Blog Name Ideas: How to Choose a Blog Name

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Blog Name Ideas: How to Choose a Blog Name

Are you looking for blog name ideas for a new blog? Here’s everything you need to know about how to choose a blog name that you will love!

Choosing a blog name is very important, but it can also be very hard.

Your blog’s name is the first impression you give off to potential readers. You want a name that is catchy, professional, and suits your blog.

It’s also important to choose the right name from the beginning, because changing your blog name later on is a huge hassle! (Trust me, I would know. I started Blogging Her Way under a different name, and eventually changed it after one year. You do not want to have to go through that process.)

I know that coming up a with the perfect blog name can be difficult, which is why I put this list of blog name ideas and tips together to help you!

Below you’ll find strategies for brainstorming blog name ideas, as well as examples of blog names from established, successful blogs in various niches.

Check out these guides for specific blog name ideas:

Blog Name Availability Checker

When coming up with a blog name, you will want to make sure that the domain name (the .com version of the name) is not already registered.

When you start your blog with Bluehost you will get a FREE domain name, saving you $15 to $20. So how can you see if the name you want is available?

After you click “Get Started” on this page and select the $2.95 a month plan (this is the cheapest plan and the one I recommend) you will be able to put in your intended domain name to see if it’s available to register or not.

If you haven’t decided on a blog name yet, you can skip this step and get a credit to come back later to choose your domain name within 30 days.

How to Start a Blog for Beginners

At the end of this article I have included step-by-step instructions for starting your blog in under one hour once you have chosen a blog name.

You can also enroll in my free Blogging Bootcamp course for beginners:

Without further ado, here are the tips for how to come up with a blog name!

I’ve also included examples from real, successful bloggers for each idea.

1. Choose your blog niche.

The first thing you should decide if you haven’t already is what you’re going to blog about, AKA your niche. This can be helpful in choosing a name for your blog.

If you haven’t already decided on a niche, get my free list of 150+ blog niche ideas. This will give you tons of inspiration for what to blog about!

Once you know your niche, you can choose a name for your blog that is aligned with your niche and immediately lets readers know what your blog is about.

2. Research your competitors.

One way to start brainstorming blog name ideas is to do some research on your competitors! Checking out similar blogs can be a great source of inspiration.

For example, if you are starting a travel blog, just Google “best travel blogs” and there are plenty of lists with hundreds of popular travel blogs on them that come up. You can browse these lists for some blog name ideas, as well as to find ideas for travel-related words you can use in your own blog name.

3. Use your own name.

This blog naming idea is the simplest one: Consider using your own name for your blog! Using your full name is a great way to establish your personal brand.

Some examples of successful bloggers who use their own name are:

Melyssa Griffin (business blog)
Caroline Vencil (personal finance blog)
Kayleigh Zara (lifestyle blog)

So as you can see, using your own name can work for any type of blog.

4. Use your first name.

If you don’t want to use your full name as your blog name, another idea is using your first name and adding modifying words.

Here are some examples of popular blogs with this type of name:

Affordable by Amanda (fashion blog)
Jennifer Maker (DIY & craft blog)
Mostly Morgan (lifestyle blog)
Adventurous Kate (travel blog)
Helene in Between (lifestyle blog)

You can put an adjective before your name, or make it into a fun rhyming or alliterative phrase. The options here are endless!

5. Combine an adjective + noun.

This is a good blog naming formula you can follow. Choose an adjective and noun related to your niche, and combine them! To come up with potential words you can use, first think of your niche and brainstorm some words related to it.

Then use a thesaurus to find even more similar words. Let’s say you’re starting a personal finance blog. Some ideas I just came up with using this method include The Wealthy Wallet, Frugal Mama, Inspired Budgeter, The Savvy Investor, etc.

Here are some real-life examples of blogs that use this naming strategy:

Practical Wanderlust (travel blog)
Millennial Money (personal finance blog)
The Realistic Mama (parenting blog)
A Sassy Spoon (food blog)
The Savvy Couple (personal finance blog)

With this type of blog name, you can either just use an adjective and noun, or add a word to the beginning like The, A, An, My, Our, This, etc.

6. Use your identity.

Another way to come up with a name for your blog is to use elements of your own identity to come up with a unique name that shows what type of blog you have.

For some examples, consider these blog names:

The Blonde Abroad (travel blog)
Fit Mommy in Heels (fashion blog)
I Heart Arts n Crafts (DIY & craft blog)
Midwest Foodie (food blog)
World Travel Family (travel blog)

All of these blog names immediately let you know what kind of blog it is, while showing some of the identity of the blogger.

You can incorporate aspects of your identity such as personality, physical appearance, hobbies and interests, location, and so on. Get creative here!

7. Make it a sentence.

Here’s an idea for naming your blog: Make it a sentence! Instead of choosing a typical name, come up with a short phrase or statement as your blog name.

Here are some blog name ideas that are sentences:

Make Money Your Way (personal finance blog)
Sew Some Stuff (sewing blog)
Let’s Reach Success (lifestyle blog)
Show Me the Yummy (food blog)
Moms Make Cents (personal finance blog)

Sentences like this are catchy and make your blog name memorable.

Note: You don’t want to make the sentence too long! A good rule is to keep your blog name to four words or less. Otherwise, it becomes a mouthful!

8. Combine a noun + noun.

Another way you can come up with a blog name is by combining two nouns related to your blog niche in the format “Word and Word.”

Want to see what I mean? Some examples of blogs like this are:

Cupcakes and Cashmere (lifestyle blog)
Suitcase and Heels (travel blog)
Root and Revel (food blog)
A Passion and a Passport (travel blog)
Arts and Classy (DIY & craft blog)

Again, you can use a thesaurus to find related words. You can also choose two words that start with the same letter for a fun alliterative effect.

9. Create your own word.

To come up with a really catchy blog name, you can make up your own word.

If this is done well, it can create an extremely catchy and unique name. If done poorly (by making up a word that is hard to pronounce or doesn’t really make sense) then it could hurt your blog. So proceed with caution when doing this!

These are some blogs with made-up names:

Fitnancials (personal finance blog)
Sewrella (sewing blog)
Fantabulosity (lifestyle blog)
Crochetpreneur (crochet blog)

As you can see, although these blogs all have made-up names, they are clever and give you an idea about what the blog is about right away.

Tip: If you’re going to make up a word to use as your blog name, run it by a few people first to make sure they “get” it and think it makes sense.

10. Start your name with a verb.

This is a blog naming idea I really like and what I have personally done with several of my blogs, including this one! Basically, you use a descriptive verb to create a blog name that immediately grabs the reader’s attention.

For example, “Blogging Her Way” lets you know that this is a website about blogging, and it also clues you in that it’s targeted at women.

For some more examples of blog names like this, check out these names:

Redefining Mom (parenting blog)
Organize Yourself Skinny (health & fitness blog)
Making Sense of Cents (personal finance blog)
Chasing a Better Life (lifestyle blog)

These types of names are very action-driven and can show the result that you will give to your target audience. (For instance, Making Sense of Cents implies that this blog will help you understand your finances and money better.)

Blog Names Ideas: What to Avoid

So now that I’ve shared quite a few ideas for how to choose a blog name, here are some things you should avoid when coming up with a name for your blog.

1. Making it too long.

I mentioned this above, but it’s worth reiterating. Don’t make your blog name too long, or else it will be harder to remember and pronounce.

The ideal length for a blog name is two or three simple words, with four words being the limit you probably should not go over.

2. Using hyphens or numbers.

Again, you want to make your blog name easy to remember and pronounce. Don’t use hyphens (“Fashion-Frenzy”) or numbers (“Ways 2 Make Money”) in your blog name, because this looks super unprofessional.

It might be tempting if the name you want is taken, but you’re better off choosing a new name than modifying a name with hyphens or numbers.

3. Using misspelled words.

Along the same lines as above, just don’t do this.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but you’ll always have to be explaining your name (“My blog is called The Krafty Home, but crafty with a K…”) and it won’t be as professional sounding or easy to remember.

4. Choosing an ending other than .com.

If the domain name you want is taken as a .com, it may be tempting to go with another ending such as .net, .co, or .blog.

Don’t do it! These alternate domain endings are less common, less professional, and harder to remember. Using the .com ending is the golden standard, and you’re better off choosing a name that is available as a .com.

5. Putting yourself in a box.

Lastly, one thing to consider when choosing a blog name is whether you’re putting yourself in a box with that name. Don’t choose a super-specific name if you think you might want to change or expand your focus later.

For example, the name Stock Investing Tips might be good if you ONLY plan to write about stock investing forever, but what happens if you want to write about other personal finance or investing topics later on?

You might consider choosing a more broad name now, so that you aren’t extremely limited in what you write about later on.

Similarly, don’t choose a name you will soon outgrow. The name Traveling with Toddlers for a family travel blog is cute and catchy, but what happens when your children are no longer toddlers? A name like Family of Travelers may work better.

Blog Name Ideas: How to Start Your Blog

Do you have your blog name idea ready to go?

Here’s how to get your blog started in less than an hour!

You will also get your chosen domain name for free, saving you $15 to $20!

Even if you HAVEN’T decided on a blog name yet, you can still start your blog now and get a credit to come back and choose your domain name within 30 days.

Step 1: Set Up Web Hosting

If you want to make money as a blogger, you will need to have a self-hosted blog. This means that you own all of your content and your blog is totally yours, as opposed to using a hosted platform such as Blogger, Wix, WordPress.com, etc.

Even if you are not a very technical person, setting up web hosting is extremely simple and only takes a few minutes.

First, you will need to choose a web host.

The web hosting company I use and recommend is Bluehost.

Here are a few reasons why I like Bluehost:

They have some of the most affordable web hosting plans out there.
You can get your domain name for free with them (as opposed to paying $15 to $20 with an outside company.)
Their service is reliable and robust, so you will never have to worry about your website going down or loading slowly.
Many of the most successful bloggers I know use Bluehost.
They have great customer support and I have always had my questions answered quickly whenever I needed help.

Bluehost has very generously offered hosting packages starting at just $2.95 a month for readers of Blogging Her Way, along with a FREE domain name.

To get this special pricing, just be sure to use any Bluehost link in this article!

Here’s how to set up web hosting with Bluehost:

1. Click here and then click the “Get Started” button:

2. Select your hosting plan

3. Put in your domain name

Select this option and you can go ahead and set up your blog now, then use the free credit to buy your domain name later.

4. Create your hosting account

5. Choose your package and pay

I recommend the 12-month plan for $2.95 a month, for a total cost of $35.40 for the year. But you can also choose a 24-month or 36-month plan.

6. Congrats, you’re done!

Now you’re all set! Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you.

What exactly is WordPress? WordPress is the content management platform that your blog will run on. Your WordPress dashboard is where you will go to edit the look of your blog, write blog posts, upload images, etc.

It’s extremely easy to use, even if you’re a total beginner.

Step 2: Design Your Blog

Now it’s time for the fun part – designing your blog!

When you log in to your WordPress dashboard for the first time, you will be prompted to go ahead and choose a theme for your blog:

You can pick one of these default themes if you want, but I don’t recommend it.

For one, the majority of these free default themes are not designed with bloggers in mind. Most are designed for business websites.

Additionally, choosing a premium theme over a default theme will make your blog look more professional right from the start.

The themes I recommend most for new bloggers are Bluchic themes because they are so easy to set up and have great customer support. I am using their “Victoria” theme on my blog right now!

Here are some other great themes I have worked with before:

17th Avenue
Pix & Hue

Once you have decided on and purchased a theme, it’s time to install it!

To install your theme, go to Appearance > Themes in the lefthand menu of the WordPress dashboard, which looks like this:

Then simply upload your theme file and click “Activate.”

Step 3: Start Blogging

Congrats on making it this far! What should you do next?

Write your first blog post! To do this, you just go to Posts > Add New in the WordPress dashboard. Once you’ve written a blog post, just hit the “Publish” button and your post will be live and out there in the world.

Here are some resources to help you start writing blog posts:

For new bloggers, I recommend getting 5 to 10 solid blog posts up (don’t rush it – quality over quantity applies!) and working on building your audience.

More Blogging Tips

Looking for more blogging tips to help you start your blog?

Don’t miss the following blog posts:

About the author: Dale is the founder of Blogging Her Way and the creator of several other successful blogs. She's here to help you start and grow a money-making blog and profit from your passions.