Coining a Name: How to Kleenex-ify Your Product

Rules for entering the dictionary.

A few years ago, a mysterious package arrived at my door.

Inside were two small glass vials filled with sand-like powder, a spoon, a dish, and a sheet of instructions.

I checked with my boss. Yes — this was the latest naming assignment.

The product was a new type of skincare designed to deliver nutrients from food directly to your skin barrier. The instructions were simple: mix the powder with your regular moisturizer — one vial for mornings, the other for nights.

There wasn’t anything quite like it on the market.

And at the time, I didn’t even know what to call it.

“The substance,” maybe — though nowadays that phrase means something else entirely.

I started doing what I always do at the beginning of a naming project: writing down every word that came to mind.

This was the kind of project I love — not just naming a product, but coining a term for something entirely new.

What Is a Coined Name?

A coined name is a product name that becomes shorthand for the entire category.

Think:

• Kleenex for tissues

• Xerox for photocopying

• Spanx for shapewear

• SodaStream for water carbonation

• Oura for smart rings

These names go beyond branding. They become part of everyday language.

That skincare project sparked my curiosity about what makes a name stick in the lexicon.

Why do some product names become the word people use for the category itself?

To find out, I looked through hundreds of product names and started grouping the ones that seemed to have successfully coined their category.

Three clear patterns emerged.

Three Types of Coined Names

1. The Snappy Inventor

These names introduce something entirely new.

The product itself is novel enough that the name becomes the natural label for the category.

Examples:

• GoPro — action cameras

• AirPods — wireless earbuds

• Fitbit — fitness trackers

• Spanx — shapewear

• Poo-Pourri — bathroom spray

• Ruggable — washable rugs

• Squatty Potty — toilet posture stool

• SodaStream — home carbonation systems

• Oura — smart rings

• Huel — meal replacement powder

• Magic Eraser — cleaning sponge

• Roomba — robot vacuum

• Peloton — connected home fitness

These names succeed because they introduce and define the invention simultaneously.

2. The Said-It-Best

These brands didn’t invent the category — they just found a better word for it.

Our brains constantly look for shortcuts. When a name makes something easier to say, it often wins.

Examples:

• Post-it — sticky notes

• ChapStick — lip balm

• Q-Tips — cotton swabs

• Tupperware — plastic food storage

• KeepCup — reusable coffee cups

• Crock-Pot — slow cookers

• Ziploc — resealable plastic bags

• Hydro Flask — insulated bottles

• Febreze — air freshener

• Swiffer — spray mop systems

The magic here is simplicity. These names are cleaner, shorter, and more memorable than the generic category terms.

3. The Branded Method

This strategy works especially well for services, creators, and technology.

Instead of naming a product, the brand names the process itself.

Once the method has a name, it becomes easier to own.

Examples:

• Olaplex — hair repair technology

• The Wim Hof Method — breathing technique

• The KonMari Method — organization philosophy

• Apple Genius Bar — tech support rebranded as an experience

• Bulletproof Coffee — butter-coffee recipe turned brand

• Vuori DreamKnit — proprietary fabric technology

• Uniqlo HeatTech — performance fabric

Here the naming strategy transforms a process into intellectual property.

The Naming Lesson From My Skincare Project

Back to the mysterious powder.

After several days of testing and brainstorming, my coworker and I landed on a name we liked:

Skinamins — short for Skin Vitamins.

It felt descriptive, memorable, and easy to say. A name people could naturally adopt when talking about the product.

But the client chose something else.

They went with a Greek-inspired luxury name that didn’t describe the product at all.

Five years later, the brand hasn’t gained much traction.

That experience reinforced something I see often in naming work:

If customers struggle to describe your product, they’ll struggle to remember it, recommend it, and repeat it.

Four Tips for Creating a Coined Name

After reviewing hundreds of examples, a few patterns started to emerge.

Here are four principles that consistently show up in coinable product names.

1. Be Descriptive (But Not Generic)

The strongest coined names get close to what the product actually does.

Examples like Hydro Flask, KeepCup, and Squatty Potty work because they communicate the function immediately.

But there’s an important caveat: avoid names that are too literal.

“Squatty Potty” works.
“The Toilet Bench” would not.

A coined name needs to balance clarity and distinctiveness.

2. Keep It SNAPPY

One rule of thumb I use for coinable names is the acronym SNAPPY:

S — Short
Most successful coined names are one or two words.

N — Nouns
Concrete objects are easier to remember than abstract ideas.

A — Alliteration
Repeating sounds help names stick.

P — Portmanteaus
Blending words creates something new yet familiar.

P — Play on Words
Humor or wordplay can dramatically increase memorability.

Y — Yours
The name should be unique enough to belong to your brand alone.

3. Use the Suffix Trick

A surprising number of coined names end with S or X.

Examples include:

• Kleenex

• Xerox

• Spanx

• Olaplex

• Netflix

• Twix

• Wix

• Skims

• Zappos

• Postmates

• AirPods

These endings add a sense of energy and movement to the word.

They can make a name feel like both a noun and a verb.

4. Leave Room to Expand

One of the hardest decisions founders face is whether the product name should also become the brand name.

A good coined name usually leaves some space to grow.

Take Olaplex. The name refers to the core hair-repair technology, but it’s flexible enough to support multiple products.

Other brands, like Scrub Daddy, built a naming system that allows expansion — introducing names like Scrub Mommy later.

The key is choosing a name that can stretch as your brand evolves.

The Goal of a Coined Name

When a name works well enough, people stop thinking of it as a brand.

It simply becomes the word.

That’s when a name truly enters the language — and when a brand becomes much harder to compete with.

Looking for naming help? Get in touch with The Nameist.

This article was originally published on The Nameist Substack.