If you’re struggling to name your antique store, don’t worry. You’re in the right place. In this article, I cover some of the top tips for naming your new business and how to make sure the name is legally available for you to use.
Learn more about the antique store industry
Tips For Naming An Antique Store
Naming a business is hard, especially if you don’t have any ideas or a place to start. So, before you dive in, grab a piece of paper and a pen or open up a blank spreadsheet.
Then, use it as a place to brainstorm ideas and write down words or phrases that come to mind as you go through the tips below.
From there, we’ll talk about narrowing things down and landing on the perfect name.
1. Keep It as Short as Possible
Short business names are usually snappier, catchier, and easier to remember. Ideally, you want to stick to two to five syllables and hopefully no more than 25 characters total.
However, the shorter the name, the better.
That said, there are exceptions to this, and it’s not a hard rule. But when you think about huge, notable brands, which ones come to mind?
Nike. Apple. Ikea. Febreeze. Target. Honeywell.
They’re easy to remember because they’re short, simple, and brandable.
Obviously, there are exceptions to these rules. But typically, the shorter and simpler your name, the easier it is for everyone to remember.
2. Avoid Words That Are Hard to Hear and Pronounce
Voice-to-text and voice search are more popular now than ever before. So, it’s important to consider making your name easy to pronounce and hear.
To do this, avoid using:
- Commonly misspelled words
- Complex terms that are hard to spell
- Words that have several pronunciations
- Homophones like to, too, and two
Try to keep things as concise and simple as possible.
3. Consider Antique-Related Terms
Since you’re opening an antique store, trying antique and vintage names might make sense. It may help to start brainstorming terms, phrases, and words to get all your ideas down on paper.
Examples of this could include Somewhere in Time Antiques, Memory Lane Antiques, or Forgotten Things.
For a boost of creativity, expand use the thesaurus to find synonyms around the words of what your business does. You can either use the thesaurus function from your word processor or thesaurus.com to come up with additional synonyms.
From there, you can cross off bad ideas or any terms you don’t like.
4. Phrases Your Audience and Competition Uses
Your business exists for your target market, so it’s important to consider phrases and terms they use when talking about antiques.
There are quite a few places you can look to see what your customers (and competitors) are saying, including:
- Facebook groups, posts, and stories
- Forums related to antiques
- Competitor websites, brochures, and flyers
- Trade journals
- Magazines or blogs
Alternatively, you can ask friends or relatives in your target audience. Hearing it directly from them may help you brainstorm and narrow down your choices.
Remember to avoid anything limiting your business’s future growth if you decide to go in another direction down the road.
5. Types of Antiques You Sell
You can also consider the types of antiques you plan to sell in your shop. Maybe you specialize in depression glass, vintage furniture, vintage clothing, or antique clocks.
If so, consider related phrases and terms specific to the products, services, and courses you plan to offer. This specificity can help your business stand out from other antique stores competing for your audience’s attention.
6. Neighborhoods, Cities, and Nicknames
Including the name of your city, street, or neighborhood is an excellent way to encourage local shopping and create a strong sense of community in your area.
You can also think about nicknames for your city or neighborhood, as well. Here are some examples to use as inspiration:
- Heartland Antiques & Gifts
- Magnolia Lane Antiques
- Vintage Shops of Frankford
- Wildwood Antique Mall
- Trail’s End Antiques
With that said, make sure the name you choose isn’t limiting if you decide to move or expand your antique business down the road.
7. Incorporate Your Name
If you’re still struggling to find the perfect name, consider using your name, a nickname, or something personal and unique to you.
This is a fantastic way to build a personal brand if that’s something you want to do. Some great examples of this in action include:
- Scarlett’s Southern Accents
- Powell’s Antiques
- Patti’s Treasures & Antiques
If you go this route, keep in mind that it may make it harder to sell your antique store later.
List of Catchy Antique Store Business Names
Here is a list of existing antique store names that may help give you some creative ideas. While many of these names may be available for you to use, be sure to check first to be sure they can be used.
Tips on how to check business name availability are after the list of names!
- 2nd Chance
- A Blast From The Past
- A Fairhope Find
- A Step Back In Time
- A Taste Of The Past
- A Walk Thru Time
- Aged Miracles Store
- All Around The House
- Alligator Alley Antiques
- Always Picken
- Amazing Estate Sales
- Ancient Things
- Angels Abroad Antiques
- Annette’s Antiques & Treasures
- Antique Emporium
- Antique Junction
- Antiques & More
- Antiques & Things
- Antiques & Uncle Junk
- Antiques Depot
- Antiques Etcetera
- Antiques On Main
- Antiquities By Renzo
- Apple Pie Crafts & Antique
- As Time Goes By
- Auntie Gail’s Collectibles
- Back Door Antiques
- Backroads Antiques
- Barbaras Classy Trash
- Bargain Barn
- Blooms & Heirlooms
- Blue Jar Antique Market
- Brushy Creek Antiques
- Carpenters Wife Antiques
- Cats Meow
- Consignment Closet
- Country Store
- Court Street Antiques
- Cowboy Country Antiques
- Cowboys & Lace Antiques
- Dog House Resale Shop
- Downtown Alley
- Durango Antique Market
- Elaine’s Antiques
- Falkner Antique Mall
- Fancy Pants Antiques
- Feather Your Nest Antiques
- Finders Keepers
- Florida Antique Bucket Brigade
- Forgotten Things
- Found Antique & Artisan Mall
- Future Antiques
- Garage Sale Antiques
- George’s Resale
- Golden Goodies Antique & Thrift Store
- Golden Memories
- Good Ol’ Days Antiques
- Green Glass Vintage
- Happy Jacks Antiques
- Heartland Antiques & Gifts
- Hearts Desire
- Hidden Treasures Antique Mall
- Home Sweet Home Antiques
- Homestead Antique Mall
- House Of Charm Antiques
- Iron Gargoyle Antique Mall
- Iron Gate Antique Mall
- J C Mercantile
- Jen’s Antique Mall
- Junebugg’s Flea & Antique Mall
- Junk Trunk
- Junkspirations
- Key To The Past Antique
- Lantern 44
- Legacy Americana
- Less Traveled Road Antiques
- Lou’s Relics
- Magnolia Lane Antiques
- Main Street Market
- Marion Antique Mall
- Marketplace Antique
- Memory Lane
- Memory Lane Antiques
- Mid Century Madness
- Mid Town Vintage
- Mountain Eclectic
- New To You
- Noble Treasures
- Oak Mountain Emporium
- Old Colorado Vintage
- Old Sale Barn Antique Outlet
- Old South Stained Glass
- Old Wood Delaware
- Olde Town Hall Antiques
- On Consignment In Bisbee
- One Of A Kind Consignments
- Ooodles Antiques Mall
- Our Old Stuff Antique Mall
- Our Place Antiques
- Pastimes Vintage Store
- Patti’s Treasures & Antiques
- Personalities Of The Past
- Picker’s Outlet Mall
- Powell’s Antiques
- Present Perfect
- Razzle Dazzle Vintage Boutique
- Reflections Antiques
- Remember When
- Rescued Relic
- Retro Active
- Retro Shoppe
- Ribbons & Roses Antique Mall
- Right Stuff Consignment
- River Wind Antique Shop
- Robin’s Antique Boutique
- Rum Runner’s Antiques
- Scarlett’s Southern Accents
- Scottsboro Antiques
- Shamrock Antiques
- Simple Retro
- Simply Charming At The Mill
- Simply Southern Antiques & Gifts
- Singing Grass Trading Co
- Smokehouse Antiques
- Smythe Things
- Somewhere In Time Antiques
- South Street Antiques
- Steve’s Antique Furniture
- Swap Shop Antiques
- Sweet Memories
- The Fifties Store – Retro Fashion & Living
- The Treasure Chest
- The Vintage Shop
- Think Vintage!
- Timeless Antiques & Treasures
- Tin Shed
- Traders Antiques
- Trail’s End Antiques
- Treasure Island Antiques
- Treasure Trove
- Treasures From The Attic
- Unique Treasures
- Unique Vintage
- Uniques & Antiques
- Village Antiques
- Vintage Collector
- Vintage Journey
- Vintage Peddler
- Vintage Shops Of Frankford
- Vintage Warehouse
- Way We Were
- Whistle Post Antiques
- Wild Old Things
- Wildwood Antique Mall
- Windows To The Past Antiques
- Wizard Of Odds
- Wonderland Antiques
- World Treasures Of Naples
- Yesterdays Fun
- Yesterday’s Memories
Finding the Perfect Name: Putting It All Together
By now, you should have a lengthy list of words, phrases, and terms you can use in your business name. At this point, I highly recommend going through and removing any that are hard to spell or pronounce.
Now, you can start combining pieces together until something stands out. It may help to create a list of potential names you can use. From there, you can narrow things down to your favorites.
But before you make your final decision, it’s important that your new name passes a few tests.
Say It Out Loud
Make sure you say your new name out loud. It may look great as a logo, domain name, and on a business card. But it also needs to sound good when you say it out loud.
You can also sit down with someone and talk about your business. Does saying the name in casual conversation sound natural? If not, you may want to consider something simpler or easier to say.
Logo Design
Lastly, think about how to incorporate your new name into a logo. Logos should be simple, memorable, and indicative of your brand.
Take Apple, for example. Their business name is easily incorporated into a logo. And today, it’s a household symbol that everyone immediately recognizes.
A logo is an important part of your brand identity, so don’t forget to consider turning your name into a memorable logo as you make your final decision.
Related: How to create a logo for your business.
Is Your Antique Store Name Available to Use?
At this point, you should have several top considerations to choose from. And the best way to narrow it down further is to check each one for availability.
This step is vital because using a name that someone else uses could be very costly, time-consuming to rebrand your business, and possibly embarrassing. There are several places to look to check whether a name is available to use, so let’s walk through the most common ones.
Can the business name be registered in your state?
If you plan to use a specific business name, you may be required by the state to verify it’s available to use.
Related: How to check business name availability in your state
Is your name already trademarked?
When searching for a name for your new business, you should check that your new name isn’t trademarked by someone else. If it is, you may not be allowed to use it legally.
Thankfully, the United States Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) makes trademark searching a breeze through their Trademark Database.
A name isn’t necessarily available if it doesn’t appear in this search. Every business has some limited protection through a common law trademark. This means another business can’t open up down the street with the same name, as this creates confusion for customers. Also, check local competitors by doing a Google search and looking through the Yellow Pages.
If your name is available and you want to protect it from being used by anyone else, you can register it with the USPTO.
Related: How to check for a trademark
Hopefully, you now have some ideas for the name of your antique store. Once you have this list narrowed down to just a few and researched that they are all available, start asking friends, family, and potential customers their thoughts to get feedback, and then pick your perfect antique store name!
