Compound Words as Brand Names: How to Merge Two Words Into One Great Name

The Power of Two Words Combined

Compound brand names merge two words into something new and memorable. They're everywhere: Facebook, Snapchat, WordPress, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Dropbox, Mastercard. The technique works because it creates instant meaning while remaining distinctive.

Types of Compound Brand Names

Closed Compounds

Two words joined with no space: Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, WordPress. This is the most common style for modern brands.

Camel Case Compounds

Two words joined with a capital letter: LinkedIn, DoorDash, HubSpot, QuickBooks. The capitalization helps readability.

Hyphenated Compounds

Two words connected by a hyphen: Coca-Cola, Rolls-Royce, Hewlett-Packard. Less common in modern naming — hyphens create issues with domains and social handles.

Blended Compounds (Portmanteaus)

Words merged by overlapping sounds: Pinterest (pin + interest), Instagram (instant + telegram), Groupon (group + coupon). These feel more creative and less literal than standard compounds.

How to Create Effective Compound Names

Step 1: Generate Word Lists

Create two columns:

Column A: Words related to what your brand does (ship, mail, build, flow, stream)
Column B: Words related to your brand's qualities (fast, bright, bold, clear, peak)

Step 2: Systematic Combination

Combine every word from Column A with every word from Column B. If you have 20 words in each column, that's 400 combinations. Most will be terrible — that's fine. You only need one great one.

Step 3: Add Variety

Try these combination types:

Action + Object: Snapchat, Dropbox, Kickstarter
Descriptor + Object: Quickbooks, Brightside, Clearbit
Object + Object: Mailchimp, Salesforce, Coinbase
Concept + Concept: Mindflow, Dataloop, Cloudflare

Step 4: Test Pronunciation

Read each candidate out loud. The best compounds flow naturally — the transition between the two words should feel seamless. "Salesforce" flows. "Salesplatform" doesn't.

Step 5: Check Visual Balance

Write the name down. Does it look balanced? Names where both halves are roughly the same length (3-5 letters each) tend to look best: MailChimp, DropBox, HubSpot.

Rules for Great Compound Names

Do:

Keep total length under 12 characters
Ensure both words are common and recognizable
Make the compound pronounceable as one word
Use CamelCase if the compound is hard to read otherwise
Choose words with complementary sounds

Don't:

Combine two abstract words (meaningless + meaningless = more meaningless)
Force awkward consonant clusters at the junction (StreamMasters sounds choppy)
Use words that create unintended readings (SpeedAnalyzer → Speed Anal yzer)
Combine more than two words (ThreeWordCompound gets unwieldy)

Unintended Readings: The Critical Check

Always read your compound name as one continuous string of lowercase letters. Look for hidden words or inappropriate readings:

therapistfinder → the rapist finder
kidsexchange → kids exchange vs kid sex change
penisland → pen island vs... you see the problem

This isn't trivial. Real companies have made these mistakes. Have multiple people review lowercase versions before committing.

Compound Names and Availability

Compound names have a unique advantage: they're often more available than single-word names. While "mail" and "chimp" are common words, "mailchimp" was unclaimed territory.

However, popular word combinations get snapped up quickly. The sooner you check availability, the better your chances.

Use BrandScout to verify your compound name candidates are available across domains, social media handles, and trademark databases — all in one search.

Inspiration: Great Compound Names and Why They Work

Salesforce: Immediately communicates power in sales
Dropbox: Simple visual metaphor for file storage
Snapchat: Captures the ephemeral, quick nature of the app
WordPress: Authority and publishing in one word
Mastercard: Aspiration and product type combined

Start Combining

Grab a spreadsheet, create your word columns, and start merging. Then run your best compounds through BrandScout to find the one that's both brilliant and available.