AI Startup Name Ideas: 150 Brandable Names for AI Companies

OpenAI

Contradictory on purpose — 'Open' promises access, 'AI' states the category clearly. The tension made it memorable and philosophically interesting before they built anything.

Anthropic

Greek: 'human-like'. Named to signal the company's thesis that AI should be studied from a humanistic angle. Scientific-sounding, credible, not obviously an AI company name — which made it stand out in 2021.

Midjourney

Poetic and evocative — suggests being in the middle of a creative journey. Completely avoids the usual tech naming conventions, which built instant cult appeal among artists.

Perplexity

Names the feeling of having a complex question answered. Most AI tools are named after what they do; Perplexity names why you'd use it. The unexpected word choice made it memorable instantly.

Cohere

A single English word that describes what good NLP should do — make text cohere. Technically meaningful, easy to spell, and positions the company around language quality rather than raw capability.

Should an AI startup name include the word 'AI'?

Only if it adds clarity or you're specifically selling to non-technical buyers. Most sophisticated tech buyers don't need 'AI' in the name — the product demos itself. Overuse of 'AI' in names has made it feel generic. Names like Notion, Linear, or Figma became category-defining without describing their technology.

Is a .ai domain worth the higher renewal cost?

Yes, if you're specifically targeting the AI market or want the domain to signal your industry instantly. .ai renewals are typically £50-80/year vs £10-15 for .com, but the clarity and credibility it brings for an AI-focused product is often worth it.

How do you make an AI company name feel trustworthy?

Trust in AI comes from clarity and restraint, not hype. Names that sound precise, measured, and slightly formal (Anthropic, Cohere, Inflection) signal seriousness better than superlatives. Avoid names that over-promise ('PerfectAI', 'AllKnowing') — they set expectations no product can meet.

What naming styles are working best for B2B AI companies in 2026?

Short invented words (6-9 characters) with clean .ai or .com domains are performing best for B2B AI. Greek or Latin roots add perceived authority. Avoid portmanteaus that are hard to say ('Cognixalys') and focus on words that are immediately pronounceable and memorable after one hearing.