Naming Considerations

In a large, dynamic institution like OHIO, there are always new initiatives, tools, services, units and programs that demand a name. When developing a new name, we encourage you to review the guiding principles below and to reach out to University Communications and Marketing for assistance in identifying potential names that align with the brand and don’t compete with other internal or external names.

First,

Some Policy Notes

Before you dive into a naming project, there are notable University Policies to consider.

  1. Naming University Assets – If you are planning to name a building, exterior space, or University unit such as a college or program, you’ll need to consider policy 37.010.
  2. Honorary Names – This same policy includes guidance on naming anything within the university in honor of a person or entity. 
  3. Centers and Institutes – If you are establishing a Center or Institute or thinking of calling something a center or institute, you’ll want to review policy 01.015.

Guiding Principles

Here are a few principles to consider as you are approaching the development of a new name:

Consider plain text first.

Keep in mind that developing familiarity for a unique name will require investment in time, energy and sometimes funding. If your initiative, service or unit can be described simply in plain text, that is often the best idea. For example, if you are hosting senior student presentations each semester, you don’t need a name for that. Senior Student Presentations works best.

Name should be rooted in strategy.

Once you’ve determined a unique name is necessary or appropriate, the next step is to determine your audience(s) and goals. It’s tempting to start with name ideas because, frankly, it’s fun. But without understanding who you are trying to reach and what sort of action you want them to take, your name will likely miss the mark.

SEO matters. A lot.

When people go looking for information on your initiative, event, program, etc., their first step will be a search engine or AI tool. Think about how they might search for what you are offering. Avoid using special characters (@, +, &, etc.) or misleading language.

Choose clarity over creativity.

Avoid clever or complex names, and instead select names that clearly describe what you are naming. For example, if your college is opening a new office dedicated to student academic support choose a simple name like Office of Academic Support rather than something like the Coaching, Advising, Tutoring (CAT) House. 

Be specific / differentiate.

If your name is specific to a particular audience or arm of the institution, be sure to reflect that in the name. For example, if the university is launching a career coaching program for alumni, OHIO Career Coaching wouldn’t work because it could easily be confused as a program for students. Instead they might use OHIO Alumni Career Coaching.

Consider trademark.

Keep in mind that Ohio University owns the trademark for the work “Ohio” used in relationship to higher education. If you plan to incorporate “OHIO,” “Ohio University” or any of the logo marks into your name or mark, you will need approval from UCM.