Your mum will love any name you choose. Real testing requires strangers, data, and the willingness to kill names you've fallen in love with. Here are 5 tests that actually predict success.
Test 1: The 5-Second Memory Test
Show the name for 5 seconds. Hide it. Ask them to spell it 30 seconds later.
Test 2: The Phone Spelling Test
Say the name over the phone. Ask them to spell it back. Voice-only reveals pronunciation problems.
Test 3: The Search Intent Test
Google your name idea. What comes up? Competitors? Unrelated results? Nothing? You want "nothing" - proof of distinctiveness.
Test 4: The Stranger Survey
Use Prolific or UserTesting. 50 strangers, £50 budget. Ask what industry they'd guess based on the name alone.
Test 5: The Domain Availability Test
If .co.uk is taken, someone else validated the name already. That's a conflict, not a compliment.
Warning: Testing with employees and friends gives 70% false-positive feedback. They want to support you, not give you truth.
Generic Names Can't Be Trademarked
If you want legal protection and a name competitors can't copy, make it distinctive from day one. Testing reveals distinctiveness problems early.