YouTube Channel Names: How to Choose One That Gets Views
Your YouTube channel name is more than just an identifier—it's your brand, your first impression, and a crucial factor in attracting viewers and growing your audience. A great channel name can improve discoverability, build recognition, and set the tone for your content. Discover proven strategies for choosing a name that stands out and drives growth.
Optimize for search
Include relevant keywords that people search for in your niche. This improves SEO and helps your channel appear in search results.
Best for: Educational content, tutorials, and niche-specific channels.
Build around your identity
Use your name or a variation to create a personal connection with your audience. This works well for vloggers and personality-driven content.
Best for: Vloggers, entertainers, and personality-focused creators.
Stand out from the crowd
Invent unique names that are memorable and brandable. These names create curiosity and are easier to trademark.
Best for: Entertainment, gaming, and creative content.
Create a lasting identity
Choose names that sound like established brands and are scalable beyond YouTube. These names work well for business-oriented channels.
Best for: Media companies, businesses, and professional creators.
Target your audience
Include words that clearly indicate your content category. This helps attract the right audience from the start.
Best for: Specialized content and targeted audiences.
Easy to remember and share
Use alliteration, rhymes, or short, punchy names that are easy to recall and share with others.
Best for: All content types, especially shareable content.
Add relevant keywords that your target audience searches for to improve discoverability.
Specific names attract targeted audiences who are more likely to engage with your content.
Ensure your name is available across social platforms for consistent branding.
Shorter names are easier to remember, type, and fit better in search results.
Choose a name that's easy to pronounce and say out loud. Viewers should be able to recommend your channel without confusion.
Avoid complex spellings or ambiguous pronunciations that might confuse potential subscribers.
Select a name that won't limit your content as your channel evolves and expands into new topics.
Avoid overly specific names that might become irrelevant if you decide to broaden your content focus.
Think about what would appeal to your target demographic and reflect the tone of your content.
Professional audiences prefer straightforward names, while younger audiences might appreciate creative or humorous names.
Keep your channel name under 20 characters for optimal display on mobile devices and in search results.
Longer names get cut off in YouTube's interface, making them harder to read and remember.
Ensure your name reflects the tone and style of your videos—serious, humorous, educational, or entertaining.
A mismatched name can confuse viewers and attract the wrong audience.
Choose a name that will still be relevant and appropriate years from now as trends change.
Avoid dated references or temporary trends that might make your channel seem outdated later.
Combines a unique personality ("Babish") with clear content focus ("Binging"). Memorable and perfectly describes the content.
Simple, descriptive, and personal. Clearly communicates what the channel offers while building a personal connection.
Short, brandable acronym (Marques Brownlee High Definition). Unique, memorable, and scales well beyond initial tech focus.
Creative, unique, and perfectly captures the creator's energetic personality. Highly memorable and distinctive.
Names like "GamerXxX123" appear unprofessional and are difficult to remember or recommend.
Solution: Choose a clean, professional name without random numbers or excessive characters.
Names like "Cooking Channel" or "Gaming Videos" don't stand out and are hard to search for.
Solution: Add unique elements or personality to make your name distinctive.
Imitating successful channels (like "PewDiePie2") creates confusion and lacks originality.
Solution: Create something unique that represents your authentic content and personality.
Names that are too long get cut off in search results and are difficult to remember.
Solution: Keep it under 20 characters for optimal visibility across platforms.
Creative spellings might seem unique but make your channel hard to find and share.
Solution: Choose spellings that are intuitive and easy to type from memory.
Extremely specific names (like "iPhone12Reviews") become outdated and limit future content.
Solution: Choose a name that allows for growth and evolution of your content.