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App Name Ideas: 8 Patterns, Store Rules and Availability Checks

How to find app name ideas: eight patterns with made-up examples, App Store and Google Play title rules, trademark and domain checks, and common mistakes.

Mythex Team · 2026-10-22 · 6 min read

To find good app name ideas, generate names from a handful of patterns that work on a phone (action words, objects, invented words, short compounds), keep only names that are short enough to sit under an icon, then check each finalist in both app stores, in trademark databases and for a usable domain. The App Store and Google Play both cap the name at 30 characters as of October 2026, so short and distinctive wins. You can put the explanation in the subtitle or short description rather than the name.

Every example name below is invented for illustration and hasn't been checked, so some may already exist. For the full step-by-step naming process, see how to name your app. If you're naming the company rather than the app, startup name ideas covers company naming and the same legal checks in more depth.

What's different about naming an app

An app name lives in small places: under an icon on a home screen, in a notification, in a store search result next to a dozen competitors. That changes what matters:

• Length. Long names get cut off under the icon. Aim for one or two short words.
• Store search. People often search for what the app does. A name plus a clear subtitle helps them find it.
• Icon fit. Some names suggest an icon (an object, an animal, a shape). That makes the brand easier to remember.
• Store rules. Both stores have rules about what can go in a title; see below.

App store naming rules (as of October 2026)

Apple also notes that you can change the subtitle when you submit a new version, so you can test different wording later without renaming the app.

8 patterns that work for apps

1. Action words

Short verbs or verb-like words. They tell people what they'll do with the app.

• Example thinking: a quick-notes app becomes "Jot"; a counter app becomes "Tally".
• Hard part: The best single words are long gone in both stores and as domains. You'll often need a second word or a different ending.

2. Everyday objects

A thing that stands for the job: a compass for direction, a pocketbook for money.

• Example thinking: a spending tracker called "Pocketbook", with a small notebook icon.
• Hard part: Common nouns are crowded in store search. Expect to rely on the subtitle for discovery.

3. Short compounds

Two short words joined: "Plantpal" for plant care, "Moodmap" for a mood journal.

• Example thinking: pick one word for the subject and one for the feeling or job.
• Hard part: Very popular pairings ("-pal", "-buddy", "-hub") feel generic. Check the joined word in lowercase for accidental meanings.

4. Invented words

Pronounceable made-up words, two syllables if you can.

• Example thinking: "Zelo", "Ommo". Say them aloud; ask someone to spell them after hearing them once.
• Hard part: They mean nothing at first. Your icon, subtitle and screenshots have to explain the app.

5. Name + noun

A friendly first name with what it does: "Otto Notes", "Remi Budget".

• Hard part: Personal names can be someone's trademark in your category, and they set expectations of a chatty, assistant-like app.

6. Place or nature words

Calm words for calm apps: "Meadow" for meditation, "Tidepool" for a journal.

• Hard part: These are very popular in wellbeing apps. Search the store category before you get attached.

7. Verb + object

Says exactly what the app does: "SplitRent", "TrackMeals".

• Hard part: Clear, but hard to protect as a trademark and easy for a competitor to sound like you.

8. Brand + descriptor (in the listing)

Use a short brand as the app's name on the home screen, and add a short descriptor in the store title or subtitle, such as "Kivra: Shared Lists".

• Hard part: Staying within the rules. Google Play's policy says the title must describe the app accurately and avoid repetitive or unrelated keywords, so one honest descriptor, not a keyword list.

A quick process to get to a shortlist

1. Describe the app in one line, the user, and two words for the feeling.
2. Generate 40+ names across at least four of the patterns above. AI chat tools are good at this if you give them the brief; treat their ideas as raw material.
3. Cut anything over two words or hard to spell after hearing it once.
4. Mock it up. Put each finalist under a placeholder icon on a phone screenshot. Some names suddenly look wrong, or get cut off.
5. Run the checks below on the last five.

How to check if an app name is available

Search both stores

Search the App Store and Google Play for the exact name, close spellings and the name with a space. Look in your category first. If there's a popular app with the same or a very similar name, move on.

Trademarks

• United States: USPTO Trademark Search. The USPTO's search page explains "likelihood of confusion", the test for whether two marks are too similar.
• Elsewhere: WIPO's Global Brand Database covers international registrations under the Madrid System and trademarks from participating national and regional offices. Also search your national office.
• Remember: trademarks are registered for kinds of goods and services. Software and apps are a crowded area, so similar names in apps matter most.

A database search is a first filter, not legal clearance. If the app is a real business, ask a trademark lawyer before you launch.

Domain and handles

• Search a registrar, such as Cloudflare Registrar, for the name or a variation (getname, nameapp, name.app).
• If the domain is taken, ICANN Lookup shows its public registration data.
• Check the social handles you'll actually use.

How to choose a domain name explains the trade-offs between endings.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Stuffing keywords into the name. It reads like spam, and Google Play's policy restricts repetitive or unrelated keywords in titles.
2. Putting claims in the name. "Best", "#1", "Free" and similar words cause rejections or look untrustworthy.
3. Names that sound like a famous app. Even if the store accepts it, the trademark owner may not.
4. Ignoring the home screen. A name that fits in a store title but gets cut off under the icon is a daily irritation.
5. Using a platform's name. Putting a store, operating system or big brand's name in yours can suggest a link that doesn't exist.
6. Changing it after launch without a reason. A rename confuses existing users and makes old reviews and links harder to connect to the app. Get it right enough, then leave it.

Before you name it, build it

A name is easier to judge once the app exists. You can build a working first version and test it with real people before you commit; an AI app builder like Mythex can produce a web app from a description and, on the Pro plan, Android and iPhone apps too. Native vs progressive web apps explains whether you need the stores at all, and how to launch an app and get first users covers what happens after the name is settled.