The app name is the single most important piece of marketing your mobile or web app will ever have. It's what users search for, what they tell friends about, and what shows up on their home screen every single day. A great app name is short, memorable, and hints at what the app does β without being so literal that it sounds boring. Here are 100 catchy app name ideas organized by category, plus the naming strategies used by the most successful apps in the world.
What Makes a Great App Name Work
Before diving into the ideas, let's look at what the most successful app names have in common. Consider these household names: Slack, Notion, Figma, Stripe, Calm, Duolingo. What patterns emerge?
- They're short β The average top-100 app name is 7 characters or fewer. One or two syllables dominate the charts.
- They're unique β "Slack" was a real word with a new meaning. "Figma" was entirely invented. Both are instantly Googleable.
- They hint, not describe β Slack doesn't say "team chat." It suggests ease and looseness. Notion suggests ideas and concepts, not "workspace tool."
- They're easy to say β If someone can't confidently pronounce your app name, they won't recommend it out loud.
- They work as verbs β "Slack me the file." "I'll Venmo you." When your name becomes a verb, you've won.
The best app names follow the "cocktail party test" β could someone hear the name once in a noisy room and still remember it the next morning?
Productivity & Workspace App Names
Productivity app names should feel efficient, clean, and empowering. Users want tools that make them feel organized and capable.
- Flowdesk β Combines workflow with workspace
- Taskwise β Smart task management
- Pindrop β Precision-focused productivity
- Clearpath β Removes obstacles, shows the way
- Draftly β Document creation and editing
- Boltwork β Fast, powerful work tool
- Stackline β Organized, layered workflow
- Nudge β Gentle reminders and habit tracking
- Keystone β The essential piece that holds it together
- Runsheet β Project management with event planning flair
- Toggl β Time tracking inspiration β short, unique, functional
- Sprocket β Mechanical precision, interlocking systems
- Canopy β Overview, protection, big-picture visibility
- Inkwell β Writing and documentation tool
- Headsup β Dashboard and alerts
Health & Fitness App Names
Health app names should feel motivating and aspirational without being aggressive. The best ones make wellness feel achievable, not intimidating.
- Vitalis β Latin-rooted, life and energy
- Steadfast β Consistent, reliable fitness tracking
- Pulsepoint β Heart rate and health monitoring
- Zenith Fit β Peak performance tracking
- Grounded β Mindfulness and mental health
- Restora β Recovery and wellness
- Cadence β Rhythm of exercise, running
- Flourish β Holistic health and growth
- Kinetic β Movement-focused fitness
- Breathe Well β Meditation and breathing exercises
- Trailmark β Hiking and outdoor fitness
- Ironclad β Strength training, determination
- Nourish β Nutrition tracking, whole-food focus
- Stride β Running and walking app
- Basecamp Fit β Adventure-inspired fitness
Finance & Fintech App Names
Finance app names need to convey trust and security while still feeling modern and approachable. Nobody wants their money managed by something that sounds like a game. For related naming strategies, our guide on how to come up with a company name covers the trust-building naming techniques that fintech companies rely on.
- Vaultline β Secure, linear, trustworthy
- Ledgr β Dropped vowel trend, financial ledger
- Coinpath β Money movement and tracking
- Greenstack β Money stacking, growth
- Savvr β Savings-focused, modern spelling
- Fundwise β Smart investment management
- Clearbit Pay β Transparent payments
- Sparemint β Fresh approach to savings
- Basalt β Rock-solid financial foundation
- Quartzy β Quarterly planning with personality
- Pennywise β Budget-conscious spending tracker
- Tidewater β Financial flow management
- Nexdollar β Forward-looking finance
- Ironledger β Immutable, strong financial records
- Moneywell β Financial wellness and health
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Social app names should feel inviting and human. They're about connection, so the name should make people want to join, not observe from a distance.
- Campfire β Gathering, warmth, stories
- Wavelink β Connected communication, signal
- Huddle β Close group conversation
- Murmur β Intimate sharing, whisper network
- Parlor β Classic gathering space, conversation
- Ripple β Ideas spreading outward
- Kin β Family and close friends network
- Chorus β Many voices, shared expression
- Loom Social β Weaving connections together
- Bonfire β Bigger gathering, warmth, community
Gaming & Entertainment App Names
Gaming names can be more playful and energetic than other categories. They should spark excitement and curiosity.
- Questbound β Adventure, progression, exploration
- Hexfire β Strategic, hexagonal game boards
- Mythrift β Mythology meets thrifty mechanics
- Arcadium β Modern arcade feel
- Voxel Rush β 3D pixel art gaming
- Driftwood β Casual, exploratory gaming
- Prismplay β Colorful, light-based mechanics
- Rogue Signal β Roguelike with a tech twist
- Nimbus Games β Cloud-like, light, elevated
- Shard β Fragment, piece, collectible-based
Education & Learning App Names
Education app names should feel encouraging, not condescending. The best ones make learning feel like adventure, not homework.
- Learnwell β Quality learning outcomes
- Quillcraft β Writing and language arts
- Brainforge β Mental strength building
- Classmint β Fresh, clean classroom experience
- Sparknote β Quick insights, bright ideas
- Cognito β Latin for "I think" β intellectual
- Polymath β Multi-subject learning
- Lectio β Latin for reading, scholarly
- Acuity β Sharpness of mind
- Codebloom β Programming education, growth
Travel & Lifestyle App Names
- Wanderly β Exploration with a friendly suffix
- Compasspoint β Navigation, direction, travel
- Nomadik β Travel lifestyle, modern K spelling
- Locale β Local discovery and experiences
- Driftaway β Escape, relaxation, travel
- Passport Punch β Gamified travel tracking
- Roamly β Friendly exploration app
- Jetstream β Fast travel planning
- Trekwise β Smart hiking and outdoor travel
- Skylark β Bird imagery, adventure, joy
App Store Optimization: How Your Name Affects Downloads
Your app name is the single most weighted factor in App Store and Google Play search algorithms. Here's what the data shows:
Apple App Store
You get 30 characters for your app name and 30 characters for a subtitle. Apple's algorithm heavily weights keywords in the name. However, keyword-stuffed names like "Photo Editor - Filters, Collage, Beauty Camera" perform worse than clean names with a descriptive subtitle. "VSCO" with subtitle "Photo & Video Editor" is cleaner and more trustworthy.
Google Play Store
Google allows 30 characters for the app name. The algorithm also indexes your short description (80 chars) and full description. You have more room to include keywords organically in the description, so your app name can be more creative.
Best Practices for Both Stores
- Lead with your brand name β "Calm" not "Meditation App - Calm"
- Use the subtitle for description β Let the subtitle carry the functional keywords
- Avoid special characters β Dashes, pipes, and brackets look spammy
- Test different subtitles β A/B test subtitles for conversion rate impact
- Monitor competitor names β Don't accidentally name yourself too close to a competitor
Trademark and Domain Considerations for App Names
App naming has unique legal and practical considerations that differ from naming a traditional business. Getting these wrong can be very expensive.
Trademark Essentials
Before you invest in development, verify your name isn't trademarked in software or technology categories (International Classes 9, 35, 38, and 42). The USPTO's TESS database is free to search. Also check the EU's EUIPO if you plan to launch internationally.
Common trademark pitfalls for app names:
- Similar-sounding names β "Grammerly" would conflict with "Grammarly" even with different spelling
- Generic + descriptor combos β "SuperChat" or "QuickPay" are likely already claimed
- Real words in tech contexts β Apple, Amazon, and Slack own their common-word names in tech categories specifically
Domain Strategy for Apps
Many successful apps use creative domain strategies. If yourbrand.com isn't available, consider these patterns used by real companies:
- get + name β getnotion.com (redirects to notion.so)
- name + app β calmapp.com
- try + name β tryfigma.com
- Alternative TLDs β notion.so, linear.app, arc.net
For a deeper dive into SaaS-specific naming, our guide to SaaS name ideas covers domain strategies specifically for software products.
Naming Patterns from the World's Most Successful Apps
Analyzing the top 200 apps reveals clear naming pattern categories:
- Real words, new context (35% of top apps) β Slack, Notion, Figma, Calm, Stripe. Taking a familiar word and giving it new meaning in a tech context. This works because the word is already easy to spell and remember.
- Invented words (25%) β Spotify, Zillow, Hulu, Venmo. These are completely made up but follow English phonetic patterns, making them pronounceable and unique.
- Compound words (20%) β Facebook, Snapchat, Dropbox, Mailchimp. Two real words combined to create a new meaning. These are descriptive but still distinctive.
- Shortened/modified words (12%) β Tumblr, Flickr, Grindr. Dropping vowels from real words. This trend has peaked β it can feel dated now.
- Acronyms and initialisms (8%) β HBO Max, BBC iPlayer. These work best when the parent brand is already well-known.
The strongest trend in 2025 app naming is toward real words used in unexpected ways. "Linear" for project management. "Arc" for a browser. "Craft" for documents. These names are simple, distinctive, and impossible to misspell.
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