He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space In the Naming Game Naming specialist Ragen Alexander says that companies often get stuck thinking they must have a few popular qualities in a brand name. But they're missing big opportunities to capitalize on language in other ways.

There's no one perfect name.

That's the first thing that Ragen Alexander tells his clients. He's worked with Amazon, Meta, Verizon, MetLife, Forever 21, Honda, and many other major brands, and he's often in the position of delivering the tough news that no name can accomplish everything. "You can't have something that's super concise and telegraphic and feels really familiar and comfortable while also representing out-of-the-box thinking and innovation," he says. "Each name comes with its own set of pros and cons, so it's really about determining the greatest opportunity for you."

Also, naming trends come and go. For a while, everyone wanted short and literal names. Or one-word names with missing vowels. Or names with the word "my" in them. But with language, there are so many other possibilities. Here, Alexander offers three fresh ways to think about names — along with existing brands that illustrate the strategies.