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.

Jim Rapoza, Contributor

November 30, 2011

11 Slides


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.

About the Author(s)

Jim Rapoza

Contributor

Jim Rapoza is Senior Research Analyst at the Aberdeen Group and Editorial Director for Tech Pro Essentials. For over 20 years he has been using, testing, and writing about the newest technologies in software, enterprise hardware, and the Internet. He previously served as the director of an award-winning technology testing lab based in Massachusetts and California. Rapoza is also the winner of five awards of excellence in technology journalism, and co-chaired a summit on technology industry security practices. He is a frequent speaker at technology conferences and expositions and has been regularly interviewed as a technology expert by national and local media outlets including CNN, ABC, NPR, and the Associated Press.

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