Naming an organization is a big deal considering it will become part of the identity of the organization.
There are two basic approaches to naming an organization, clever or clear. If you choose the clever route, make sure you choose a clear tagline or value proposition, don’t try and be clever with both, it will confuse more people than you think. If you are only planning to make a living in your local community, consider a clear name. The only reason you might want to use a clever name is to stand out, and make it easier to trademark. More on trademarks below.
Consider taking some time to deliberately brainstorm ideas with other people. Maybe start by making a list of the core values or benefits of the organization that you want to incorporate in the future branding and marketing. Then consider verbs and adjectives for those words. Then consider some prefixes and suffixes for those words. I would recommend using no more than three words for the organization, so it is easier to remember and search for online.
A good naming rule is, the shorter the better, because it is easier to remember. If you have some good words that is suggestive of the product, service, or a benefit of the organization, consider searching online for other words that rhymes with them… https://www.rhymezone.com/. Or, search for another word that begins with the same letters, or ends with the same letters… https://scrabble.merriam.com/. This is referred to as alliteration, when two words share some sound. You can also consider searching an online thesaurus for similar words.
Once you have many contenders do a search for the online domains at https://instantdomainsearch.com. This website can also help you consider other alternatives. Also consider doing a basic Google search of the potential names to see what shows up. This should help you narrow down the list. Then take some time, preferably weeks, to regularly review and renew the list and think about it.
If you are just interested in making a living from your local community or state, I would start by checking your potential names in your state Secretary of State business search database, to make sure it’s not already in use for the product or service you plan to offer. If you are interested in providing products or services nation wide, you might consider trademarking the name so no one can copy it. You don’t need a Trademark (TM) lawyer or attorney, you can do it yourself by learning about trademarks. You can also do a lot of the research yourself and hire a TM attorney to file for you. Even if you plan to hire a TM attorney for the whole process, I would still learn about it, so you can better understand what the attorney is talking about.
It is my understanding that, if your organization’s name is unique, you can put a small TM next to it notifying people that you desire to keep it unique. While this gives you some protection, it is not as good as getting a certified registered trademark. If you file for, and are approved for a trademark by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) you can then put a small circled R next to your name to let people know it is an approved and registered trademark.
According to the USPTO there are five types of names, fanciful, arbitrary, suggestive, descriptive, and generic. A fanciful name is invented or made up (like Google), and is most likely to qualify, if not already taken. An arbitrary name has no association or relation to the product or services the organization provides (like Apple), and is very likely to qualify, if not already taken. A suggestive name implies a possible quality or benefit of the product or services (like Coppertone), might qualify if not already taken. A descriptive name is more clear, by providing an idea of what the product or service is. But these are less likely to be approved for a trademark, unless it has become a very big organization and the name has become “distinctive” through “extensive” use. Then there are the generic names, which are the most clear, but not eligible for trademark (like bike shop).
I would also recommend reading their Strong trademarks article... https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/strong-trademarks. It is a quick and clear read about what can be trademarked and what can’t.
Many organizations are finding success in trademarking a unique fanciful name by combining two words to invent a new word. Some examples of this includes, Facebook, DoorDash, Citysearch, or Coinbase. You can also consider replacing letters that sound similar, like replacing an i with a y, or an ease with an eze, or ise, with ize. If you want to browse some creative ideas consider Idealab’s website company list… https://www.idealab.com/all_companies.php.
If you are still interested in trademarking a name, search the US Patent and Trademark (USPTO) database… https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/search/search-information. Even if you plan to use a trademark (TM) lawyer, it is a good idea to have a basic idea of what can and can’t be trademarked, as it can save your TM lawyer time (and save you money) if you do the basic search work. When you do a search on here you can filter out the “dead” trademarks after you do your initial search by unchecking the box on the left next to the word “dead.”
If your names appear in a category other than the one you want to use it for, you might still be able to trademark your potential names for your category. You can go to the USPTO online Trademark ID manual and search for the category you want to use for your TM… https://idm-tmng.uspto.gov/id-master-list-public.html.
If you have a potential name that clears the TM database for your category, that still doesn’t mean you can trademark it. If there is an organization already using it for your category that did not register it for a national trademark, you probably can’t trademark it. To do a complete search for all organizations in the U.S. you would have to search each of the fifty states Secretary of State business databases… https://www.secstates.com/ and https://secretaryofstate.com/.
If your name clears those, you should be good for a trademark so no one can copy your name for your category of product or services. Good luck.