naming-6-gates

Naming 6-Gates Protocol

Overview

Brand naming in 2026 is architectural engineering, not creative brainstorming. A name must be:

1. Machine-compatible - tokenized efficiently by LLMs, citeable by AI engines
2. Legally defensible - clear of trademark conflicts across jurisdictions
3. Voice-ready - pronounceable by assistants, invocable without friction
4. Narratively loaded - capable of carrying a brand story

Core principle: Optimize for AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) first, aesthetics second.

When to Use

• Creating a new brand, product, or company name
• Replacing a name due to trademark conflict
• Expanding internationally (multilingual requirements)
• Launching a voice-activated product or skill
• Naming for AI-first discovery (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini recommendations)

When NOT to Use

• Internal project codenames (no legal/AEO requirements)
• Temporary campaign names
• Personal projects with no commercial intent

The 6-Gate Naming Process

digraph naming_process {
    rankdir=TB;
    node [shape=box];

    brief [label="1. BRIEF\nDefine constraints"];
    generate [label="2. GENERATE\nAI-assisted creation"];
    filter [label="3. LINGUISTIC FILTER\nMultilingual stress test"];
    legal [label="4. LEGAL FILTER\nTrademark screening"];
    aeo [label="5. AEO FILTER\nEntity strength test"];
    story [label="6. STORY FILTER\nNarrative potential"];

    brief -> generate -> filter -> legal -> aeo -> story;

    filter -> generate [label="fails" style=dashed];
    legal -> generate [label="conflicts" style=dashed];
    aeo -> generate [label="weak entity" style=dashed];
    story -> generate [label="no narrative" style=dashed];
}

---

Gate 1: BRIEF (Constraints Definition)

Define hard constraints BEFORE generating:

Constraint	Target	Why
Length	7-8 letters max	Mobile icons, cognitive load, tokenization
Syllables	1-3 syllables	Voice invocation, memorability
Character set	A-Z only	Domain availability, global keyboards
Forbidden sequences	ght, ough, silent letters	Pronunciation barriers