Out-Loud Test
Here is my shortlist: [list names]. For each name, flag: words that are commonly misspelled, words that sound like another word when spoken, names that are hard to say after a mouthful of coffee, and names that lose meaning when written in lowercase. Rank the shortlist from easiest to hardest to pass along verbally.What it does: Tests the channel that matters most — one person telling another the name.
How to use: Read the list to someone over the phone and ask them to write it down. Their spelling is the answer.
5. Recall and Confusion Check
For each name on this list: [list names], tell me what category a stranger would assume the blog is about, what else the name could plausibly mean, and how easily it could be confused with an unrelated brand. Then list what I should check manually before choosing.What it does: Surfaces the wrong assumptions a name creates, and hands you a manual checklist instead of pretending to know the market.
How to use: Do the manual checks yourself — trademark searches and handle availability are not things to take on trust.
6. Availability Reality Check
My chosen name is [name]. Write a launch checklist for the name covering: domain options if the exact match is unavailable, social handle fallbacks, email address patterns, how to adjust the written form of the name if the exact domain cannot be used, and what to verify before printing anything.What it does: Plans the fallback before you need it, so a taken domain does not restart the whole process.
How to use: Replace [name] with your favourite, then actually check each item. Assume nothing is available until you have looked.
Common mistakes
- Choosing at the same time as generating, which stops you from exploring past idea number five.
- Picking a name that only makes sense once someone has read your about page.
- Locking a name before checking the written form, the spoken form and the handle at the same time.
Keep going
- Browse the Blogging prompt library
- 5 ChatGPT prompts for blog niche selection
- 5 Gemini prompts for author bios
More free prompts for blogging are waiting in the GuPrompt library.