Made-up brand names vs real words: which work better for web projects?

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When launching web projects or side apps, I’ve noticed many developers prefer made-up brand names, while others go with real dictionary words.

From a web perspective, made-up names seem easier for domains, search intent control, and branding consistency, but real words feel more intuitive for users.

For those who’ve built or launched web products — have you seen one approach work better in terms of discoverability, UX, or long-term maintainability?

Curious to hear developer-side experiences rather than pure marketing theory.

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A mix of made-up and real word?

MadeUp ToDo?
MadeUp Game?

“madeup .com”

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Goofy names have no effect on UX or long term maintainability.

The goofy names are because of all the speculation that took place over the years with people reserving domain names just to make it rich holding them hostage to people that might want them. They’re purely a marketing ploy.

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That’s a great point about memorability outweighing literal meaning.
I’ve noticed the same — once a name sticks, the original word choice matters less than how people remember it.

Do you think this still holds true for early-stage products with zero brand recognition?

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Yeah, exactly — hybrids seem to hit a nice balance.

The real word gives instant context, and the made-up part makes it more brandable and easier to own as a domain.

I’ve noticed these combos also feel more flexible long-term compared to fully descriptive names.

Do you usually start with the keyword first, or invent the brand sound and fit meaning later?

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The challenge is to find the “umbrella made up word” that both is simple and describing the context. The real words are much simpler.

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That’s a really good way to put it.

Finding a made-up “umbrella” word that still clearly communicates context is often the hardest part. Real words do that job naturally, which is why they feel simpler and safer.

I’ve found that using a real word as the anchor and then slightly abstracting it can help bridge that gap — you keep clarity without losing brandability.

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From my experience, neither is better by default — it depends on the stage and goal of the project.

Made-up names work well early on because domains are available and there is no search ambiguity. You can define what the name means over time. The downside is that they need more explanation at the start.

Real words feel more intuitive and trustworthy to users, but they are harder to rank for and often already overloaded with meaning.

What is mattered most in projects I have worked on is clarity. If users immediately understand what the product does from the name + tagline, both approaches can work. Confusing names fail, regardless of whether they’re real or invented.

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