Your name might mean "toilet" in Polish or sound like "death" in Romanian. Test across 24 EU languages before filing EUIPO trademark or waste €1,800 on a name you'll rebrand.
The Translation Trap
English name works great. German translation? Disaster. "Mist" (English: fog/spray) = "manure" in German. Clairol "Mist Stick" curling iron flopped in Germany for obvious reasons.
Don't assume English-only. EU customers speak 24 official languages. Your name gets translated in their minds even if you don't translate officially.
Test Major Markets First
Focus on 5 big economies: German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish. Cover 65% of EU GDP. Name works in these 5 = probably safe for other 19 languages.
Use native speakers, not Google Translate. "Free" (English) sounds like "frei" (German: free) - works. But also sounds like "fríe" (Spanish: he fries). Context matters. Machine translation misses this.
The 5-Translator Test
Hire 5 translators on Upwork ($50 total): German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish. Ask: "Does this name mean anything negative? Does it sound like any inappropriate words? Is it pronounceable?" Get answers in 24 hours.
$50 test vs €50,000 rebrand. Worth it.
Pronunciation Pitfalls
English "J" = different sounds everywhere. "Jaguar" (soft J in English) vs German "Yah-guar" vs Spanish "Hah-guar." Brand consistency impossible across EU markets.
Stick to universal sounds: B, D, F, K, L, M, N, P, S, T, V, Z. Avoid: TH (doesn't exist in Romance languages), J (varies wildly), R (rolled vs not), W (varies).
The "W" problem: German speakers pronounce W as V. "Walmart" becomes "Valmart." Romance language speakers struggle with W entirely. English-centric names create pronunciation chaos across EU.
Keep It Simple
2 syllables max. "IKEA" (2 syllables in every language). "Volkswagen" (4 syllables - works because German brand for German market, but hard elsewhere).
Coined words avoid translation entirely. "Spotify" means nothing in any language = no translation problems. "Fantastic Deals" requires translation to "Offres Fantastiques" (French), "Fantastische Angebote" (German) - loses brand consistency.
The Acronym Escape
Can't find universal word? Use acronym. "BMW" (Bayerische Motoren Werke) - no one knows/cares what it means. Pronounceable in every language as B-M-W. Sidesteps translation entirely.
Downside: Acronyms require heavy marketing to build meaning. "BMW" spent decades building brand. Startups need faster recognition. Acronyms work if you have €100M marketing budget.
Cultural Sensitivity Check
Religious concerns: Avoid "666" (negative in Christian contexts), "13" (unlucky in many cultures), pig references (offensive to Muslim consumers). EU = diverse religions, test across all.
Color associations: Red = luck in Eastern Europe, danger in Western Europe. If name references colors, verify meaning. "Red Dragon" energy drink flopped in Poland (communist associations).
Domain Availability
Check .de (Germany), .fr (France), .es (Spain), .it (Italy), .pl (Poland). If your name is domain-squatted in major markets, pick different name. Don't launch with .com only.
EU consumers trust country-code TLDs. Germans see .de and trust more than .com. Secure major ccTLDs or face customer trust issues.
The Focus Group Test
Run small focus group: 10 people, mixed EU nationalities (German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish). Show them name. Ask them to pronounce it. Ask what it means to them. Listen for confusion/laughter/concern.
Red flags: Multiple pronunciations, unintended meanings, associations you didn't intend. $500 focus group prevents $50K rebrand.
Trademark Lens provides linguistic risk analysis across 24 EU languages, flagging translation conflicts, pronunciation issues, and cultural concerns before you file €1,800 EUIPO trademark application.