Best-named startups are companies whose names do unusual work: they are distinctive, easy to say and spell, legally ownable, and elastic enough to grow with the business. In this series we break down the naming strategy behind standout brands — the linguistic patterns, trademark posture, and domain moves that made each name defensible — so you can borrow the underlying principles for your own brand.
We ran a batch of new startups through BrandScreen — trademarks, domains, entities, and search competition. Notchkin scored a near-perfect 97/100.
We screened every company in the YC Spring 2026 batch — trademarks, domains, entities, and search competition. Plan0 AI came out on top.
A teardown of Stripe's name — a short, real-word, ownable brand — and the naming principles you can borrow for your own startup.