Every great startup begins with an idea born out of a gap the world didn’t know it needed to be filled. But somewhere between pitching the first deck and landing that milestone first customer, there’s a moment when every founder asks this question: “What do we call this thing?”
Deciding the name for a breakthrough business is sometimes like a click from a childhood memory, a personal moment, or a catchy phrase in another language. Other times, it takes caffeine-high brainstorming sessions to decide, based on the startup’s purpose. As startups evolve and pivot their business models, their names often evolve too—shifting to reflect a new direction, mission, or audience.
Here are some untold stories behind the brilliantly crafted names of today’s most iconic startups.
Startup Names with a Narrative
- Meesho — A Mix of Two Words “Meri-eShop”
This name not only captures the platform’s mission of providing the space for launching digital storefronts but also carries a deeper cultural connection of empowering the rural region, women, and the unprivileged.
It started with the name FASHNEAR in its initial days, with a business model quite similar to the food delivery giants Zomato and Swiggy, but for fashion. But as the business remodeled for more expansion, the co-founders Sanjeev Barnwal and Vidit Aatrey coined a new name for the new beginnings,
Meesho, a name that symbolizes Meri-eShop and echoes the spirit of independence, empowering anyone to start their own business with confidence and clarity.
- Zomato- Inspired by Tomato, Yes Really!
At first glance, Zomato might sound a bit quirky—some say it even reminds them of a tomato. Well actually, yes, the name was intentionally inspired by tomato—a staple in countless dishes and a symbol of flavor, freshness, and food.
The idea was to create a name that was easy to pronounce, memorize, catchy, and universally associated with food. Before juggling with names like ForkWise and Foodiebay, the co-founders, Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, locked the name to Zomato.
Not known to many, Zomato launched as Foodiebay in 2008 but later rebranded to Zomato in 2010, and this rebranding has paid off, and by 2012, Zomato made its first international move into the UAE.
In 2015, it launched its food delivery service—a turning point that fueled exponential growth.
- Nykaa- Someone who Leads & Inspires
The name Nykaa is a modern derivation of the Sanskrit word ‘Nayaka,’ which means a performer or someone in the spotlight who leads and inspires.
Being the women-centric platform for starters, Nykaa was founded in the year 2012 by Falguni Nayar with the idea of being both an e-commerce platform and a brand that celebrates self-expression, empowerment, and individuality.
Falguni dreamt of a platform where every woman could become her own “Nayaka,” expressing beauty in a way that’s true to her—without boundaries or bias.
Well, the idea behind the name was truly beautiful!
- Myntra- My-Intra or Mantra? Actually Both
The fashion e-commerce giant Myntra is a derivation of two words, My-intra and Mantra.
‘My-intra’ symbolizes a personalized shopping journey within the platform, where “My” reflects personalization and a user-centric approach to shopping, while “intra” highlights the platform’s internal strength and focused ecosystem.
‘Mantra’, on the other hand, is a sanskrit word and is more of a wordplay that suggests a platform for personalized fashion mantra for all the fashionistas.
Whether My-intra or Mantra, both derivations reflect Myntra’s core mission: to help people discover and express their unique fashion identities.
Founded by Mukesh Bansal, Vineet Saxena, and Ashutosh Lawania, the company came into existence in the year 2007 as a platform to sell personalized gift items. In May 2014, the company took a strategic turn and was merged with Flipkart to leverage mutual strength and market leadership.
- Zepto- The Smallest Unit of Time
The brand derives its name from a science term, Zepto second, meaning ‘the tiniest unit of time,’ which perfectly aligns with the brand’s mission to become a quick-commerce giant that delivers groceries and food in just 10 minutes, representing fast and dependable service.
Zepto was founded by two childhood friends turned entrepreneurs in the year 2021. Both Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra exited Stanford to build their quick-commerce startup which is flourishing today.
- OYO- The Lord Jagannath’s Inspired Logo
OYO is the abbreviation for ‘On Your Own’, which highlights the company’s core mission to give travellers the independence to make their own choices in booking their stays. The company was founded in the year 2012 by Ritesh Agarwal.
Apart from the unique name of the startup, what’s more special is the company’s logo that signifies Lord Jagannath’s face with O representing the eyes and Y representing the nose.
- Furlenco- Fur-Len-Co
Furlenco derives its name from ‘Fur- Furniture, Len- Lending, Co- Company,’ highlighting its core focus on furniture rentals. Founded in the year 2012 under the leadership of Ajith Mohan Karimpana, Ex-VP at Goldman Sachs, the company provides a variety of services including furniture and home appliance renting, purchasing, subscribing and more.
- Swiggy- Suggi-Festival of Food
The brand name is inspired by the term Suggi in Kannada, which is spelt as Swiggy, meaning harvesting or a season of festival.
The company commenced in the year 2014, and with time, it has become India’s largest food ordering and shipping startup. Later. the company also introduced another segment lately with the name Instamart, which delivers groceries and other home essentials.
From playful puns to powerful acronyms, startup names are more than branding—they’re the first handshake with the world. And in a crowded market, the ones with meaning often make the most lasting impression.
