An Interview with Margaret Wolfson, Founder and Chief Creative of River + Wolf, a New York City based Naming Agency.

The Silicon Review

How Method Plus Human Imagination (H.I.) Leads to Magic in Naming

In an era of explosive innovation, naming has become one of the most strategic—and misunderstood—components of brand building. The Silicon Review sat down with Margaret Wolfson, founder and chief creative officer at River + Wolf, a New York City brand naming agency with clients around the world, to explore how companies can name with greater creativity, clarity, and legal confidence. From AI’s role in naming to the power of lateral thinking, this is what modern brand naming looks like.

Why is naming such a critical business decision in today’s landscape?

Because in a saturated, fast-moving market, a name is your first and most enduring brand asset. It’s what people remember, talk about, search, and invest in. A strong name doesn’t just grab attention—it signals what kind of company you are, what you value, and where you’re headed. And names have long shelf lives. Designs come and go, but names must have staying power.

Everyone’s using AI tools now. So why not use generative AI to name a company or product?

It’s a tempting shortcut—but a dangerous and very ineffective one. Generative AI can produce hundreds of name ideas in seconds, but it lacks discernment—and more critically, it can’t think laterally.

Lateral thinking is when you connect unrelated concepts in a compelling way—like naming a fintech company after a concept in music or a quantum startup after a natural phenomenon. That’s how you get names like Apple, Yeti, or Palantir. They’re evocative, not obvious. They work because they surprise us.

AI, on the other hand, works horizontally. It predicts patterns. It gives you names like DeepData, SmartAI, or NeuroLogic—names that sound like 10,000 others. Or overwrought invented words that lack musicality. These aren’t brands; they’re placeholders or tongue twisters.

So, while AI might assist with brainstorming or expanding linguistic territory, It doesn’t make emotional or strategic judgments. It doesn’t know when something is off-tone, cliché, or legally risky. Humans do.

What makes a compelling name for an AI or tech company today?

Originality. Precision. Story.

The best AI-related names today avoid literalness. Instead, they speak to outcomes, values, or vision. A great AI company name doesn’t scream “I use algorithms.” It suggests transformation, insight, even emotion.

Names like Anthropic, Perplexity, Midjourney, and Humane work because they focus on why the technology exists—not how it works. They evoke curiosity. That’s powerful.

So, we advise companies to drop overused words like “Deep,” “Smart,” and “Logic,” in their naming and start thinking more conceptually. And creatively. Ask: What story is this brand trying to tell?

When should a company hire a naming agency, and when is it okay to DIY?

If you’re naming your company, flagship product, or anything that will define your public identity—bring in experts. Naming looks deceptively easy, but is actually a multidisciplinary challenge: legal, linguistic, strategic, creative, and cultural.

That said, internal naming can work for less visible assets—like beta projects, internal tools, or products that are not expected to last—as long as teams understand the risks of misalignment or legal exposure. And the legal part of naming is where great names come to die. And it’s not just about whether a name is identical to another—it’s about confusing similarity in sound, meaning, spelling, or commercial impression. That’s a nuanced judgment. Most startup teams don’t have the legal experience—or access to IP attorneys—to make those calls accurately. Naming agencies are built to manage this complexity.

Some of the things we do include:

Pre-screen all names using proprietary tools and attorney partnerships
Understand trademark classes, opposition risk, and international conflicts
Help clients avoid legal dead ends before falling in love with a name
Collaborate with trademark counsel to conduct knockout and full clearance searches

We’re not lawyers—but we work alongside them every day. The goal is to ensure that every name we present is not just creatively strong, but potentially legally viable.

So, while it’s tempting to start naming in-house, the legal landscape is a key reason why more companies bring in agencies early. It saves time, reduces risk, and preserves momentum.

Walk us through your agency’s naming process. How does it work today?

It’s structured, creative, and collaborative. Here’s how we typically run it:

Discovery – We start by understanding the business, brand goals, audience, tone, and competitive landscape.
Creative Brief – This strategic document defines naming territories—conceptual directions like “intelligence,” “adaptability,” or “reveal.” It ensures alignment before we name.
Name Generation – This is where lateral thinking comes in. Our team explores multiple fields–myth, science, art, literature, music and more – in search of unexpected connections. One project had us exploring Japanese textile terms for a medical device—it led to something no one saw coming, and it worked.
Shortlisting – We curate a refined list of candidates with rationales, usage notes, and tone profiles.
Feedback & Iteration – We collaborate closely with clients, refining or expanding based on response.
Trademark & Domain Screening – We run knockout searches prior to presenting names to clients and bring on legal partners. For global names, we do linguistic vetting with native speakers to avoid cultural missteps.

Each step builds toward names that are creative, protectable, and scalable.

What advice do you have for founders or CMOs approaching naming for the first time? And is there one or two CEOs, Founders, or Marketing Executives you’d like to highlight?

First, clarify what your name needs to do. Should it inspire trust, feel bold, or lead to a smile?

Second, embrace discomfort. The best names often feel unusual at first. Like a new pair of shoes. That’s not a bug—it’s a feature. Familiarity breeds forgettability.

Third, respect the process. In naming method leads to magic. And a good agency will walk with you every step of the way to ensure the name does more than sound good—it performs strategically.

As to stand out clients, we’ve had the privilege of working with a wide range of wonderful clients—from ambitious start-ups founders to major Fortune 500 CEOs—so it’s tough to pick just a few. But two recent collaborations come to mind.

Yeol Mae Kim, a brand consultant at the Innocean agency in Korea, was an exceptional partner. She approached the process with openness and true co-pilot energy, helping us navigate the complexities of working with a large Korean corporation. Her blend of linguistic finesse, cross-cultural humour, and diplomatic grace made her an invaluable bridge between our work and the client’s often shifting expectations.

Equally memorable was Rob Schipul, the Vice President of LifeCycle Experiences at IntelyCare. His creative range, receptiveness to bold naming ideas, and deep sensitivity to the sound and rhythm of language elevated the entire process. Rob brought a rare mix of strategic thinking and sonic intuition—qualities that made working with him both inspiring and highly productive.

What naming trends are you watching right now?

Some big ones:

Human-centric AI branding – Moving from cold, mechanical names to human names. Think Claude and of course the ubiquitous Siri. But like any trend, it’s getting a little dated.
Narrative-based names – Names that imply a worldview or a story, not just a product. A great example of that is the cafe and coffee brand, Blue Bottle.
Cross-cultural fusion – Borrowing roots from multiple languages, especially archaic ones, for global resonance. The tech firm, Nvidia, is a great example of this.
Minimalism with meaning Brands using ultra-simple words like Nothing, Light, and Tome in powerful ways. That said, many of these simple, English words are already taken, so don’t lean too heavily on this direction.

Final Word

A name isn’t just a brand element—it’s a strategic tool, a cultural signal, and a business asset. As companies move faster and grow globally, those who name with rigor, creativity, and legal foresight will gain the clearest edge.

If you want to move fast and scale smart, start with a name that makes people stop, think—and remember.

Meet the leader behind the success of River + Wolf

Margaret Wolfson is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of River + Wolf, a New York naming and verbal identity firm that has worked with startups, Fortune 500s such as Philips, Maison Ferrand, Moet Hennessy, Calvin Klein, Yum China, CapGemini and Kia, along with mission-driven innovators across sectors including AI and technology, healthcare, medical devices, wine and spirits, food and beverage, robotics, fashion, food, and many others.