Let’s begin this post with some interesting facts: 1) As on date, YouTube has 2+ billion users – that’s around 1/3rd of the people using the internet. 2) YouTube is localized in over 100 countries and can be accessed in 80 different languages. 3) One billion hours of YouTube videos are being watched every day. Don’t all these facts make YouTube a hot place for creators and digital marketers? Absolutely! But, before you jump on to the bandwagon, it’s important to make sure you start with a solid foundation – i.e., a good name for your YouTube channel. In my post today, I will share some golden tips and ideas to help you choose a good name for your YouTube channel and make that great first impression!
Why invest time in finding the right name for your YouTube channel?
Just like how a good name for a blog adds up to the reputation and credibility of a blogger, a good YouTube channel name adds to the reputation of a YouTube vlogger. Here are some reasons why you must invest your time in finding that right name:
- Catchy names and more particularly those which look branded catch the attention of people watching your videos. Results? More subscribers!
- Once your YouTube channel gets more popular, your subscribers will know your channel with the name you had chosen. So thinking about a name change at that point is not a good idea.
- Unlike email names which are unique for every person, YouTube allows you to take any name for your channel. So it’s important to differentiate and stand out.
Guidelines for selecting a good name for YouTube channel
Before we discuss how to name your YouTube channel, let’s first discuss what makes a YouTube channel name a really good name? A YouTube channel name should ideally have the following characteristics:
- It should be short, easy to spell and remember
- It must be meaningful, i.e., it must instantly convey what your YouTube channel is all about!
- Contains keywords/key-phrases related to your channel topic
- A good channel name conveys a brand image
- It evokes a sense of curiosity amongst your viewers to explore your channel
- It must align right with your online identity (for ex. If you already have a website with a brand name such as Beauty Unboxing, consider choosing the same name for your YouTube channel)
Things not to add in your channel name:
- Special characters (like !@#$%^&*)
- Fancy fonts (???? ????) – Though they might look cool/trendy, but they impair readability and look unprofessional. So better to keep these fonts limited to your Instagram profile.
- Numbers (unless it is a part of your brand name, for example: 3M, Forever21, etc.)
Personal Vs. Branded? What name should you choose?
When you create your channel for the first time on YouTube, you have two options to choose:
Use your Google account name
For example: ‘Jay Shetty’
Works well for personal branding, i.e., when you want to present yourself forward in front of your viewers.
Use a custom branded name
For example: ‘Unbox Therapy’
Works well when you already have a recognized online brand or even when you are just starting with a new brand name.
Since you can use any name for your channel, it doesn’t mean that you should impersonate brands or other genuine creators on YouTube. Impersonation means copying another channel’s brand name, logo, videos, description and almost everything that may give your channel a look as if it is someone else’s channel. YouTube is strict with these policies, and if someone or the brand/creator himself reports this, then YouTube will be bound to take action as per its policy against the impersonating channel.
So if you pick option no. 2, please try to choose a unique name. Make a simple search on YouTube or Google to check the uniqueness of your desired brand name.
For option number 1, it’s natural that two persons can have the same name. So there is no harm in choosing your own name, even if it is ‘Dwayne Johnson‘. But make sure you do not plagiarize or impersonate him in any way!
6 channel name ideas to consider while naming your YouTube channel
Now that we are done with enough description to help you get started, let’s now start with some great ideas to help you choose a unique and good name for your YouTube channel:
Idea 1.) Use the words ‘Show / Episodes / TV’ along with the brand name
Use the words like ‘Show or Episodes or TV’ along with your desired brand name if you are planning to launch a series of videos focusing primarily on:
- fun / comedy / entertainment
- education
- talk shows
- kids related content
- stories / tales
- food recipes
Examples:
- Kids Diana Show – a YouTube channel catering to toddlers/kids with videos featuring two kids – Diana and Roma who are engaged in games, toys, and family fun.
- Taste Show – a channel featuring food recipe ideas and tips from master chefs.
Use these words in your channel name if you have content related to:
- News
- Live performance / interviews by artists
- Live broadcast videos
Examples:
- Live Nation – a US based YouTube channel featuring live interviews, concerts and performance by artists
- Breaking Italy – an Italian YouTube channel with analysis and comments on the latest news
Idea 3.) Use the words ‘DIY / Arts / Crafts’ for creative content
If you have some creative tips or hacks that can be taught to people to help them solve a problem or some creative arts/crafts ideas that can be used to engage people and spark their curiosity, then go with this idea while naming your YouTube channel.
Some examples:
- 5-Minute Crafts – a famous YouTube channel featuring DIY life-hacks
- Arts Madness – featuring creative arts, paints, and crafts videos catered to kids and toddlers
Idea 4.) Use the words ‘Makeup / Beauty / Pink / Vanity’ for lifestyle and fashion content
This tip is especially for girls who are more into lifestyle, beauty, and fashion related content. Here are some examples to inspire your creativity:
- SaraBeautyCorner – DIY, Comedy, Makeup, Nail Art
- BeautyPlus – another famous beauty channel on YouTube
See, you need to be creative while choosing such branded names. Think of intelligent combinations of words that can complement your main keywords in the channel name. Like – Fashion+by+yourname, Pink+Corner, Vanity+Brush, etc. There is no end to such creative ideas. And…not just to Idea no. 4, this thought principle applies to all the ideas that have been discussed in this post.
Idea 5.) Use the words ‘Pranks / Fun / Laughs’ in your channel name for funny videos
If you plan to upload humorous videos on YouTube, you can try using these words in your channel name. Examples:
- Just for Laugh Gags – a very popular pranks channel on YouTube
- 5-Minute Fun – funny pranks and DIY hacks
- Laugh 4 Life – another popular YouTube channel on funny videos and pranks
Idea 6.) Use the words ‘Unbox / Gadgets / Live’ for tech reviews
If you plan to do videos related to reviews or unboxing of latest technology stuffs like smartphones, laptops and gadgets, consider using combinations of these words in your YouTube channel name. Here are some good examples:
- Unbox Therapy – a Canadian unboxing and reviews channel
- Explore Gadgets – reviews of the latest gadgets and how-to tech videos
The perfect formula for a good YouTube channel name
Selecting a branded name for your channel is far more than just copying and pasting ready-made ideas. It’s more about using your own creativity to come up with names which drive a sense of curiosity and trust in your YouTube channel. Here is the formula that works:
Keywords related to your channel + creative use of nouns/verbs
The nouns/verbs must relate to your main keywords in a way that quickly describes what your channel is all about.
Examples?
Suppose your name is Hannah and you are planning to launch a YouTube channel related to food recipes, then you can think of these names for your channel:
- Hannah’s Kitchen
- Hannah – the master chef
- Hannah – the star chef
- Tasty Corner
- Yummy Food Secrets
- Lip Smacking Recipes
There is no end to ideas that make sense and yet look branded. Your creativity is the only limit.
Changing your YouTube channel name:
YouTube allows you to change your channel name for up to 3 times every 90 days. To change your channel name, you must change your Google account name. This can be done by visiting Google Account Manager and making the required changes to your display name. Once changed, it will take a few days to reflect across all the Google services, including YouTube.
So the name changes will also reflect across your Gmail, Photos, Contacts and Calendar app. I therefore advise that you must not use your personal email id while signing up for a brand account on YouTube.
Your thoughts?
I hope that you’ve found this post useful. Comments and shares are appreciated. Do you have some more YouTube channel name ideas to share? Please share your feedback in the comments below.
It seems like choosing a good name for your YouTube channel is more like choosing a catchy tagline for your business. What do you think?
To some extent, Yes! There has to be a way to differentiate and stand out as a brand 🙂
Rock solid guide, Abhishek. Loved your examples.
Thanks Kaushal 🙂
Hi Abhishek.
Excellent article. Can you suggest some great name ideas for me? I’m from Philadelphia and planning to launch a travel vlog on YouTube.
Hi Bradley, sure. Here are some suggestions:
1. Travel with Bradley
2. Exploring Philadelphia
3. Brad’s Travel Diaries
Let me know how it well these suggestions work out for you 🙂
Hi Abhishek. Thank you for being so helpful. 🙂