How to name your mobile app or game
Published 24th November, 2016 by Stuart Hall
Selecting the perfect name for your mobile app or game isn't just a choice; it's a pivotal decision in your journey to success. Your app's name encapsulates its essence, defines its identity, and can significantly impact its visibility and reception in a crowded digital landscape. In this overview we will look at:
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To help you navigate this crucial process, I conducted a deep dive into the world of app naming. I scrutinized the names of a staggering 8000 apps from the esteemed US App Store top charts. The results were nothing short of fascinating.
From names with 1 word and 2 letters like "QQ" to the crazy with 38 words and 254 characters - "Voice Translator with speech recognition - Does translate understand and speak 29 languages like Spanish English Russian French Czech or German - Dictate and hear the app read its translation to study or exchange with foreign speakers like an interpreter"
| Word Count | Character Count | |
|---|---|---|
| Max | 38 | 254 |
| Min | 1 | 2 |
| Average | 5.5 | 36 |
| Median | 4 | 27 |
Word Count
Looking at the distribution of the number of words used.Most apps clustered towards using less words. With 2 & 3 words being the most popular.Over 50% of apps use 4 words or less.
Most apps clustered towards using less words. With 2 & 3 words being the most popular.
Over 50% of apps use 4 words or less.
Character Count
Similarly looking at the distribution of the number of characters used.
While a majority of apps kept it under 30 characters, I noticed that 12 characters seemed to be the sweet spot for many.
Common Words
The top 10 words were:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| and | 1291 |
| for | 1172 |
| free | 638 |
| the | 472 |
| pro | 485 |
| the | 472 |
| with | 355 |
| to | 341 |
| your | 307 |
| app | 299 |
Ignoring stop words like “and”, “for”, “the” etc gives:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| free | 638 |
| pro | 485 |
| tracker | 266 |
| weather | 253 |
| music | 219 |
| photo | 213 |
| video | 203 |
| mobile | 199 |
| news | 189 |
| iphone | 155 |
The top 50 words were:
“free, pro, tracker, weather, music, photo, video, mobile, news, iphone, calculator, gps, guide, manager, player, instagram, editor, best, edition, live, new, map, text, radio, maker, daily, videos, camera, bible, hd, voice, game, photos, get, plus, phone, emoji, maps, scanner, english, dictionary, games, google, keyboard, calendar, baby, sleep, audio, reader, world”
Plotting it on a word cloud:
Separators
Many apps use a separator, e.g. Flipboard: Your Social News Magazine and Pandora - Free Music & Radio.
So I dug into what is used.
| Has a - separator | 2622 |
| Has a : separator | 578 |
32% of apps use a - separator in their app name.
Categories
Nearly 20% of apps cleverly incorporated their category into their name, enhancing discoverability. When you look at a category like Music - 50% of the top 200 apps had music in the name, or Weather - where 62% have weather in their name. It pays to be descriptive and clear.
Tips
Armed with this wealth of data, I offer you some invaluable tips when it comes to naming your mobile app:
- Keep It Concise: Aim for a name comprising 2 to 6 words. Short, memorable names are more likely to stick in users' minds.
- Embrace Descriptiveness: Include your main keyword or category of your app in the name, making it crystal clear what your app does.
- Separator Strategy: Consider using a separator, like a dash (-) to separate your name and pitch.
- Device Adaptability: Think about how your app name will appear on different devices and screens. Ensure it remains legible and attractive.
- Fun with Words: Call your app “Free Weather Tracker Pro” (just kidding)
Names I Love
- Clear - Tasks, Reminders & To-Do Lists
- Shazam - Discover music, artists, videos & lyrics
- Waze - GPS, Maps & Social Traffic
Conclusion
In conclusion, naming your mobile app or game is an art and a science. It's a blend of creativity, strategy, and an understanding of your audience. With these tips and insights, you're now better equipped to embark on your app-naming adventure. Remember, a great name can be the first step towards your app's triumph in the digital world.
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Try Appbot AI Replies, free for 14 days →Where to from here?
- Explore the strategies employed by top grossing apps and learn how to achieve success.
- Dive into the secrets of designing addictive apps that keep users coming back for more.
- Discover effective strategies to managing app store ratings and reviews for app success.
- Discover the path to mobile app success in our definitive guide to mobile app growth.
About The Author
Stuart is Co-founder & Co-CEO of Appbot. Stuart has been involved in mobile as a developer, blogger and entrepreneur since the early days of the App Store. He built the 7 Minute Workout app in one night and blogged the story of growing the app to 2.3 million downloads before exiting to a large fitness device company. Previously he was the co-founder of the Discovr series of applications which achieved over 4 million downloads. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
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