A good domain name will not make a blog successful on its own, but a bad one makes everything harder: it is forgettable, hard to spell when someone hears it, boxes you into a topic you later outgrow, or forces a costly rebrand. The fastest way to recognize a good name is to study the ones that worked. Below are 23 real blogs with strong domain names, grouped by the naming approach they use, with what each one teaches. Updated October 2026: a few sites from the original list have closed and were replaced, and one useful rebrand story was added.
The Five Naming Approaches
- Invented or brandable words: unique, easy to trademark, room to grow (Mashable, ShoutMeLoud).
- Your own name: builds a personal brand that follows you into any topic (NeilPatel, Hongkiat).
- Descriptive with a twist: says what the blog is about but still sounds like a brand (PinchOfYum, NerdFitness).
- Audience or promise: names who it is for or what readers get (SmartPassiveIncome, ProBlogger).
- Short abbreviations: a well-known abbreviation plus a word (WPLeaders).
Brandable and Invented Names
1. Mashable
Mashable was named in 2005 after tech “mashups” (combining services like Flickr and Google Maps). The topic moved on, but the made-up word did not limit it, and Mashable grew into a general tech and culture publication. Lesson: an invented word can outlive the idea that inspired it.
2. TechCrunch
TechCrunch combines the topic (tech) with a vivid, punchy word (crunch). It was acquired by AOL in 2010 and is still one of the best-known startup news sites. When I named my first blog, TechThumbs.com, I borrowed the same pattern. Lesson: topic word plus a memorable word is a reliable formula.
3. ShoutMeLoud
Harsh Agrawal got the idea for ShoutMeLoud from the word “shout” on a billboard on his way to work. It has no keyword in it at all, which let it cover blogging, WordPress, SEO, and making money online. Lesson: a name can be about the feeling rather than the topic.
4. RoadToBlogging
The blog you are reading. My tech blog drifted into WordPress, hosting, AdSense, and SEO, so I moved to a name that described the journey of learning to blog, inspired by the phrase “road to peace”. Lesson: when the content changes, change the name early, before the old brand has too much value.
5. List25
List25 tells you its format (lists of 25 things) without limiting the topics, which can be anything. Lesson: naming the format instead of the subject leaves the topic wide open.
Personal Name Domains
6. NeilPatel
Neil Patel started with Quick Sprout, then moved his focus to NeilPatel.com as his personal brand became the business. Every speaking fee, consulting deal, and tool he launches now points back to his name. Lesson: if you are the product (consultant, coach, speaker), use your name.
7. Hongkiat
Hongkiat Lim used his first name for Hongkiat, which started with design and freelancing and later expanded into general technology. A unique first name made a short, available, brandable domain. Lesson: an uncommon name is a branding advantage.
8. Nomadic Matt
Nomadic Matt combines the topic (budget travel) with the founder’s first name. It became one of the biggest travel blogs and led to books and a travel company. Lesson: topic plus first name gives you both a niche and a personal brand.
Descriptive Names With Personality
9. Pinch of Yum
Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom’s food blog Pinch of Yum hints at cooking without using the word “recipes”. It grew big enough that they launched Food Blogger Pro to teach others, another clear, descriptive name. Lesson: a playful phrase is more memorable than a keyword.
10. Nerd Fitness
Steve Kamb built Nerd Fitness for an audience nobody in fitness was talking to: nerds, gamers, and desk workers. Lesson: naming a specific audience instantly tells the right reader “this is for you”.
11. Budget Bytes
Budget Bytes promises cheap recipes in two short alliterative words. Alliteration makes it easy to remember and say aloud. Lesson: alliteration and rhythm make a descriptive name stick.
12. Minimalist Baker
Minimalist Baker tells you the style (recipes with 10 ingredients or fewer, one bowl, under 30 minutes) and the subject. Lesson: an adjective that captures your angle differentiates you in a crowded niche.
13. The Penny Hoarder
The Penny Hoarder makes the personal finance topic friendly and slightly funny, and grew into one of the largest personal finance publishers. Lesson: a character in the name (the hoarder) adds personality.
14. Scary Mommy
Jill Smokler started Scary Mommy in 2008 for parents who felt the polished parenting blogs did not reflect real life. The honest, funny name signals the tone. Lesson: a name can set the voice of the brand.
15. PetaPixel
PetaPixel plays on “petabyte” and “pixel” for a photography news site. Lesson: wordplay from your niche’s own vocabulary feels native to the audience.
16. FoodTruckr
FoodTruckr covers starting and running a food truck. Dropping the “e” (the Flickr, Tumblr style) made a descriptive phrase brandable and available. Lesson: small spelling changes can work, but only if people can still spell the name after hearing it.
17. The Crazy Programmer
The Crazy Programmer adds personality to a plain topic. Lesson: one adjective can turn a generic phrase into a brand.
18. GardenLady
GardenLady is two words, the topic and the person, and is impossible to forget. Lesson: the simplest names are often the best.
Audience and Promise Names
19. Smart Passive Income
Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income names the exact outcome readers want. It became one of the best-known online business brands, with a podcast, courses, and a community under the same name. Lesson: naming the promise is powerful, as long as you can keep delivering it.
20. ProBlogger
Darren Rowse launched ProBlogger in 2004 on problogger.net and eventually moved to the .com. Lesson: the .com is still worth getting; even successful brands end up buying it.
21. Zen Habits
Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits sums up a calm, minimal approach to life in two words, and the .net did not hold it back. Lesson: a strong name matters more than the extension.
Abbreviation Names
22. WPLeaders
Another of my sites, WPLeaders, uses “WP”, an abbreviation every WordPress user recognizes. Note that you cannot use “WordPress” itself in a domain name; it is a trademark of the WordPress Foundation, which is why the community uses WP. Lesson: abbreviations work only if your audience already knows them, and avoid other companies’ trademarks.
A Rebrand Worth Learning From
23. Just a Girl and Her Blog, now Abby Organizes
Abby Lawson’s Just a Girl and Her Blog covered blogging, decor, and organizing. As organizing became what readers came for, the site rebranded as Abby Organizes. Lesson: a broad, personal name lets you start without knowing your niche; when the niche becomes clear, a sharper name can follow.
Checklist for Your Own Domain Name
- Easy to say and spell after hearing it once.
- Short: two or three words, under about 15 characters if possible.
- A .com if available; otherwise a credible extension (.co, .net, .blog, or a country code if you target one country).
- No hyphens or numbers that need explaining.
- Broad enough to grow into related topics.
- No trademarks (WordPress, Google, brand names).
- Available as a social media handle too.
For the full process, read our guide to choosing a good domain name, and if you have not settled the topic yet, start with how to decide what to blog about. When you are ready, compare domain name registrars and blogging platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should my blog domain include a keyword?
It is optional. Exact-match keyword domains no longer give a ranking boost, so choose a keyword only if it also makes a good brand. Most successful blogs above use brandable names.
Is it OK to use my own name as a domain?
Yes, especially if you plan to offer services, write books, or speak. The downside is that a personal-name site is harder to sell later.
What if the .com is taken?
Add a short word (get, try, the, hq), choose a different name, or use a trustworthy alternative extension. Avoid names that differ from a popular .com by only the extension; visitors will end up at the other site.
Can I change my domain name later?
Yes, with 301 redirects from every old URL to the new one, but expect a temporary traffic dip. It is much easier in the first year than after the site is established.
Leave a Reply