Google was a typo nobody recognized. Took 3 years to become a verb. Made-up names need 5x the marketing investment of descriptive names, but own the category forever. Here's the realistic timeline for building recognition from scratch.
Descriptive Names: 0-12 Months
"Fast Delivery Service" = instant understanding. Customers know what you do immediately. Low marketing spend needed.
Suggestive Names: 12-24 Months
"Greyhound" (buses) = hints at benefit. Requires explanation but builds quickly. Medium marketing spend.
Abstract Names: 24-36 Months
"Apple" (computers), "Amazon" (retail). Zero inherent meaning. Requires £500,000+ marketing to establish. But owns the category once established.
Acceleration Tactics
Taglines ("Google: Search"), partnerships, PR, paid advertising. Can compress timeline 50% with budget.
Recognition vs Recall
Recognition ("I've heard of it") happens fast. Recall ("I remember it when I need it") takes 3x longer.
Warning: Abstract names on bootstrapped budgets usually fail. If you have under £50,000 marketing budget, choose suggestive over abstract.
Generic Names Can't Be Trademarked
If you want legal protection and a name competitors can't copy, make it distinctive from day one. Recognition timeline is investment in long-term protection.