Feb 3, 2015 / Beginner

Finding Inspiration for Your Site Title

New to WordPress.com and pondering the perfect site name? Or, been around for a while but sense the need to change? Let’s brainstorm together.

Q&As with bloggers on choosing their site names:

Where’s My Toothbrush? and Raising My Rainbow

Talking Covers

Museum in a Bottle

The Goat That Wrote

Bring Me the Head of David Dixon

She’s a Maineiac

The Importance of Being Serbian

Paper and Salt

Sass & Balderdash

Your site title is one of the first things that readers notice about your site. This title tells visitors what your site is about, but also reveals a bit about you and your personality. If you’re new to WordPress.com, you might still be pondering the perfect site name. But even people who’ve had their sites for several years may consider a name change for different reasons (a shift in the topics written about, a sharper or narrower focus, or something else).

Interested in your own domain name? Whether your site is personal, professional, or somewhere in between, you can find a WordPress.com plan that’s right for you — and all our paid plans come with a free domain.

I offered tips on selecting a site name some years back, but I think many of them still apply. Here are things to think about when choosing yours:

Keep it simple.

Your site title should be straightforward and quickly tell readers what your site is about. Sure, you’ve got a tagline and an About page to describe your site and story in more detail. But your name? Get to the point. Consider Jessica Lee’s Road Essays: two simple words to describe her site of longform travel nonfiction. Or artist Russell Jackson’s Draw the Public, which succinctly describes his passion for drawing the people around him.

A popular blog in linguistics circles, Strong Language is another example that comes to mind: it’s a no-bells-and-whistles name, leaving its tagline — “a sweary blog about swearing” — to reveal its focus.

Be specific — but not wordy.

Related Reading: What’s your UVP, or unique value proposition?

Among the millions of food or travel or parenting or photography sites out there, you want to stand out. What do you have to offer that no one else can? Think of a name that reveals your unique angle or perspective that goes beyond general (Our Family Vacations, Food Recipes for You), but doesn’t become a mouthful (Our Family Vacations and Food Recipes on a Budget).

Be succinct but focused — what about Frugal Family as an alternative for the example above, which is short yet implies various subjects? (It’s also an example of alliteration, which we’ll talk about below.)

Pair words to create playful phrases.

Those of you who are writers work with words, arrange sentences, and move things around. So, experiment and place two words side by side. Create a long list of options. Consider Word Jazz, which combines two one-syllable words to describe Matt Davis’ blog on language and linguistic creativity. Or Wit and Vinegar, which pairs two unlikely nouns and catches you off-guard. I also love the name of artist Chris Sav’s blog, Banal Muffins, where he focuses on drawing, food, and existential crises in his own unique way.

Use common phrases, but with a twist.

Some of my favorite site names mix the familiar with the unexpected. Stacy Harrison’s Revisions of Grandeur plays with the phrase “delusions of grandeur.” (A thumbs up for her tagline as well: “Life’s a draft,” which is not only a beautifully simple phrase about both writing and life, but also riffs on “life’s a bitch.”)

At Let’s Queer Things Up!, Sam Dylan Finch covers pop culture and politics from a queer, feminist perspective, and alludes to the familiar phrase “let’s clear things up” in his name. Other examples are You and Mie, which swaps the blogger’s middle name, Mie, in place of “me”; as well as Nice and Knit, a sewing and crafts blog that borrows from the phrase “nice and neat.”

Find material in quotes.

I love quotes, from passages I’ve highlighted in books to my favorite sayings from Lao Tzu, Gertrude Stein, and Andre Breton that are tattooed in my mind. Consider a quote you return to again and again — a phrase, or a big idea that moves you or reflects who you are. Can you allude to it in some way?

Technology writer Michael Sacasas at The Frailest Thing found inspiration from one of mathematician and philosopher’s Blaise Pascal’s Pensées: “Between us and heaven or hell there is only life, which is the frailest thing in the world.”

Likewise, the staff at the literary magazine Cease, Cows takes its cue from one of their favorite novels, Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. At one point in the book, the main character tells his livestock: “Cease, cows, life is short.” This seeps into their tagline: “Life is short, and so is our fiction.”

Listen to words.

Experimenting with titles by writing them down is not enough — you need to say them out loud. Your site title should not only look good, but sound good. Consider alliteration, or repeating the sound of the first consonant in a series of words, as Sarah Lim does with her food and fashion blog, Denim and Dumplings. Or fall back on the pleasing sound of a rhyme, as Rosie does on her food and recipe site, Wish to Dish.

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    1. it is just my “stage name”.

      I think that makes sense — you want people to know and refer to you by your stage name, right? It’s direct and straightforward.

      Your tagline could then be a quick one-liner about what you actually publish on your blog (ie, “Life as a musician and single bipolar mother” or something).

      Many professional writers and people with online presences simply title their blogs and online homes with their names. It works well for many.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. thanks!!!! this makes me want to keep it the way I have it. i just didn’t know if i should have had “bipolar” or “single mother” in the title. but i guess you’re right – my name encompasses it all, especially if my tagline describes it in more detail.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. It seems a really good name to me as it is – it’s unusual but easy to read and remember – alliterative with the double T thing. I can’t see a tagline but I guess that could flag up your being a mother, musician and bipolar if you want to do that.

      Liked by 1 person

    5. Tara, I think defining the purpose of your blog will help to define your name. I read your about page and you state that this is about writing that is real and honest and raw. If you are promoting your music through your blog (which does not seem to be the case), then stick with Tara Trinity. Otherwise, I would play with your last name. I liked @a little cream and sugar’s comment about “the unholy trinity.” My concern with that title is that it can cast a negative light on you or your blog posts. While the posts are about the real, raw emotions of dealing with your life, and negative things can happen with bipolar, I think the name should be more positive. Maybe something along the lines of “the Trinity of Tara” with a tagline “The real raw emotions of single motherhood, music and bipolar”.

      Liked by 3 people

      2. Emnylibrarian has a good point. It just really depends on you and your personally. For me if I saw that name, even if it sounded a little dark, I would be intrigued by the play on words and at least check out your About me, to see what it was all about. And that’s why the name needs to stick out.

        Liked by 2 people

  3. I chose vitamin BS because that’s what my blog is–a dose of stories, articles, rants. Unfortunately I had to register my site as vitaminbs1 as the name was taken.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I went through five ideas I 3el liked before I found one that was open, but it is far too wordy. TheYoungManAndTheSea3 didn’t appeal to me :/

      Liked by 1 person

  4. It’s kind of wordy to explain in a comment and I don’t want to clutter the comments box and I’ve been taught in Blogging U. that if a comment is more than a paragraph, better make a post out of it.
    So, I added links to my previous posts that explain why I named my blog the way it is and where I get the inspiration from. here it is:

    My Own Private Idaho

    What’s in a name?

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    1. Can’t answer for you if it’s “good” or “bad” — again, it depends on the focus(es) of your blog and if you want to maintain it long-term as a space to promote the book itself — but also the themes and ideas related to the book.

      Having a tight focus is great. But it’s worth remembering that it’s totally OK to write about themes/ideas on the periphery of your book — in other words, view your blog as a complementary arm and natural extension of the ideas and thoughts in your book, not necessarily a strict promotional vehicle for the book only. Does that make sense?

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      1. Thanks. I think I’ve sort of reached the conclusion that the focus of the blog will be similar to the book but will take things further, expand on the theme. I’m hoping to create a community feel with lots of interaction with readers as the book is very much a supportive guide so I’d like the blog to have the same feel to it. Having said that I also enjoy using it as a space for some of my own thoughts, although always bearing the “brand” in mind when I do. ..

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Awesome. I agree fully with your approach — I think you have the right idea of how to balance it all. And it’s important to use the space for your *own* thoughts, I agree. You are your brand, but you’re also you — a person with a POV. The latter is what truly keeps your community coming back.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. As an aside it took me a long time to chose the name of the book. At one point it was called When There’s Twenty Types of Mangoes but No Bananas. ..but no one understood what it was about! In the end I thought it was better to have a book that someone would know exactly what it meant when they saw it rather than a fancy, too clever title. I guess it’s the same for blogging. .(the book is now called The Expat Partner’s Survival Guide).

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you! It’s out soon crossed fingers. Follow my blog for updates! I love the photos on your blog by the way. We’re moving to South Africa this year and have bought a new camera in anticipation of all the photo opportunities. I can only dream of getting such great pictures though!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Not vid irked there. But do be aware that Joburg is probably the least safe part of SA. Having said that, just using common sense is normally enough! 😄 it’s a gorgeous country. Make the most of it!

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    1. I think your existing name is probably better/more straightforward than “Ramblin’ ramblin’ ramblin’… raw-hiiiiiiiiiiide!”

      A general thing worth noting is I don’t get an immediate sense of what your blog is really about from looking at your name and tagline. I went to your About page to get a bit more of your background — and I wonder how you can reveal a bit more of what you like to write (ramble/rant!) about within your name and tagline.

      From your About description, two details I picked up, for example, were that you were recently diagnosed with ADD, and also live in Berlin. I don’t know what you often write about so can’t suggest anything concrete, but it’s worth thinking about the common themes among your posts, and how best to differentiate your blog from the many other blogs with similar titles or sentiments (on ramblings, rants, musings, etc.).

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for the kind reply! The thing is, the blog is too new and I’m quite unsure myself of what it’s about. It really is mostly a rambling platform for musings over subjects that cross our path on our everyday life. Mostly trying either to see both sides of a question, pointing out when someone is stating the opposite side of a question is better than the popular side or just plain bringing up a third angry opinion about a divided subject. I’ll figure it out, somehow. Thanks again! 🙂

        Liked by 3 people

    2. Rosaleen, what captured my attention was your first post where you mentioned a soapbox. I think you could somehow roll ramblings and soapbox together, I think that might help the focus. My first thought was “Ramblings from my Soapbox”…I don’t know why, but I actually wanted to put “ramblings from my soapbox derby”. I think it is because you mention thoughts on a bus and missing a bus. Tagline: something about racing through life and thoughts you have along the way.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I chose my name after my self chosen nickname and the Killers song “Smile like you mean it”. I honestly couldn’t think of anything more appropriate for a blog talking about my feelings and my writing. Also go for Anagrams of appropriate phrases that matter to you. My About page is called Yo More Slideway!

    Liked by 3 people

  11. Finding a name seemed to take me longer than actually signing up. It’s like when you get to that box, you freeze, and then the gears start working. Of course you want it to “POP” and seem witty, yet entertaining enough to bring readers in. Me personally, I just thought about what the content of my blog would be…and since it really is just a myriad of info spewing from my brain, I decided on Statik Magg (Statik Magazine). Asking my readers, “What’s Ya Statik?” leads them to open their own brains while reading some of my posts, to incite any type of discussion they want. This post put finding a good name in perspective though and now my gears are turning again! lol.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So Statik Magg is a magazine? Is it online or are you using the blog as the magazine? What makes it a magazine? or what makes it “magg” as in magnificent?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Well its really an upstart but essentially I would like it to be an online magazine. As of now, I am using the blog as a magazine. To me, this blog would become “MAGG” (I really love ur wordplay here) once I obtain my goal, which is to get maximum discussion on every post, continuously, I love inciting discussion.

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  12. My blog used to be called Sara’s Eats because it was all about food. However, recently I had been thinking about how I want my blog to encompass more than just food — I want it to be a place where I can not only continue sharing food recipes but also, random musings, reflections about life, etc. I came up with a new blog name and bought the domain, Sunshine & Sapphires, after thinking long and hard about it for a few weeks. Sunshine brings to mind warmth and comfort (I want my blog to be a happy place for readers), while sapphires is my birthstone. The combination of the words Sunshine & Sapphires also seemed catchy to me. I got the idea from a site I like reading called Cupcakes & Cashmere.

    Thoughts? 🙂 Here is my page where you can also see my tagline: http://sunshineandsapphires.com/

    Liked by 2 people

  14. I started out with ‘Levy Rector Writes’ but was never happy with it and so I didn’t blog much for months. Then I worked hard at finding a better blog name. I noticed a funy teapot I was given when I became a vicar: it has the words – More tea, vicar? on it – It’s a joke phrase that we vicars are always offered tea wherever we go. I knew my blog needed a name that mentioned all the different thoughts I would be sharing in it and so ‘More thoughts, Vicar’ was born. And then I started blogging much more often and engaging with other bloggers as I felt so much happier with my identity. Worth the effort to find a blog name I could live with – though it doesn’t work as well in other countries or cultures.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I’ve chosen Prodigy as my blog name while keeping my blog’s url https://prodgic.wordpress.com/ since ProdGic sounds like project/professional. I give it a touch the extraordinary, making it young and professional that suiting my blog’s subject “new ways of collaboration by combining design and technology” and innovation

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I’ve had my blog for a couple years now. It took me some time to come up with a name for my site, but, luckily, I was able to come up with something simple and to the point. Any new bloggers, feel free to use my blog name as inspiration for your own blog’s name. EX. Something Something Life. Just trying to be helpful.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Before I wrote my first blog, I came up with the title first. Earlier in 2013 I had begun work on something I thought I would turn into a blog, but I quickly realized it had nothing to distinguish it from anyone else’s as you mention. But I took a personal day several months later and was sitting in a coffee shop writing ideas down based on meaningful things to me….kind of like personal buzzwords. I wrote photographs, then music down. I thought how do I combine these two things together when all of a sudden the word Soundtrack came out, and I realized that was now the idea for my blog, and quickly wrote it out-Soundtrack Of A Photograph. The rest as they say is history!

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Sweat, Tears and Digital Ink refers to the modern writing process – sweat and tears at the sometimes stressful situation of being a writer, and digital ink because self-publishing has given many people the chance to be seen.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. I kept it simple using my art name which is just a pun on dreaming. My tag line is my actual name and what I do.
    This works well for search engines so people can just “Google” me.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. My blog name reflects that I’m an international facilitator and conference speaker, whose specialism is behavioural psychology. I’m also a candid street photographer of people as my hobby. Hence my blog name, Yours Behaviourally

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Nick, I love the blog title. The tagline is a little wordy though. I don’t know how you would shorten the tagline but I think if you just got rid of the “My Blogs on…” it would help to to make it more manageable.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. I have two. But currently just blogging on the leftandinside site. The other is ColleenKicksAss. Left and inside is frankly how I get turned on. And, kicking ass? I thought I’d write about things I found that kicked ass. Wow. That was refreshing. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  29. My blog name comes from my favorite quote: “Resolved, to live with all my might, as long as I do live.” I think it’s a good quote to describe my blog because though I blog about a lot of different things (from daily high school life to mental illness and eating disorder recovery) I’m always trying to live with all my might by being vocal and involved.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. I definitely need some help! Before setting up my site, I brainstormed various things but still trying to use my surname – but to little success. I still want to maintain a level of identity and professionalism.

    Liked by 1 person