> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Name Game: How Emma Bryant Turned a Branding Pet Peeve Into The Nameist - URL: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/women-who-lead/the-name-game-how-emma-bryant-turned-a-branding-pet-peeve-into-the-nameist/ - Published: 2026-09-25T01:46:55.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-25T01:46:54.000Z - Author: Editorial team - Tags: Women Who Lead Every brand needs a name, but almost no one has a process for finding one. Emma Bryant learned this the hard way as a copywriter at advertising and branding agencies, where naming projects had a habit of spiraling into chaos: endless spreadsheets of half-baked ideas, stakeholders locked in debates over personal taste, and trademark issues surfacing right when everyone thought a name was locked in. Rather than accept the mess as inevitable, Bryant built her own system. She developed clear criteria for judging a name (memorability, conceptual relevance, room to grow) and got disciplined about presenting fewer, stronger options, each backed by trademark checks and a sample brand story. The result was a process that felt less like guesswork and more like strategy, and it worked well enough that she turned it into a business of her own, [The Nameist](https://www.thenameist.com/?ref=foundedbywomen.org). Below, Bryant talks about the naming project that best captures her philosophy of packing maximum meaning into minimum space, the AI tool she built to bring her framework to more founders, and where she wants to take The Nameist next. > Know a founder (or are one) doing incredible work? **Founded by Women Awards** are open for entries. If you're building something bold, leading with purpose, or driving change in your industry, we'd love for you to enter. 👉 [foundedbywomen.org/awards](https://www.foundedbywomen.org/awards/) --- ### Q: What inspired you to start The Nameist, and how did your background in branding and advertising lead you to specialize specifically in naming? My first jobs were copywriter roles at advertising and branding agencies. Naming projects would come in all the time — every brand or product does need a name after all. And as the copywriter, the task would usually fall to me. But I found that these projects often descended into chaos. Some clients came with spreadsheets full of ideas to sort through. Name presentations would descend into heated debates of personal taste between stakeholders. Or a name would be approved only for a trademark issue to pop up at the last minute. I started figuring out my own ways to meet and solve these challenges. I started by developing a criteria for measuring the success of a name. Things like memorability, conceptual relevance, and room to grow. This gave me a way to align teams from the beginning on what we were setting out to do. I also got strict about how many names I’d present in a round. Fewer options complete with sample brand stories, trademark checks, and explanations measured against the criteria everyone had already agreed upon. This transformed a drawn out process into a reliably efficient one that produced successful names everyone felt confident in. I realized this could fill a gap many founders and companies struggled with — so I started my own consultancy. I decided to name it after the moniker I had already come to be known by: [The Nameist](https://www.thenameist.com/?ref=foundedbywomen.org). ### Q: Can you share a specific naming project or challenge that speaks to your approach - building names that carry meaning and hold up under scrutiny? I like to think of a name like a suitcase, a small space that can hold a lot (when packed correctly). Clients often have a long wishlist of things they’d like a name to convey. Of course, there always have to be tradeoffs. A name can’t do everything, but I like to find ways to maximize meaning when I can. Recently, I worked on naming a new pasture-raised egg brand. For every carton sold, a carton would be donated to school-kids in need. The client wanted a name that would fit naturally in the egg category, while also conveying the do-good nature of the brand and the higher quality of the eggs. A tall order! I gave them the name “[Two Birds](https://twobirdseggs.com/?srsltid=AU7gw4XNe9EVS2PA-CnPs2bUzZpBsSuFVEgMBIDTtv9NCZS4413XqEP2&ref=foundedbywomen.org).” A playful twist on “two birds with one stone,” capturing the double impact of one choice: better eggs for your family and vital food for another. ### What's next for The Nameist? I’ve been enjoying writing about naming on [Substack](https://thenameist.substack.com/), which has led to more speaking engagements and workshops. I recently gave a talk to the team at Monzo. They often have new products and features rolling out that need naming, so I led a workshop on how to build a successful naming process. I’d love to be on more panels and conferences as a specialist on naming — and continue to bring my expertise to this important yet often overlooked side of branding. I also recently built an AI-powered tool called [Nametag](https://nametag.live/?ref=foundedbywomen.org), which evaluates name ideas against a user-entered brief. It's free to use and provides structured feedback on the strengths and weakness of a name, based on my own framework. At the end of the day, I love the creativity of finding the perfect name for something. I hope to continue working with founders, businesses, and agencies through the consultancy — and help turn names from a brand's biggest challenge into one of its greatest strengths. > Are you a woman leader with an inspiring story? Founded by Women elevates the voices of women making an impact. > Breaking barriers or paving the way for others? We'd love to feature you. Get in touch! 👉 [hi@foundedbywomen.org](mailto:hi@foundedbywomen.org)