I'm personally a fan of names with a double entendre (derailer, freeride, etc) that are also a little edgy to imply some of the radical happenings inside the shop, without the heavy handed political sloganeering of something like The Destroy All Capitalism, You Fascist Scum Bike Shop.
I think it's definitely worth thinking about before you commit to it, as I worked with an org (members of which are on this list and may chime in) which was essentially operated and named by one person very early on, and the name was changed once more folks came on board. The original name stuck around for a while (and may still to this day, 9 years later) and things like insurance, leases, checks, tax exemption forms, grant applications, etc had to be made out to the original name which could be confusing for some folks when it showed up instead of the newer, more common name. Something to keep in mind while setting up infrastructure like org name and identity.
I grew up in DIY/punk circles, and coming up with names for bands has always been a great pastime for my friends and I, whether there was an actual band or not.
Think of the work you've done so far. Think of your elevator pitch that you currently use. Are there words or phrases that continually come up so far that might work well as a name for your group?
On Friday, June 14, 2013, Recycle wrote:
We are Recycle Bikes for Kids, chosen because we think it best told who we wanted to be. We have since branched out to include a more community view but the name stays because kids are our main focus.
Still love the name even though it is often shortened to Bikes for Kids.
Much like naming your child you have to consider what it might be shortened to, what it rhymes with or even what acronym it produces
Good luck. I look forward to seeing your decision
Sent from my iPhone
Plans are progressing nicely here in the Empire State and if all goes well we'll be opening a new community bike shop here in Utica, NY very soon.
As you all know, there are many, many details and decisions to be made. One of these early decisions is choosing the right name. We've bounced around several ideas and I'm trying to come up with something that jumps out at me but so far that hasn't happened.
So I thought I'd put it out to this group and ask that you share some ideas about how you came to be "who" you are.
Did you:
Pick names from a hat?
Throw darts at a wall?
Take a vote?
Go with your gut and use the first name that came to mind?
And, do you now regret the name you chose for any reason? Did you end up changing the name? If so, why?
I'd like to hear from you. Thanks a bunch.
Matt VanSlyke
_______ Bike __________
Utica, NY