What’s an Expient?

First I tried a vision quest, but I recommend a more methodical approach as explained in this video. (A quick search on youtube for “how to name a business” will yield lots of useful info.)

There’s also an excellent webinar about how to name a company on the score.org website called Naming and Trademarking: Creating Your Brand’s First Impression. It includes a lot of great tips about choosing a name and registering it as a trademark.

I decided I wanted a name that was coined–what the US Patent and Trademark Office (uspto.gov) calls “fanciful.” Here are just a few examples of the kinds of names I like:

Inspiration names

• Nginx
• Acquent
• Laravel
• Xerox
• Ambien
• Solien
• Xfinity
• U-verse
• Idio
• Zune
• Tesla
• Verizon
• Accenture
• Zynga
• Cognizant
• Axure

My name requirements

• Easy to pronounce
• Evocative of user experience design
• Evocative of speed, efficiency and friendly service
• Suitable for a small company, but able to scale
• 3 syllables maximum
• Letters with good potential for graphic design (for example “o” “x” “z”…)
• Letters that evoke connectivity and the internet (for example “e” “i” “u”…)
• Available domain name
• No trademarks registered with the USPTO.

I brainstormed many ideas and tried searching on the web for parts of English, latin and other foreign words. Scrabble sites provided a lot of interesting words with specific letter combinations.

Eventually I used a little php script to scramble syllables I like into every possible combination. I chose Expient because I liked “exp” for evoking “user experience” “expedite” “express” and “ient” for evoking “convenient”, “efficient”. The “ient” ending means “causing or performing an action.”

Although “expient” is not an English word, it is a French word. It is the third-person singular form of “expier,” which means “to atone” or “expiate, suffer, or pay for one’s mistakes.” 

You can use the script below yourself. Just replace the array of syllables with the ones you want (function adapted from stackoverflow).

function sampling($chars, $size, $combinations = array()) {

 //if it's the first iteration, the first set 
 //of combinations is the same as the set of characters
 if (empty($combinations)) {
 $combinations = $chars;
 }

 //we're done if we're at size 1
 if ($size == 1) {
 return $combinations;
 }

 //initialise array to put new values in
 $new_combinations = array();

 //loop through existing combinations and character set to create strings
 foreach ($combinations as $combination) {
 foreach ($chars as $char) {
 $new_combinations[] = $combination . $char;
 }
 }

 //call same function again for the next iteration
 return sampling($chars, $size - 1, $new_combinations);

}

$chars = array(
'a', 
'ae', 
'gen', 
'io', 
'esis', 
'ex', 
'int', 
'ient', 
'ience', 
'ent', 
'id', 
'ea', 
'ive', 
'u', 
'x', 
'exp', 
'xa', 
'viz', 
'o', 
'sis', 
'i', 
'e', 
'v', 
'sen', 
'ense',
'vergence', 
'vergent', 
'vergen', 
'spect',  
'ia', 
'tran', 
'sys', 
'pix'
 );

sort($chars);
$words = sampling($chars, 2);

foreach($words as $word){
 echo $word . "
";
}

Be careful. A short array of syllables will produce a long list of “words.” (Take a look… Maybe you’ll find a name you like for your business.)

aa
aae
ae
aea
aense
aent
aesis
aex
aexp
agen
ai
aia
aid
aience
aient
aint
aio
aive
ao
apix
asen
asis
aspect
asys
atran
au
av
avergen
avergence
avergent
aviz
ax
axa
aea
aeae
aee
aeea
aeense
aeent
aeesis
aeex
aeexp
aegen
aei
aeia
aeid
aeience
aeient
aeint
aeio
aeive
aeo
aepix
aesen
aesis
aespect
aesys
aetran
aeu
aev
aevergen
aevergence
aevergent
aeviz
aex
aexa
ea
eae
ee
eea
eense
eent
eesis
eex
eexp
egen
ei
eia
eid
eience
eient
eint
eio
eive
eo
epix
esen
esis
espect
esys
etran
eu
ev
evergen
evergence
evergent
eviz
ex
exa
eaa
eaae
eae
eaea
eaense
eaent
eaesis
eaex
eaexp
eagen
eai
eaia
eaid
eaience
eaient
eaint
eaio
eaive
eao
eapix
easen
easis
easpect
easys
eatran
eau
eav
eavergen
eavergence
eavergent
eaviz
eax
eaxa
ensea
enseae
ensee
enseea
enseense
enseent
enseesis
enseex
enseexp
ensegen
ensei
enseia
enseid
enseience
enseient
enseint
enseio
enseive
enseo
ensepix
ensesen
ensesis
ensespect
ensesys
ensetran
enseu
ensev
ensevergen
ensevergence
ensevergent
enseviz
ensex
ensexa
enta
entae
ente
entea
entense
entent
entesis
entex
entexp
entgen
enti
entia
entid
entience
entient
entint
entio
entive
ento
entpix
entsen
entsis
entspect
entsys
enttran
entu
entv
entvergen
entvergence
entvergent
entviz
entx
entxa
esisa
esisae
esise
esisea
esisense
esisent
esisesis
esisex
esisexp
esisgen
esisi
esisia
esisid
esisience
esisient
esisint
esisio
esisive
esiso
esispix
esissen
esissis
esisspect
esissys
esistran
esisu
esisv
esisvergen
esisvergence
esisvergent
esisviz
esisx
esisxa
exa
exae
exe
exea
exense
exent
exesis
exex
exexp
exgen
exi
exia
exid
exience
exient
exint
exio
exive
exo
expix
exsen
exsis
exspect
exsys
extran
exu
exv
exvergen
exvergence
exvergent
exviz
exx
exxa
expa
expae
expe
expea
expense
expent
expesis
expex
expexp
expgen
expi
expia
expid
expience
expient
expint
expio
expive
expo
exppix
expsen
expsis
expspect
expsys
exptran
expu
expv
expvergen
expvergence
expvergent
expviz
expx
expxa
gena
genae
gene
genea
genense
genent
genesis
genex
genexp
gengen
geni
genia
genid
genience
genient
genint
genio
genive
geno
genpix
gensen
gensis
genspect
gensys
gentran
genu
genv
genvergen
genvergence
genvergent
genviz
genx
genxa
ia
iae
ie
iea
iense
ient
iesis
iex
iexp
igen
ii
iia
iid
iience
iient
iint
iio
iive
io
ipix
isen
isis
ispect
isys
itran
iu
iv
ivergen
ivergence
ivergent
iviz
ix
ixa
iaa
iaae
iae
iaea
iaense
iaent
iaesis
iaex
iaexp
iagen
iai
iaia
iaid
iaience
iaient
iaint
iaio
iaive
iao
iapix
iasen
iasis
iaspect
iasys
iatran
iau
iav
iavergen
iavergence
iavergent
iaviz
iax
iaxa
ida
idae
ide
idea
idense
ident
idesis
idex
idexp
idgen
idi
idia
idid
idience
idient
idint
idio
idive
ido
idpix
idsen
idsis
idspect
idsys
idtran
idu
idv
idvergen
idvergence
idvergent
idviz
idx
idxa
iencea
ienceae
iencee
ienceea
ienceense
ienceent
ienceesis
ienceex
ienceexp
iencegen
iencei
ienceia
ienceid
ienceience
ienceient
ienceint
ienceio
ienceive
ienceo
iencepix
iencesen
iencesis
iencespect
iencesys
iencetran
ienceu
iencev
iencevergen
iencevergence
iencevergent
ienceviz
iencex
iencexa
ienta
ientae
iente
ientea
ientense
ientent
ientesis
ientex
ientexp
ientgen
ienti
ientia
ientid
ientience
ientient
ientint
ientio
ientive
iento
ientpix
ientsen
ientsis
ientspect
ientsys
ienttran
ientu
ientv
ientvergen
ientvergence
ientvergent
ientviz
ientx
ientxa
inta
intae
inte
intea
intense
intent
intesis
intex
intexp
intgen
inti
intia
intid
intience
intient
intint
intio
intive
into
intpix
intsen
intsis
intspect
intsys
inttran
intu
intv
intvergen
intvergence
intvergent
intviz
intx
intxa
ioa
ioae
ioe
ioea
ioense
ioent
ioesis
ioex
ioexp
iogen
ioi
ioia
ioid
ioience
ioient
ioint
ioio
ioive
ioo
iopix
iosen
iosis
iospect
iosys
iotran
iou
iov
iovergen
iovergence
iovergent
ioviz
iox
ioxa
ivea
iveae
ivee
iveea
iveense
iveent
iveesis
iveex
iveexp
ivegen
ivei
iveia
iveid
iveience
iveient
iveint
iveio
iveive
iveo
ivepix
ivesen
ivesis
ivespect
ivesys
ivetran
iveu
ivev
ivevergen
ivevergence
ivevergent
iveviz
ivex
ivexa
oa
oae
oe
oea
oense
oent
oesis
oex
oexp
ogen
oi
oia
oid
oience
oient
oint
oio
oive
oo
opix
osen
osis
ospect
osys
otran
ou
ov
overgen
overgence
overgent
oviz
ox
oxa
pixa
pixae
pixe
pixea
pixense
pixent
pixesis
pixex
pixexp
pixgen
pixi
pixia
pixid
pixience
pixient
pixint
pixio
pixive
pixo
pixpix
pixsen
pixsis
pixspect
pixsys
pixtran
pixu
pixv
pixvergen
pixvergence
pixvergent
pixviz
pixx
pixxa
sena
senae
sene
senea
senense
senent
senesis
senex
senexp
sengen
seni
senia
senid
senience
senient
senint
senio
senive
seno
senpix
sensen
sensis
senspect
sensys
sentran
senu
senv
senvergen
senvergence
senvergent
senviz
senx
senxa
sisa
sisae
sise
sisea
sisense
sisent
sisesis
sisex
sisexp
sisgen
sisi
sisia
sisid
sisience
sisient
sisint
sisio
sisive
siso
sispix
sissen
sissis
sisspect
sissys
sistran
sisu
sisv
sisvergen
sisvergence
sisvergent
sisviz
sisx
sisxa
specta
spectae
specte
spectea
spectense
spectent
spectesis
spectex
spectexp
spectgen
specti
spectia
spectid
spectience
spectient
spectint
spectio
spective
specto
spectpix
spectsen
spectsis
spectspect
spectsys
specttran
spectu
spectv
spectvergen
spectvergence
spectvergent
spectviz
spectx
spectxa
sysa
sysae
syse
sysea
sysense
sysent
sysesis
sysex
sysexp
sysgen
sysi
sysia
sysid
sysience
sysient
sysint
sysio
sysive
syso
syspix
syssen
syssis
sysspect
syssys
systran
sysu
sysv
sysvergen
sysvergence
sysvergent
sysviz
sysx
sysxa
trana
tranae
trane
tranea
tranense
tranent
tranesis
tranex
tranexp
trangen
trani
trania
tranid
tranience
tranient
tranint
tranio
tranive
trano
tranpix
transen
transis
transpect
transys
trantran
tranu
tranv
tranvergen
tranvergence
tranvergent
tranviz
tranx
tranxa
ua
uae
ue
uea
uense
uent
uesis
uex
uexp
ugen
ui
uia
uid
uience
uient
uint
uio
uive
uo
upix
usen
usis
uspect
usys
utran
uu
uv
uvergen
uvergence
uvergent
uviz
ux
uxa
va
vae
ve
vea
vense
vent
vesis
vex
vexp
vgen
vi
via
vid
vience
vient
vint
vio
vive
vo
vpix
vsen
vsis
vspect
vsys
vtran
vu
vv
vvergen
vvergence
vvergent
vviz
vx
vxa
vergena
vergenae
vergene
vergenea
vergenense
vergenent
vergenesis
vergenex
vergenexp
vergengen
vergeni
vergenia
vergenid
vergenience
vergenient
vergenint
vergenio
vergenive
vergeno
vergenpix
vergensen
vergensis
vergenspect
vergensys
vergentran
vergenu
vergenv
vergenvergen
vergenvergence
vergenvergent
vergenviz
vergenx
vergenxa
vergencea
vergenceae
vergencee
vergenceea
vergenceense
vergenceent
vergenceesis
vergenceex
vergenceexp
vergencegen
vergencei
vergenceia
vergenceid
vergenceience
vergenceient
vergenceint
vergenceio
vergenceive
vergenceo
vergencepix
vergencesen
vergencesis
vergencespect
vergencesys
vergencetran
vergenceu
vergencev
vergencevergen
vergencevergence
vergencevergent
vergenceviz
vergencex
vergencexa
vergenta
vergentae
vergente
vergentea
vergentense
vergentent
vergentesis
vergentex
vergentexp
vergentgen
vergenti
vergentia
vergentid
vergentience
vergentient
vergentint
vergentio
vergentive
vergento
vergentpix
vergentsen
vergentsis
vergentspect
vergentsys
vergenttran
vergentu
vergentv
vergentvergen
vergentvergence
vergentvergent
vergentviz
vergentx
vergentxa
viza
vizae
vize
vizea
vizense
vizent
vizesis
vizex
vizexp
vizgen
vizi
vizia
vizid
vizience
vizient
vizint
vizio
vizive
vizo
vizpix
vizsen
vizsis
vizspect
vizsys
viztran
vizu
vizv
vizvergen
vizvergence
vizvergent
vizviz
vizx
vizxa
xa
xae
xe
xea
xense
xent
xesis
xex
xexp
xgen
xi
xia
xid
xience
xient
xint
xio
xive
xo
xpix
xsen
xsis
xspect
xsys
xtran
xu
xv
xvergen
xvergence
xvergent
xviz
xx
xxa
xaa
xaae
xae
xaea
xaense
xaent
xaesis
xaex
xaexp
xagen
xai
xaia
xaid
xaience
xaient
xaint
xaio
xaive
xao
xapix
xasen
xasis
xaspect
xasys
xatran
xau
xav
xavergen
xavergence
xavergent
xaviz
xax
xaxa