We couldn’t say it more clearly
We
Make Names
We Name Things. Brilliantly.
Because the right name isn’t luck. It’s language, logic, and a little magic.
We Demystify the Naming Process
WeMakeNames is a no-nonsense naming agency.
Naming Strategy
Where insight meets identity
We define the objectives behind your name—your audience, tone, and purpose—before creative work begins. Strategy turns inspiration into direction.
Name Creation
Hundreds of ideas. One that fits perfectly.
We explore multiple creative territories to find names that are meaningful, memorable, and right for your market.
Trademark & Domain Screening
Good names must be clear names.
Every candidate is checked for trademark conflicts and domain availability to avoid costly surprises later.
Linguistic & Cultural Review
Because language travels.
We ensure your name works across markets and cultures—resonant where it should, neutral where it must.
Brand Architecture
Making sense of a growing portfolio.
Whether you’re merging brands or launching a new line, we help you structure your naming system for clarity and consistency.
Brand Story & Messaging
Because a name is the start of your story.
We help you define the story your name begins—connecting meaning, tone, and positioning so your brand speaks with one clear voice.
Our Purpose
We match creativity with feet-on-the-ground practicality. We are knowledgeable, skilful, and inventive.
The name is the bedrock of your brand. The foundation for everything you build into it. We’re here to help you shape its future.
You’ve done your homework. You’ve thought through your positioning, your strategy is taking shape. You may even have some language for your manifesto. But you still need that crucial component: the name. As we work together to understand what that name must say, what story it must tell, your essential brand idea will crystalize. Because the name is how you say what you stand for. You can’t move forward without it.
Projects
Excited Clients
Years of Experience
Names You Need
Our Team
Experience is our essence.
Clive Chafer
Clive Chafer has been in the naming business since 1987, almost at its birth.
He has worked for two major naming and branding consultancies during that time, before becoming a freelance namer and founding WeMakeNames.
His naming career began with Placek & Associates (now Lexicon Branding), where he became the company’s first full-time creative associate as well as Marketing Director. In 1998 he moved to Master-McNeil (naming.com)in Berkeley, California, where he advanced to Creative Director, a position he held from 2002 to 2006.
He has subsequently done freelance work for companies such as Interbrand (London, New York, etc.), Heirloom (San Francisco) and Joosnabhan (Paris), before establishing WeMakeNames with Bradley Charbonneau.
Among his clients during the past 20+ years are Apple Computer, Intel, Subaru, Coors, Buick, Procter & Gamble, Volkswagen and Charles Schwab. Successful product names developed include PowerBook for Apple, Eos for Volkswagen, Zima for Coors and Outback for Subaru; corporate names include PayPal and Conexant.
Clive is a linguist who is fluent in French, and competent in Russian, Spanish and German, as well as Latin.
Bradley Charbonneau
Bradley Charbonneau has a strong mix of consulting, marketing, and language experience.
His naming career began with Master-McNeil in Berkeley, California in the heyday of the dot-com boom after he saw an ad for the dream job that described him perfectly: “a linguist with an MBA.”
Bradley received his international MBA at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and his BA in French from UC Santa Barbara. He worked for Magnus Management Consultants in The Netherlands, an IT consultancy and has also done marketing consulting work for a number of European companies including Philips, Mannesmann, Varta, and Röhm.
Before moving to Europe, he was a project manager and translator for the language translation firm Berlitz.
He has also written and published 34 books. He speaks Dutch, French, and German and gets by in Spanish.
Our Latest Work
The names we’ve made and the people we’ve made them for.
Our Purpose
We match creativity with feet-on-the-ground practicality. We are knowledgeable, skilful, and inventive.
The name is the bedrock of your brand. The foundation for everything you build into it. We’re here to help you shape its future.
You’ve done your homework. You’ve thought through your positioning, your strategy is taking shape. You may even have some language for your manifesto. But you still need that crucial component: the name. As we work together to understand what that name must say, what story it must tell, your essential brand idea will crystalize. Because the name is how you say what you stand for. You can’t move forward without it.
- Projects 90+
- Excited Clients 50+
- Years of Experience 40+
From Our Clients
What our clients say about us.
“They were professional, creative, they were fun.”
“Professional, passionate, and pushy.”
“The most knowledgeable namers I’ve ever worked with.”
“Attentive, creative, and persistent.”