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BrandingGuide8 min read

How to Name a Shopify Store (and Check the Name Is Free)

A store name has to be easy to say, free as a domain and a handle, and clear of other brands. Here is the process I use with clients, and what Shopify lets you change later.

Ashraf SiddikAshraf SiddikShopify developer & CRO specialist
Published
Updated
Store name card with four ticked checks: easy to say, domain free, handles free and trademark clear
The four checks every store name should pass before you build anything around it.

Key takeaways

  • Say the name out loud to someone. If they can't spell it after hearing it once, keep looking.
  • Leave room to grow. A name tied to one product gets awkward when you add a second.
  • Check the domain, the Instagram and TikTok handles and a trademark search before you design a logo.
  • You can change the store name in Shopify at any time, but the .myshopify.com address can only be changed a limited number of times, so pick it with care.
Who it is for
New store owners and brands planning a rename
Time needed
About an hour, plus a night to sleep on it
What you need
Three short word lists, a friend to test names on, and the free name tools

Most people name their store last, in a hurry, on the Shopify sign-up screen. Then the name ends up on the domain, the social accounts, the logo, the packaging and every email the store sends, and changing it later means changing all of that.

A good name doesn't have to be clever. It has to be easy to say and spell, free to register, and yours to keep. This guide covers what makes a name work, the four kinds of names stores use, the process I go through with clients, and the checks to run before you commit.

What makes a store name work

I judge a name on four things, roughly in this order.

  • It survives being said out loud. Customers will hear your name in a video, a podcast or from a friend, then type it into a phone. Clever spellings, doubled letters and numbers all get lost on the way.
  • It's short enough to type. Two syllables to four is a comfortable range. Long names get shortened by customers anyway, and often not the way you'd like.
  • It leaves room to grow. “Bamboo Toothbrush Co.” is clear on day one and a problem on the day you add toothpaste. Name the customer, the feeling or the category, not the single product.
  • It's yours. The domain, the handles and the name itself should be free, and no one in your category should already be trading under it.

A real example: Wood Tech, a client store of mine that sells woodworking machinery, uses two short words that tell you the category straight away. It isn't poetic, and it doesn't need to be. Buyers searching for machinery know they're in the right place.

The four kinds of store names

Almost every store name falls into one of four groups. Each one trades clarity against how easy it is to own.

Four ways to name a store

  • Says what you sellDescriptiveClear from the first visit and helps people find you. Harder to get as a domain and to protect, because the words are common.
  • A word you made upInventedEasiest to own as a domain, a handle and a trademark. Means nothing at first, so your branding has to explain it.
  • Two words joinedCombinedA familiar word plus a twist, like a place or a texture with a product word. Often the best balance of meaning and availability.
  • Your own namePersonalWorks well when you're the face of the brand. Harder to sell the business later, and it ties the brand to one person.
There's no best type. Pick the one that suits how you'll market the store: search and marketplaces favour descriptive names, social-led brands can carry an invented one.

A one-hour naming process

  1. Write three short lists. What you sell, who buys it, and how you want them to feel. Five to ten words each. Plain words are fine: “oak”, “calm”, “desk”, “gift”.
  2. Generate, don't agonise. Put your best words into the free Shopify store name generator and try a few styles. You're looking for directions, not the final answer. Save anything that makes you look twice.
  3. Cut to five. Drop anything hard to spell, anything too close to a brand you know, and anything tied to a single product.
  4. Say them out loud. Read each one to someone who hasn't seen the list and ask them to type it. The names they get right are the ones customers will get right.
  5. Check the domains. The domain name generator checks real registry records for your name across common endings, plus variations if the exact match is taken.
  6. Check the handles. Use the Instagram and TikTok username generators to find a handle close to the name on the platforms you'll actually use.
  7. Search the trademark registers. See the next section.
  8. Sleep on it. Come back the next day. The name you still like in the morning is usually the right one.

The checks to run before you commit

Does the name pass?

  1. 1

    Can someone spell it after hearing it once?

    Yes: next checkNo: simplify the spelling or drop it

  2. 2

    Is a domain you'd be happy to print free?

    Yes: next checkNo: try a short extra word, like “shop” or “co”

  3. 3

    Are the handles free on the platforms you'll use?

    Yes: next checkClose enough is fine if the domain matches

  4. 4

    Is no one in your category trading under it?

    Yes: you have a nameNo: move on, however much you like it

Run the checks in this order. The first one costs nothing and rules out the most names.

Domains. Avoid hyphens and numbers, which people forget or type wrong. A .com is still what most people guess first, but if you only sell in one country, that country's domain works well and is often easier to get.

Trademarks. Search the official registers for the markets you sell in: the USPTO trademark search in the US, the UK trade mark search, and WIPO's Global Brand Database for many other countries at once. Search for similar spellings as well as the exact name. A free search is a first filter, not legal advice. If you're about to spend real money on a brand, a trademark lawyer is worth the fee.

Don't borrow from a bigger brand. A name one letter away from a well-known store might get clicks, but it invites a legal letter and confuses the customers you actually want.

How names work inside Shopify

Shopify uses three different names for your store, and they follow different rules.

  • Store name. Set in Settings > General. Shopify's help centre describes it as the name shown on every page of your online store. You can change it whenever you like, and changing it doesn't change your .myshopify.com address.
  • The .myshopify.com address. Every store gets one when it signs up. Customers rarely see it once you add your own domain, but Shopify's help centre says you can only change it twice, and the store name you enter when you sign up counts as the first change. So decide on the name before you open the store, not after.
  • Your domain. You can buy one in Settings > Domains, or connect one you already own. Shopify registers domains it sells for one year, renews them automatically unless you turn that off, and bills the renewal separately from your plan. If it's your first domain, Shopify sets it as the address customers see.

Once the name is settled, the next decisions are the theme and the logo. If you're choosing a theme, find out what theme the stores you admire use first, and use the favicon downloader to see how other stores handle their small icon.

After you choose: the first-day setup

Once the name is decided, lock it in before you spend time on design:

  1. Register the domain. Do it as soon as you decide, and consider the most common misspelling too.
  2. Claim the handles. Create the Instagram and TikTok accounts now, even if you won't post for a while.
  3. Set the name in Shopify. Update the store name in Settings > General, and send customer emails from an address on your own domain instead of a free email account.
  4. Connect the domain. Add it in Settings > Domains and make it the primary domain, so customers never see the .myshopify.com address.
  5. Make a simple logo and favicon. A clean wordmark in a good typeface is enough to launch. Add the favicon in your theme settings so the name shows in browser tabs.

Naming mistakes I see most often

  • Choosing a name because the .com was free. Availability is a filter, not a reason. A forgettable name on a perfect domain is still forgettable.
  • Spelling a word wrong on purpose. It looks unique on screen and gets typed correctly, which sends people somewhere else.
  • Naming after a trend. If the trend fades, the name dates the store.
  • Asking ten friends to vote. You'll get the safest name, not the best one. Test whether people can say and spell it, and make the choice yourself.

If you have a name and want the store built properly around it, from theme setup to launch checks, that's the work I do in Shopify store design and development.

Free tools

Check your own store

Free, no sign-up. Each one runs a part of this guide for you.

Store name generatorName ideas to filter, save and checkOpen the toolDomain name generatorShort domains checked against live registriesOpen the toolInstagram username generatorHandles that fit Instagram's rulesOpen the tool

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my Shopify store name later?

Yes. Go to Settings > General in your Shopify admin and edit the store name. It doesn't change your .myshopify.com address or your domain, so update those separately if you need to, along with your logo, emails and social accounts.

Do I need a .com domain?

No. A .com is what many people type first, but a country domain such as .co.uk or .com.au is a good choice if you sell mainly in one country. What matters most is that customers can remember it and type it without mistakes.

What if the domain for my name is taken?

Add a short word that fits the brand, such as “shop”, “get”, “try” or “co”, or use a country domain. The domain name generator suggests these variations and checks each one. If every option feels forced, that's often a sign to pick a different name.

Is a free trademark search enough?

It's a good first filter for ruling names out. It isn't legal clearance. If you're investing in packaging, stock or advertising under the name, ask a trademark lawyer to check it for the countries you sell in.

Should my store name include a keyword?

Only if it still sounds like a brand. A keyword can make the category clear, as Wood Tech does, but search rankings come from your pages and products, not the name. Don't force a keyword in at the cost of a name people remember.

Can two stores have the same name?

Shopify won't stop you, but it is a risk. If another business already trades under the name in your category, you invite confusion or a legal dispute, and you won't get the matching domain or handles. Run the checks above before you commit.

Sources

  1. Setting up your business settings (store name), Shopify Help Center
  2. Understanding domains (.myshopify.com changes), Shopify Help Center
  3. Buying a domain through Shopify, Shopify Help Center
  4. Trademark search, United States Patent and Trademark Office
  5. Search for a trade mark, UK Intellectual Property Office (GOV.UK)
  6. Global Brand Database, World Intellectual Property Organization
Shopify Store Design & Development Wood Tech: live store I built
Ashraf Siddik

Written by Ashraf Siddik

I'm a Shopify developer and CRO specialist. I have built and improved Shopify stores since 2018, completed more than 1,000 projects, and hold a 4.96 average rating across 719 client reviews.

About me · Client reviews