open source project name generator
Name your open source project
An open source name is the import statement, the repo, the docs domain and the thing people shout on social media. Vocari finds names whose domain is available, then lets you check the GitHub, package registry and social handles in one click.
Generate names free →Opens the generator with a starter brief. Finish the sentence and hit go.
What makes a good name here
Short enough to import
You'll type it in every file. Vite, Deno and Babel are all four or five letters.
A story helps adoption
Kubernetes is Greek for helmsman, Deno is an anagram of Node. A backstory gives the README an opening line and gives people something to repeat.
Match the repo, package and domain
If the npm package is taken, people install the wrong one. Check every registry before the first commit.
Plan for a foundation or a company
If the project could become a company, check trademarks early. Renaming a popular project later is painful.
Names that got it right
- KubernetesGreek for helmsman, a good fit for something that steers containers, and it shortens to k8s.
- ViteFrench for "quick", four letters, and exactly the promise of the tool.
- RedisShort for REmote DIctionary Server, which turned an acronym into a pronounceable word.
- DenoAn anagram of Node, from the same creator, so the story tells itself.
What Vocari checks for you
Every suggestion already has a domain you can register. Open the handles & trademarks panel on any name to check the rest:
- GitHub
- npm, PyPI and crates.io
- Domain for the docs site
- Trademark screen if a company may follow
Questions
- Do open source projects need a trademark?
- Not to start, but it's worth checking you aren't using someone else's. Many large projects register their name through a foundation later. Vocari's handles and trademark panel lists live US marks when configured and links to the official registers.