10 Silliest Tech Company Names Of 2011

By Jim Rapoza 11/30/2011 Tech companies have created some of the strangest and funniest company and product names in business. Here's the most recent evidence that this trend is only accelerating.

Serious Or Silly?

Starting a new company can be a tough job in many ways. The founders need to create a compelling product, get investors interested in their business, and find enough customers to make the new company profitable.

And then there's the question of what to call the company. Do you go for a serious, descriptive name that is also boring, or should you go the silly but sticks in people's heads route?

Looking back over the history of tech, there have been plenty of examples of businesses that took the goofy path all the way to success. Many people remember when there were lots of jokes about a company calling itself Yahoo! When Twitter launched, I wondered if users of the service should be called twits (and if they should compete in Monty Python's Twit of the Year competition).

Well, those companies had the last laugh and now serious news anchors regularly say Twitter without batting an eye. And there are plenty of new companies looking to follow the same path.

Giving a business a goofy but memorable name can pay off. For startups, having people know about you is half the battle and, if a funny name gets people talking about you, then it did its job.

But there can also be a downside. If your product is designed for business, companies may be hesitant to use a goofily-named product.

And if the name brings with it negative associations, those associations can stick with the company.

Despite these hurdles, plenty of new businesses continue taking the funny name route. Here's our look at 10 company names that stick out in 2011. Let us know about any other firms or products whose names caused you to chuckle.