You want to open a gym, that’s great! It’s critical that you pick an exceptional name for your gym to help it stand out from the crowd. People remember catchy gym names and this is vital when marketing your gym and being successful.
We’ll walk you through exactly how to pick the best gym name for your facility.
Tips for Naming Your Gym
Why Do Cool Gym Names Matter?
Whichever gym name idea you choose ends up being people’s first point of contact with your gym, so it’s critical that it’s catchy and memorable.
Ultimately, there are three main influences that a gym name idea has
It gets people’s attention
“Clara’s Fitness Studio” gets to the point and lets you know what services Clara offers, but it’s nothing special. Compare that to: “Girls Just Wanna Flex.” A bit of creativity goes a long way. Why should people pay attention to your gym in particular?
Remember that this name will appear on all marketing materials, ads, your website and more. People won’t even be seeking out a gym in many cases; that’s what’s great about marketing. Ensure your gym name sets you apart and entices people to learn more.
It influences your gym’s perception
A winning gym name idea will ensure your reputation precedes you. Your gym name must match the public perception you want. Appealing to yogettes and bodybuilders are two very distinct classes of gym-goers, and so will the perception.
Narrow down your target audience and build a perception around that. Catchy gym names will help.
“It was important to us to come up with a name that not only felt personal to us but would also resonate with the community and set the stage for the feeling and spirit we wanted to cultivate within our studio walls. As a kid, our founder’s youth soccer team had the word “moxie” printed on their jerseys to remind them to play and practice with force, fearlessness, and heart. That word always meant a lot to him and came to mean the world to us. We opened our doors during a pandemic while construction was still very much underway and it wouldn’t have been possible if our team didn’t emulate moxie so well and so naturally. We hoped our instructors, classes, and overall atmosphere would inspire our community to train and connect with that same force and vigor. Tying in the “3” to reflect the three modalities we offer was the cherry on top. MOXI3 was born with our team, our services, and, most importantly, our future community in mind.”
Jaclyn Sanchez, MOXI3
It makes you memorable
Your gym name attracts customers, great! One problem…it doesn’t stand out, so when a customer goes to look you up, they draw a blank.
To avoid this problem, name your gym something unique. Use alliteration, a bold statement and don’t be afraid to mix it up. This will ensure your gym name idea sticks in people’s heads. When the time comes for them to look you up, they know exactly who to look for.
Guiding Principles for Gym Names
Before you jump right in, there are some basic principles to adhere to. Take a moment to think about the essence of your business. Ask yourself these questions:
- How do you want people to feel when they read your gym name?
- What message do you want your gym name to convey?
- Who is your competition? What do their names do well, and what do they do poorly?
- What are your biggest name priorities? Easy to pronounce, using your name, alliteration?
Taking a moment to strategize will help you come up with clever and creative gym names.
Here are some other principles to adhere to:
- Make sure your gym name idea sounds good when said aloud.
- Remove any guesswork. “Fitness4Every1” may look cool, but when people go to search it, they’ll type: “Fitness for everyone” and get very different search results.
- Use a name that has meaning, conveys benefit, and uses specifics. Any details you can include are to your benefit.
- Make sure it ranks on search. Google AdWords keyword planner is a great tool for this! It lists the search volume per month for different search terms.
Ask yourself: General fitness center or gym?
Which of these two are you starting? Their names will differ. A general fitness center will offer more than weights and cardio equipment. They may offer a pool, spa, tennis courts, basketball courts, and more amenities.
If you’re naming a gym, “Bros Barbell Club” works great, but that won’t be sufficient for an entire fitness center. Fitness centers require broader name ideas to capture all they offer.
The Process for Creating Catchy Gym Names
There are some basic ways you can brainstorm gym name ideas, similar to our tips for creating catchy group fitness names.
Step 1: Do some research
Search “best gym names” in Google and see what comes up. Which stand out to you and why? Which bore you and remind you of things you want to avoid?
Step 2: Think about your audience (and remember the general fitness center vs. gym distinction!)
Think clearly about your target audience and make sure it’s specific. The general rule of thumb is to start with a broad audience and narrow it down three times. Here’s an example:
“Bodybuilders” is too broad.
Bodybuilders → male bodybuilders → professionals male bodybuilders → professional male bodybuilders under 30.
This is much more specific and allows you to consider which cool gym name will resonate with your target group.
Step 3: Do a brain dump
It’s time to do a brain dump now that you’ve clearly defined your target audience. Don’t think, just write. Set a stopwatch for 5 minutes and write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how random. You’ll be surprised by what you write down simply by using uninterrupted time. This sparks the flame that ignites some very catchy gym names!
Step 1: Write down a list of adjectives that encapsulate the value proposition of your concept. Step 2: Find common themes and create a few name options (puns preferred) to share with your friends and family for feedback about what really spoke to them and why. Our company’s name references the idea of working out in cool temperatures (50°F/10°C). So after writing a list of adjectives that best described our value proposition, which was to improve athletic performance, burn calories and fat by working out in a cooler environment, the words “burn” and “brrr” came to mind. So I combined them to make the name “Brrrn”. In retrospect, we probably could’ve done away with the extra “r” but as a former copywriter (and improv/sketch performer), I’m a firm believer in the rule of thirds.
Jimmy T. Martin, BRRRN
I’m Struggling to Stay Creative…What Now?
You’ve been staring at the blank headline atop your brainstorm paper: “catchy gym names.” Nothing comes to mind! Take one breath in…let it out. It happens. Here’s what you can do to unstick your brain.
Exercise
You’re opening a fitness center or a gym, right? What better way to clear your head and get inspiration than doing the very activity your business serves?
Exercise is a mental detox and allows our subconscious to marinate on the most pressing issues we’re facing. If you’re stuck, try going for a run, lifting some barbells or enjoy a yoga sesh.
Talk to friends or family
Listening to other perspectives is extremely valuable. If you have friends who are avid gym goers, pick their brains for ideas.
It may also be helpful to talk with friends or family who don’t regularly use a gym or fitness center. They offer an entirely fresh perspective that those of us steeped in fitness could miss.
Turn on some jams!
Set your favorite playlist on repeat and absorb the music. Dance it out, go on a drive, lie down, however you want to listen. What’s most important is to let your mind drift . Take a break and let your creative juices start flowing.
Take a break
You’ve tried all of the above and you’re still stuck…harumph. This means it’s time to rest. Go pet your dog, watch Netflix, sleep or read a book.
Your subconscious will keep working in the background. You’ll be surprised what catchy names come to mind when you sit down with a fresh mind.
Resources For Creating A Memorable Gym Name Idea
Luckily, you’re not the first person to open a gym. Here’s a great list of 50 gym name ideas to help get the creative juices flowing.
If that didn’t do it for you, type “best gym name ideas” into Google and read through the first page of articles. Alternatively, you can bounce ideas around with your friends and see if putting your heads together generates unique ideas.
Great Examples of Catchy Gym Names
Here are some real-life examples of fantastic gym names to help you get started.
Whether it’s alliteration or a name that jumps out, these are memorable. Try and emulate these as best you can.
Here are some other ideas, courtesy of this list mentioned previously. Check it out if you haven’t already!
Cool and Catchy:
- Body Temple Gym
- Jungle Fitness
- C3 Fitness
- Blast and Burn
- Cardio Queens
Clever and Creative:
- Gym Gems
- Fresh and Fit
- Heart Happy
- Daily Dose
- Back For More
You can see by these lists that there are two distinct kinds of gym name ideas: cool and catchy versus creative. Consider which style you prefer. Cool and catchy gym names have a certain ring to them; clever and creative gym names are a bit witty and make you go: “I see what they did there.”
Finalizing the Name
Narrow down your list to a select 3-5 favorites, then pick the one you want to go with. Make sure it isn’t taken, stands out, attracts your target audience, and will rank well in search.
We initially went from the names Haut box to House of boxing to boxinghouse to BoxHouse to finally landing on BOXHAUS. Andre, the co-founder’s last name is German “Huseman” and house in German is ‘Haus!’
Steve Mersola, Boxhaus
Congratulations, after all that hard work, you finally have a gym name! You’re well on your way to being a successful gym owner.
If your gym is offering fitness classes, check out our article on how to craft fitness class descriptions for some next steps in launching your business.
Caroline is a freelance writer and Cornell graduate who loves writing about a wide variety of topics, including fitness. She specializes in telling startup and small business stories through all kinds of content. To learn more, visit her website: https://cmameesh.com/writing-for-hire.
