“What’s in a name?”

Dammit, Shakespeare. It’s a good line. So good, in fact, namers are over it. Maybe that’s because other writers have borrowed it for about 430 years. These days (as in, the 20th century), “What’s in a name?” is ubiquitous in articles and opinion pieces on naming and brand names to baby names and surnames.

While it’s an impressive run for a line written around 1595, it’s time to give it a well deserved rest. It’s overused. It’s become tired and uninspired. In an industry that champions originality, why do so many still fall back on The Bard?

In articles, “What’s in a name?” often appears in a title followed by the quip, “Quite a lot, actually.”

We’ve taken Juliet’s rhetorical question (about Romeo’s surname and their fateful future) and turned it into a literal one, asked with the expectation of delivering an answer.

The “What’s in a name?” Passage from Romeo and Juliet:

Juliet:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:

[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:

‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

At its most basic, “What’s in a name?” is a line lifted from a tragedy about two young Italians from two feuding families. However, somehow, it’s morphed into branding business-speak.

 

Recent Examples of “What’s in a name?” Titles

This list starts with the most recent. To borrow another phrase, no (author) names were used to protect the innocent. The only crime here is unintentional overuse.

• “What’s in a name? Quite a lot, thinks [name of marketing expert], who explores post-merger naming in brands and the supposed expert agencies behind them…” (The Drum, Sept. 2025)
• “What’s in a Name?” (The New York Times, July 2025)
• “What’s in a Name? More Than You Might Think” (Inside Higher Ed, April 2025)
• ” ‘What’s in a Name?’ The Impact of Brand Naming on Online Consumer Trust” (Payline, May 2024)
• “What’s in a Name? How Brand Names Impact Success” (Brand Poets, Oct. 2024)
• “What’s in a Name? A Lot, Actually. Here’s How Branding Changed in 2023” (Inc., Dec. 2023)

These are just a handful of recent examples. To find more, it only takes a quick online search. You can find the title “What’s in a name?” for articles in major news outlets, from the NYTimes to independent blogs to, yes, even naming and branding agency websites.

In Defense of Guilty Parties

It’s a hard line to resist for writers and namers who are, at heart, lovers of language.

It doesn’t take a Shakespearean scholar to be familiar with the phrase “What’s in a name?” Therefore, it’s a generally known line from a famous piece of literature. It’s straightforward and delivers a pithy punch.

Once upon a time, I admit to being lured by this famous line when I wrote about the topic of naming. All it took was a little research and mild exasperation from the founder and creative director at Zinzin who’s been railing against the use of this cliche for years.

However, apparently, I couldn’t let the concept go. At some point later down the line, I got creative with this blog post title:

Heterosigma akashiwo: A Bloom by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sour

What can I say? Sincere apologies to Shakespeare.

Questions for Fellow Namers

What are we going to do about this line from a Shakespearean tragedy that’s become a tragedy of its own?

Do we need to launch a campaign to raise awareness? Should we connect with the social media dude who holds up the handwritten cardboard sign advocating for change?

Will AI ultimately encourage and perpetuate the use of this cliche?

Lastly, it’s time to ask the hard-hitting question: Does this really only bug the namers in the room? (Do we need group therapy?)

Parting Thoughts & Other Quotes about Names

While they say imitation is the highest form of flattery, sometimes too much of it is the highest form of exhausted imagination.

However, literature will always be a great source of inspiration. If using “What’s in a name?” is calling your name, hold that thought. There are other creative avenues to steer the title of your fabulous article.

More name-related quotes:

“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls.” — William Shakespeare in Othello

“Names are powerful things. They act as an identity marker and a kind of map, locating you in time and geography. More than that, they can be a compass.” — Nicola Yoon in The Sun is Also a Star

“Names have power, like magic spells.” — A quote from the 2015 live-action Disney film Cinderella, said by Ella.

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.” — Patrick Rothfuss in The Name of the Wind

“It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” ― W.C. Fields

“I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.” — L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables

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NEW SIGHTING: “What’s in a name?” appears as the very first line in the Feb. 23, 2026 NY Times article, “The SYRN Call of Oddly Spelled Brand Names.”