What's the story behind your shop name?

[SassafrasZines]

Hi teammates,

You guys have some super creative shop names that I love, but I often find myself wondering what the story behind them is. What do you like about your shop name? How does it relate to your business? Is there a funny anecdote behind it? Is it a pun? Is it a tribute to someone special to you? Did you have a different name before switching to your current one? How do you think customers interpret your name?

I'll go first. I got the name Sassafras from a good friend of mine who always called me Sassafras when I said anything that was a little snarky. I also have a passion for botany, so a plant name just felt like a perfect fit for me.

Now it's your turn. Share your stories and thoughts in this thread!

[Former_Member]

Hi Tess,
Nice story :) And educative. I was curios how sassafras was looking like because in our country this plant does not exist. So I learned something new today ;)

My shop name is formed from Coco and Climbing Jewelry. Coco comes from my name: Cosmin. When my brother was only a little boy he couldn't say correct my name. He called me Coco :) And this is how everyone calls me now.
Initially my shop name and brand was Cococlimb (I am a rock climbing lover). But I changed it to CocoClimbingJewelry for marketing reasons.

Waiting for other stories :)

[Former_Member]

A friend showed me how to do beading with turquoise and silver. The result was native-looking jewelry, so I thought Santa Fe Collection would be a good name that people everywhere would recognize. What I didn't realize is that people in general think that Native American jewelry is the ONLY kind of jewelry made around here. Santa Fe is actually a very cosmopolitan city which offers just about any style of jewelry. So although I do have other items in my shop, most people are looking for Native American.

[heartsabustin]

My shop is named after my great grandmother's favorite wildflower. When my mom opened the shop, her business name was taken, and so was mine. So she used heartsabustin instead!

[Former_Member]

Great thread and I too wonder how people chose their names.

Mine is for my two girls and myself. One was born on the 12th and the other on the 25th. I was born on the 12th of the same month as the one born on the 25th.

There we all are in one neat little number.

I look forward to reading others.

[Former_Member]

What an interesting thread!

Our shop sells cards with food-related puns. So, À La Carde is a play on À La Carte and as opposed to a menu, we have cards and food puns! Voila.

[MariasWorkshop]

Before I opened my shop I asked friends and family to help me think of a name for my shop. I prepared a list with about 6-8 names with their input and my own brainstorming. I liked all of the names - unfortunately, I discarded that list. One of the names I remember was Melina's - I chose that name because that is how my dad used to call my mom. They are both gone now.

I checked Etsy for all the names on my list and it appeared that none were taken. However, when I started the process of opening my shop, I was completely discouraged when I found out that I could not use any of the names on my list. Apparently, they were all taken, but you do not find that out by looking for the names in “search”. I believe that some people do take the names and go through the process, but never actually open their shop to the public. In any event, in the spare of the moment I just threw the name “Handmade Treasures” out there, which I later changed to Maria’s Workshop. I am not happy with either name. I wish we would be allowed to change the name a second time.

[TeaHillCottage]

I love to drink hot tea. English and Irish breakfast are my favorite teas. I also like the cottage style. I thought about lots of names, but finally came up with Tea Hill Cottage. It just felt right:)

[Neveltjes]

This is my new shop, for 1 year, I had shop, but it was not successfull and I havent much time. Shop before called "Ladyweissshop". This was difficult. I was searching for name, that I like , not so long, and that names shop can present me and what I do. I was looking for something with art and then I was thinking about garden, Gardens I like too. And now Im Artgardo.

[AveryAlixander]

Such a hard process finding a name. We asked everyone then my spouse said Ritz Crackers and from where I was it sound like they said Riches Creations (Rich is one of our last names). We both liked it and it stuck. Found out later it was suppose to be Ritz Crackers...hahahaha Glad I can't hear.

[Former_Member]

I know my shop name is unusual so I started my About page with an explanation. The short version - I named the shop for all those smart, talented and stylish women who were the real creative force behind many a movie, particularly the studio era days before the 1970s. I just came up with the term years ago - before Etsy was created - and always loved it and knew I would use the name for something one day...fade in:

[Poetryforjane]

A play on Lou Reed's song "Sweet Jane" ~ Most people think my name is Jane though .. Lol!

[WildeElementJewelry]

Thanks for the story Tess, I recently changed my name from SarahCaligiuri to WildeElementJewelry. First of all, it is difficult to spell Caligiuri and my previous name did not include my product name "jewelry." "Wilde" is an older version of the word "wild". It is also the name of my favorite author. Element is: " a part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is essential or characteristic." Oscar Wilde was also a very edgy, controversial two spirited writer.

So in other words, my jewelry is an aspect of something old and wild. It can be relatable to the parts of ourselves that may not fit in, but are still valuable and dashing.

Thanks for listening.
Sarah

[AriadelSole]

This a great feed! I love reading about all of your stories behind your shop names. I chose the name Aria del Sole for several reasons. My daughter's name is Aria. Also, I'm half Italian, and the shop name literally translates to "air of the sun," which makes me think of happiness. I want my art and products to bring a little bit of sunshine into people's lives, and I wanted my shop name to reflect that. "Breathe sunshine into your every day." =)

[RefinedRuffian]

My shop sells antique and vintage jewelry. I wanted the name to attract the right customers as well as reflect the mission of the shop itself. Antiques can be tricky, because there are preconceptions about who buys them, and I wanted to reflect that it's about the history and adventure or story behind the item, that's it's not just a beautiful piece of jewelry. "Refined" is a word I like because it indicates an appreciation for nice things without overt connotations of wealth or status, etc. "Ruffian" was something to liven it up, and reflect the independent and rugged individualism I envisioned for the brand. Plus, the word "Ruffian" in general fits with the aesthetic... it was used during the Victorian era, and seems so funny now, a far less serious insult. All together, I thought it worked well and that it fit with the brand and what I wanted to do with it. I wanted to appeal to ideas and larger concepts versus just the products I sell.

[RefinedRuffian]

As a sidebar, I love reading these stories!!

[JudysLittleShop]

It's just too easy to see where I got my shop's name. It was very little when I started several years ago, and it will never be a big shop. My husband always asked for the "little one" when he'd call my workplace, because I worked with another Judy who, of course, was taller.

It has worked out well because when I began my shop I only sold my scarves and note cards, and I've added earrings and a few vintage items, so I didn't pick a name that wouldn't let me grow in new directions.

[Former_Member]

I like to infuse Reiki and color therapy for my sets!

[CoolFindsShoppe]

Absolutely love these stories as I, too, often wonder where they came from.

Mine's pretty easy though, well sort of . . .

I went through the process of picking names and the ones that I thought of first were taken. Frustratingly, they are either shops that closed or have never opened, but the name is still unuseable. Bummer.

Anyhow, I sell vintage items at the world famous Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, CA under the name Vintage Vibe (but that was taken, of course).

When my husband and I are out hunting down vintage treasures and I find something I like I always say "How Cool is this" or "How Cool is that",
so . . . . . .

I tried for "MyCoolFinds" first . . . . . . nope, it's taken

then I tried "CoolFinds" . . . . taken

then it was CoolFindsShop . . . taken again!

So there you go!
I ended up with CoolFindsShoppe and I'm cool with that!

Can't wait to read more stories ~

[chromalism]

Great thread!

My shop's name has been my internet username since 1998!
It's formed by my name's greek initials (Χ. Roma), but it also expresses my love for colors (in greek language "xroma" -pronounced chroma- means "color")

[knitonefelttwo]

My shops name is knitonefelttwo

The name comes from the time it takes me to knit one thing I could've felted two things!

[Former_Member]

Karli Specialties... It's my second time opening an Etsy shop, and this time I went for something with a broad name, because I love to create a wide variety of things!

My name is Karli and I have a LOT of different specialties, therefore the name fits the job!

[LeedsRadio]

Leeds Radio was the name given to the original brick & mortar store in 1923, on New York's radio row. The founder came up with Leeds by anglicizing his last name. The family sold the store around 1970 and I bought it from the second owner in 1994.

[MicheleBeyerQuilting]

My family and I came up with many names which were all taken. So I realized the only one not taken was my own. I also have a long arm quilting business using my name so I decided to stay consistent. Not very creative but it works.

[GardenCopperArt]

I set my name up by what I sell making it easy to be found in search and search engines and social media.

Garden - I sell garden
Copper - made from copper
Art - and it handmade - art.

Garden Copper Art and I use this often in my titles and tags.