Newsletter Naming Ideas: Create a Name Readers Can't Ignore

Your Newsletter Name Competes With Every Other Email

Subscribers see your newsletter name in their inbox alongside work emails, promotions, and spam. A compelling name earns the open. A forgettable one gets archived or unsubscribed.

What Makes a Great Newsletter Name

It Promises Value

"Morning Brew" promises your daily business briefing with your coffee. "The Hustle" promises scrappy, energetic business news. The name should hint at what readers get.

It Has Personality

Newsletters are personal. They land in someone's inbox — a private space. Names with character feel like they belong there. "Dense Discovery" and "Not Boring" have personality. "Weekly Business Update" doesn't.

It's Memorable

Your name needs to survive the gap between when someone discovers your newsletter and when they go to subscribe. Short, vivid names stick.

Naming Formulas for Newsletters

The [Time] + [Topic]

• Morning Brew (morning + business)
• Sunday Dispatches (weekly personal essays)
• Daily Stoic (daily philosophy)

The [Adjective] + [Noun]

• Dense Discovery (design and tech links)
• Stratechery (strategy + technology)
• Exponential View (futurism)

The Provocative Statement

• Not Boring (business analysis)
• Garbage Day (internet culture)
• Lenny's Newsletter (simple, personal)

The Metaphor

• The Pour Over (news filtered like coffee)
• Brain Food (intellectual nourishment)
• Sidebar (design links, like a design sidebar)

Platform Considerations

Where you host affects your naming:

Substack: Your newsletter URL becomes yourname.substack.com. Claim your name early.

Beehiiv/ConvertKit: You'll use a custom domain. Make sure the .com is available.

Ghost: Same as above — custom domain matters.

Regardless of platform, owning the .com domain gives you flexibility to switch providers. Check domain availability with BrandScout.

The Inbox Preview Test

Before finalizing your name, open your email client and look at how newsletters appear:

• From name — Usually your personal name or newsletter name
• Subject line — Changes every issue
• Preview text — First line of content

Your newsletter name appears in the "From" field. It should be short enough to display fully on mobile. Test on both Gmail and Apple Mail.

SEO and Social Discovery

Many newsletters grow through search and social media. A distinctive name helps:

• People can Google your exact name and find you
• Your social handles match your newsletter name
• Your name becomes a hashtag readers can share

Avoid These Newsletter Naming Pitfalls

• Too generic: "Marketing Tips Weekly" blends in with a hundred others
• Too clever: If readers don't get the reference, the name falls flat
• Too long: More than three words is risky — it gets truncated in email clients
• Inside jokes: Great for your friends, confusing for new subscribers

Examples Across Niches

Tech: Platformer, The Verge, Benedict's Newsletter Business: The Generalist, Exec Sum, SatPost Design: Sidebar, Dense Discovery, UX Collective Personal development: 3-2-1 Thursday, The Profile, Farnam Street

Building a Newsletter Brand

Your name is step one. Build on it:

1. Consistent visual identity — Same colors, fonts, logo in every issue
2. Branded domain — Send from hello@yournewsletter.com
3. Social presence — Active accounts using the newsletter name
4. Landing page — A dedicated site explaining what readers get

Your Action Plan

1. Define your newsletter's topic, voice, and frequency
2. List twenty name candidates using the formulas above
3. Filter for names under three words
4. Check domain and social availability with BrandScout
5. Create a simple landing page
6. Start publishing consistently

The best newsletter names feel inevitable — like they couldn't be called anything else. Find yours with BrandScout and start building your audience.