How to name a Daycare

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Congratulations, you’ve already completed the first part of your pursuit to open up a daycare- deciding to do it. Now it’s time for the most crucial step of any business. You’ve got to figure out what in the world you’re going to name it!

This tends to be the tricky part that leaves you scratching your head asking yourself ”How in the world am I going to do that?”. With all the endless possibilities it can seem impossible!

Here are a few simple steps to help you in your process of naming your daycare.

  • research your competition, avoid similar names and check domain availability
  • keep your target audience in mind (kids and parents)
  • it’s okay to use popular words like kid, little, etc.
  • lastly, ask those around you what they think 

Research

Chances are there is more than one daycare in your town. It’s important to do your research and be mindful of what the others have been named so that yours can stand out. The less common your name is in your area the more likely potential clients are to remember it.

You can find out what daycares are in your area as well as what they are named by doing a simple web search. Simply type ”daycares near me” into your preferred search engine and write down all the names you see. If you see more than one with a certain word in the name try staying away from that specific word. For example, if I were to see three daycares in my area with the word toddler in them, then I would avoid naming mine toddler playground.

Yes, realistically you could still use similar names however it could hurt your chances a being remembered. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally called the wrong place with a very similar name. When you choose a name that stands out you’re less likely to be that issue meaning you’re less likely to miss out on a business opportunity.

While you’re researching, you should also check to see the availability of a web domain. Particularly if your business is going to have a website it’s critical that the name you choose not to be taken by someone else. You don’t want to just change a .com to a .org, you want your domain name to be original.

Think of your targeted audience

Keeping your target audience in mind is important. Obviously, daycares are for kids so your target audience is them as well as the parents. You want to come across as fun and friendly for the children but also safe and responsible for the parents. After all, they are trusting you with the most important things in their lives.

You obviously wouldn’t want to name your daycare something similar to a local pub’s name. While it may sound cute it would probably be in your best interest to not name it something that could be seen as inappropriate or like you don’t care about kids.

When you keep your potential clients in mind during the naming process it eliminates the confusion of what kind of business you’re running. When you use family-friendly words that sound fun and familiar people are more likely to quickly establish that it’s a place for children. If you use a name that could be scary or make a small child think of something negative, you’re not only going to have a hard time getting parents to send your kids, but you’re also going to have some crying screaming kids in your daycare when they do.

My child for example hates doctors. Even if the names doctor fun, she’s still going to freak out because she heard the word doctor. As a parent, I don’t want to listen to my little one scream and cry every morning before work just to get her to daycare and I’m sure other parents feel the same way.

Word choice

Expanding on what we talked about above, word choice is yet another important topic when making your choice. When choosing you to want to keep that target audience in mind.

It’s perfectly fine to use popular words and phrases as long as you remember to avoid ones commonly used in your area or the name isn’t taken already. Below I have listed a few words commonly used for naming child care businesses:

  • sunshine
  • child
  • kiddy
  • kid
  • children’s
  • playground
  • play-school
  • play-yard
  • little/Lil
  • abc

Other things that are really popular when naming daycare are things like your name, your child’s name, or a local school mascot. It might be a good idea to call the local school board and see if they are okay with you naming the daycare after the school or mascot first though.

While thinking about your word choice, think about what logo you’re going to have for your daycare. Can the name easily be turned into a logo? Is there a certain theme or composition you have in mind? Make sure the name isn’t too short or too long for what you have in mind.

Hopefully, these will help you get a good start if you’re still having problems on where to even begin.

 

Ask those close to you

Don’t forget you can always phone a friend. Family and friends are great when it comes to the brainstorming process and giving their opinions. Don’t be afraid to sit down and message a few of those close to you and asking them to help come up with a good name.

Friends and family love helping out when it comes to things that are important to you so, What better way to figure out a name? More than likely the people who are close to you are going to be the first people walking through your door. So why not ask them what they think might be a good fit?

Family and friends are also really good at dishing out constructive criticism. It’s something we all know but we tend to avoid. Why not use that to your advantage and ask what they think of your ideas? The worst that could happen is they roast you at dinner instead of the food. All jokes aside, hearing what those close to you have to think about your name could save you some criticism later on from strangers. It may hurt but they mean well.

In theory, while all criticism hurts, family and friends tend to not be as hurtful. You know they mean well and you did ask for their feedback. If you take this route you’ll also be more likely to handle negative feedback from others.

After you get that constructive criticism from your family you can venture out into the good ole world of social media and ask helpful strangers what they think about your name. You can create a poll on your favorite social apps or even find a web forum to ask. This can be helpful to make sure your family and friends weren’t just being nice but also getting outsider’s opinions. It might be a funny name to you and those who know you and get the reference but to others, it might just not make sense.

Just be careful that you buy a domain for whatever you decide on quickly or someone can take your perfect name and purchase a domain for themselves. The last thing you want to do is have to start all over again because someone stole your idea.

Overall it’s your daycare and you can name it whatever you would like. No one is stopping you  But we all know naming things, from pets to businesses can be hard and pretty stress-inducing. The last thing you want is to be stressed out about what to name your new business when you have bigger fish to fry to get it up and running. That’s why I hope this little guide helps you in your process and keeps you from overthinking. Happy naming, and good luck on your daycare!

Related questions:

  • I know what you’re thinking, What if I’m set on a name that’s similar?

If you’re really set on a name that is similar to another daycare try adding or changing part of the name. For example, if you wanted to name your daycare little boops playground and someone else named theirs little loops playground try boops play-school. They’re still pretty similar but changing it up a bit might just help people remember you a tad bit more and lessen confusion.

You can also help yourself stand out in other ways like making a logo that’s eye catching but also completely different than your competitors. Just because the naming process is important doesn’t mean it’s the only way to make a lasting impression.

Try to make it unique to you by adding color, creating a cute slogan or putting out flyers that make people turn their heads and you should do just fine. There’s nothing wrong with being set on something as long as you’re not taking it from someone else.

  • What if I still can’t think of a good name?

If you still can’t think of a good name don’t worry, there are still a lot of things that you can try.

Brain storming helps get bad ideas out of the way and also narrow down some words that you seem to like. You can brainstorm by yourself with a pen and paper or with others. Childcare name generators are extremely helpful when trying to find what words go well together. Some of them might seem silly but remember, they aren’t supposed to pick the name for you, just give you ideas.

You can look up lists of popular daycare names and try adding and taking away words to see how they sound. You can’t copy these names though as they’re already taken and more than likely have a domain.

If you already have a design for a logo in mind go ahead and start on that then come back to the name. Sometimes the logo itself is the key. If all else fails, ask a kid! Kids are the most brutally honest little humans. But they also have an outstanding imagination. Whatever they give you at first might seem silly but give it some thought! You might be surprised.

  • How do you know you have the right name?

You’ve got your name now you need your website and domain. Getting a domain is simple and won’t set you back much in cash but why do you need a website to begin with?

Having a website makes it easier for people to find and contact you. We live in a world full of technology and a lot of people would rather use that technology to do things instead of calling.

With a website you are more likely to be seen for searches. That’s a huge plus but the cool thing is you can get in contact with clients, let them know important things like prices and events coming up and tell them more about you and your mission.  Websites are super easy to build and there are dozens of sites to help you get started for free. You can also get a domain super quick and super cheap at godaddy.com

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.

Once you have a name you are ready to get started, checkout our startup course and documents here.