How to choose a brand name with meaning: the story behind SIX33.
Meaning before cleverness, short enough to say, available everywhere it needs to be, and a story worth telling. Plus how Seek First Brand became SIX33 — and why renaming is allowed.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.Proverbs 22:1
Proverbs says a good name is worth more than great riches. That is about reputation first — but it is also a useful brief for naming a brand. The name is the first promise people hear. It should carry meaning you can live up to, not hype you will have to explain away.
SIX33's name is a reference: Matthew 6:33, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The brand began in 2014 as Seek First Brand and is being rebuilt in 2026 as SIX33 — the same foundation with a much bigger vision. Same meaning, shorter name, more room to grow.
Here is the process I would recommend to anyone naming a brand, ministry, or business from zero.
1. Start with meaning, not cleverness.
Write down the one idea the brand stands for before you brainstorm a single name. For SIX33, that idea is seeking first — getting the first thing right so everything else falls in order behind it. A name that points back to the core idea gives you a story you can tell for years. A clever name with no meaning has to be propped up by marketing forever.
Write the one idea the name should carry.
List words, references, and images connected to it.
Prefer a name that invites the question “what does that mean?”
2. Make it short, sayable, and spellable.
People will hear your name before they read it, and type it after hearing it. Say each candidate out loud to five people and ask them to spell it. If most cannot, it will cost you in every conversation. Numbers and references can work — SIX33 is short and memorable — but test that people understand how to write it.
Two syllables to four is the comfortable range.
Spell test: say it, ask people to type it.
Avoid names that only work when explained in writing.
3. Check it is available everywhere it needs to be.
Before you fall in love with a name, check the domain, the main social handles, and whether anyone already uses it in your space. Trademark rules differ by country, so for anything you plan to grow, search your national trademark database and get proper advice before you print stock. Finding a conflict after launch is far more expensive than finding it now.
Domain: the .com or your country's main extension.
Handles on the platforms you will actually use.
Existing businesses using the name in your category.
Trademark search — and professional advice before scaling.
4. Make sure the story is true and worth telling.
The best names come with a short true story: where the name came from and what it commits you to. Write that story in three sentences. If it only works with exaggeration, choose a different name. A name is a promise, and Proverbs is right that the reputation behind it is worth more than the money it might make.
5. Renaming is allowed when the vision outgrows the name.
Seek First Brand was a fine name for what it was in 2014. The vision has since grown into a whole world — apparel, Motor, Fight, Outpost, Legends — and the brand is being rebuilt in 2026 as SIX33, with the same Matthew 6:33 foundation. If your name no longer fits what you are building, keep the meaning and change the name. Tell people why; the honesty is part of the brand.
The short versionA good name is chosen, not just invented: meaning first, short and spellable, available, with a true story behind it — and renamed without shame when the vision outgrows it.
Direct answers
Questions about naming a brand.
How do you choose a brand name with meaning?
Write the one idea the brand stands for, brainstorm names connected to it, keep the candidates short and easy to say and spell, check domain, handles, existing use and trademarks, and choose a name with a true story you can tell in three sentences.
What does SIX33 mean?
SIX33 refers to Matthew 6:33 — “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” It began in 2014 as Seek First Brand and is being rebuilt in 2026 as SIX33 on the same foundation.
Should I trademark my brand name?
For anything you plan to grow, search your national trademark database and get professional advice before you invest in stock or signage. Rules differ by country.
Is it okay to rename a brand?
Yes. When the vision outgrows the name, keep the meaning and change the name, and explain the reason openly. Seek First Brand being rebuilt as SIX33 is an example.
Can a brand name be a Bible reference?
Yes — SIX33 is one. A Scripture reference works best when the verse genuinely governs how the brand operates, so the name carries a commitment rather than decoration.
