What's in a Name?
I’ve been looking into “sound symbolism” recently because a project has me looking at names and our emotional response to them.
Take a look at the picture. Which one is a taketa and which a naluma? Apparently, almost everyone would say the angular graphic is a taketa and the curved one is a naluma.Why? Consonants such as “t” and “k” are considered harder (more angular) and consonants such as “l” and “m” are perceived as softer. So, if you’re all business, choose a name with hard consonants. Want to be warm and fuzzy? Go for the softer sounds. Makes sense, no?
I got this little exercise from the folks at Lexicon, a branding organization. Check out their Web site for some interesting information on the science of naming.