Product Line Naming: How to Name Multiple Products Cohesively

The Product Line Naming Challenge

Naming one product is hard. Naming a family of products that feel related, distinct, and scalable is significantly harder. Each name must work on its own and as part of the collection.

Product Line Naming Systems

The Descriptive System

Each product name describes its function or attribute.

Example: Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple Music

Pros: Instantly communicable. Customers know what each product does. Cons: Limited personality. Hard to trademark generic descriptors.

The Thematic System

All products share a naming theme — mythology, nature, astronomy, colors.

Example: Amazon's AWS services (Lambda, Aurora, Neptune, SageMaker)

Pros: Memorable and brandable. Creates a sense of a curated family. Cons: Themes can run out. New team members need to learn the system.

The Alphanumeric System

Products use letters, numbers, or codes.

Example: BMW 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X3, X5

Pros: Clear hierarchy. Easy to expand. Cons: Emotionally flat. Hard for customers to differentiate without deep product knowledge.

The Invented Word System

Each product gets a unique coined name.

Example: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere

Pros: Maximum distinctiveness and trademark protection. Cons: Expensive to build awareness for each name. No automatic family recognition.

The Hybrid System

Combines approaches — often a brand name plus a thematic or descriptive element.

Example: Nike Air Max, Air Force, Air Jordan (brand + thematic)

Pros: Flexibility. Can balance functionality and personality. Cons: Complexity. Rules must be documented and enforced.

Choosing the Right System

How Many Products Do You Have (or Expect)?

2-5 products: Any system works. Descriptive is simplest.
5-20 products: Thematic or hybrid systems create useful structure.
20+ products: You need a rigorous system with clear rules. Alphanumeric often emerges at this scale.

How Different Are Your Products?

Products that are variations of the same thing (coffee roasts, t-shirt colors) need simpler differentiation than products that serve fundamentally different purposes.

How Technical Is Your Audience?

Technical audiences tolerate alphanumeric systems and even prefer them (they imply precision). Consumer audiences need more personality and emotional resonance.

Building Your Naming Framework

Step 1: Document the Structure

Write a one-page naming framework:

Brand name position (first, last, or absent)
Sub-name type (descriptive, thematic, alphanumeric, invented)
Capitalization and punctuation rules
How to handle future additions

Step 2: Stress-Test With Future Products

Imagine your next five products. Can your naming system accommodate them without breaking? If not, adjust the framework now.

Step 3: Check Cross-Product Availability

All product names need domain and social media checks — even if they live under a parent brand URL. Products often get their own landing pages, social campaigns, and eventually microsites.

Step 4: Create a Master Name Registry

Maintain a spreadsheet of all product names, their status (active, retired, reserved), and their trademark status. This prevents accidental reuse and conflicts.

Common Product Naming Mistakes

No system at all. Each product gets named ad hoc by whoever's leading the launch. The result is a chaotic portfolio that confuses customers.

System too rigid. A naming system that can't accommodate unexpected products forces bad names or system-breaking exceptions.

Ignoring how names sound together. List all your product names out loud. Do they sound like they belong to the same family? If not, something's off.

Forgetting retired products. If you sunset a product name, decide whether it's permanently retired or can be reused. Confusion arises when old customers remember the old product.

Product Names and SEO

Each product name is a keyword opportunity. Descriptive names have natural SEO advantages — "Cloud Storage Pro" ranks for relevant searches immediately. Invented names require SEO investment but create stronger long-term brand equity.

Consider your SEO strategy when choosing between descriptive and creative naming approaches.

Start With a Strong Brand Name

Your product line naming system only works if the parent brand name is solid. A distinctive, memorable brand name gives every product beneath it a head start.

Validate your brand name across domains, social media, and trademarks with BrandScout before building your product line.