Choosing a blog name is hard, y'all. But so rewarding when you have that ding ding moment and say “This is IT!” and proceed to do a dance around the room.
Since posting this article, I've merged it with part 1 to make a single blog post. Read the whole thing at: choosing a name for your blog.
Ready to Start Your Blog?
I created this simple, step-by-step tutorial to set up your first WordPress blog! Learn how to start a blog here.
Did vetting your potential names lead you back to the drawing board or solidify your choice as “the one”?
Get Productive with Day Batching!
Subscribe and receive this tool to help you get the most out of your week!
Hey- I'm Melissa! I'm a mom, side hustler, online course instructor, and brand marketer. I run a 6-figure blog helping online biz owners find their a-ha moments with can-do tips, tutorials, and online courses. I also work at Burt's Bees as the assistant manager of Brand Engagement (yep, it's as cool as it sounds). Jump start your biz productivity with my free worksheet!
Oh I am so stuck at this step. Originally went with Umbrella Tree Cafe, but now have been going back and forth between some others that have more words (because what I wanted wasn’t available). Thinking I may just go with the original or back to the drawing board.
I like Umbrella Tree with no “Cafe”. Umbrella Tree sounds interesting and Cafe sounds like a restaurant or job board. Hope that helps!
When choosing my blog name I thought I’d found “the one”, but it wasn’t available so I had to go back to the drawing board. I’m so glad it worked out that way, though, because I love my blog’s name! I can’t even remember my “brilliant” original choice.
My only qualm about my name is that when it’s squished together it kind of looks like “HITS Jilly” instead of “Hi it’s Jilly”. Not a blog about violence, people. Ha ha! 😉
Wow – what a thorough mini-series on naming a blog. One thing I would highlight is will people have a clue what your blog is about from your name alone? If not, you need to add a prominent tag line that further explains it. You have about 2 seconds to get a visitor to read more and if they have no idea what your blog is about immediately, they are gone.
Ive been thinking of changing my blog name too – my blogspot is my first name and the initial of my surname but my actual blog name ‘Anastasia Drawing & Dreaming) feels too long now (and a little irrelevant…) as I went from a place to upload my drawings to a Lifestyle/Inspiration blog – so much to think about?
Maybe I should just get a new banner made?
I think just drawing &Dreaming sounds nice and 3 syllables shorter, even though you dont post your drawing anymore you probably still like to draw(thats just a guess I dont know you) which shows abit of your personality and the dreaming part is the whole life thing
thanks Stephanie – didnt think of that, I always thought my name in the title would be important – maybe not?!
Loved the Pen Island example!
I have learned my lesson about picking a blog name with potential. I started a blog geared towards a certain topic and I found a blog name that fit that topic (or I suppose keyword); however, I quickly decided I wanted to use the blog to encompass a broader niche and now I’m finding that I have to add a disclaimer.
Plus, my name has offended people, and that is definitely something to take into consideration. I had a man contact me to inform me that my blog suggested that I was talking about how to ‘trap’ men like they are mindless objects. No matter how much I explained my positive intentions, the name of my blog kept him very, very angry.
All great suggestions in this two part article, and should be followed diligently.
First you talk about penisland. Then you talk about staying power. How’s a juvenile person like myself suppose to hold it together in a situation like this?
Lmao at the previous commenter. The points you’ve made in this post made me change my mind about waiting to change my blog name. I’m going for it! I want to be able to blog about whatever I want without feeling like I’m doing something wrong, like I’m betraying my audience. And I’ll admit, I want to expand my moneymaking and giveaway opportunities. I can’t wait to see what you’re going to be writing next!
I cannot believe that Pen Island site! Their pens look lovely, their design is really appealing but oh, the url… *still laughing* (I’m now wondering what sort of traffic they get from what sort of search terms… *facepalms*)
Fabulous tips. I especially like the added tip in a previous comment regarding the tagline. I know my blog name doesnt scream a particular topic, but my tagline narrows it down. And i like the way it sounds all together when read aloud. Blog name and url cohesiveness is so important, im glad you’ve put this together for newbies!
Thanks for so helpful information. I’m very new to the blog scene as I finally decided to start my very own blog. I am in the process of gathering as much information and tips as I can so as to make the start of this journey as painless (fingers crossed) as possible. Your tips and how-to’s are a great source.
My blogs name is Natural Chow, and it’s a healthy food website, but so many people think it’s healthy pet/dog food. I have been blogging for a year and was wondering if I should change my blog name before it’s too late. Thoughts? Pleeease help. I don’t mean to beg, but I’m desperate.
Yes, you most definitely should. I thought it was also for pets while reading unti you explained it wasn’t.
Hi, this was extremely helpful! I am in the process of choosing a blog name and I have three potentials. They are: Creative Leonor, Leonor’s Place and Leonor by the Coast. The last one really grabs me because I grew up in the Caribbean. However, presently I live no where near a coast and thus, the only potential snag is that I would not want to mislead my audience into thinking that I live a coastal lifestyle. The main topics in my blog will be home decor, recipes and travel, all inspired by the coasts of the Caribbean and my deep connection and to this part of the world. Leonor was my maternal grandmother’s name who recently passed away and I was also named after her. I really love the fact that I can use my name and pay tribute to my late grandmother. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Great post with really useful information. I’m about to set up my second, but first self-hosted, blog and finding a name is really a pain in the a…I had so many, as I thought, original name ideas, which all turned out to be taken. I’ve spent hours on wordoid, godaddy, thesaurus, the us trademark site etc. …to mention just a few. But on the other hand, I really read some great posts and articles on the way and learned new stuff. Hopefully, I’ll have my name set in the next days.
Thanks Melissa.
Heila