Robert Frost once described poetry as operating through what he called “the sound of sense” – the idea that rhythm, tonality, cadence, and the texture of language communicate emotional meaning beneath literal words. T. S. Eliot expressed something similar when he observed that “genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood,” suggesting that language often affects us before the analytical mind fully processes literal meaning.
More recently, linguist William Leben, who helped pioneer modern sound symbolism in branding, expressed the idea more directly: “Meaning is carried by the music of the word.”
In other words, meaning is not carried only through a word’s definition. It can also emerge through the sound of language itself.
Given today’s crowded trademark databases, this is an increasingly important reality for anyone naming a product or company to understand. The linguistic territory once occupied by short, immediately graspable dictionary words has been strip-mined to the point that globally protectable names are now the linguistic equivalent of rare earth minerals.
Meaning Through Music
Of course, constructed names (also known as neologisms or coined names) are hardly a new phenomenon. The history of branding is filled with names that possess little or no traditional dictionary meaning. Some operate like pure musical forms. For example, the 19th century camera name “Kodak” derives its memorability from the striking architecture of its sounds themselves: sharp, rhythmic, percussive.
But in my view, the most compelling constructed names have an additional layer.
Consider Aveeno, the soap and skincare brand founded in 1945, whose name derives from Avena sativa, the scientific term for oat – the ingredient long associated with the brand’s calming formulations.
The name works because its soft vowels, flowing cadence, and gentle tonal balance evoke a sense of calm. As a child, whenever I encountered the name embossed on the beige, pebble-smooth bar resting in the soap dish, I sang it to myself, drawn to the music of the word. Later, when I learned about the Latin inspiration behind the name, its value deepened.
A similar dynamic can be seen in Versant, Catchword Branding’s name for NBCUniversal’s cable and digital spinoff company. The name carries echoes of versatility and conversation, creating the impression of a media brand that is adaptive, responsive, and deeply engaged with communication.
Another outstanding example is Wegovy, the GLP-1 weight-loss medication, whose meaning emerges through both sound and partially sensed linguistic suggestion. The name faintly echoes the idea of “weight go,” while its buoyant rhythm carries a feeling of lightness and momentum.
In all three cases, the names’ strengths come from the interplay between musicality and submerged linguistic fragments, even if the consumer never consciously registers those buried associations.
Atmospheric Names
These examples point toward a distinction within constructed naming. Purely abstract names like Kodak derive their power from sonic force alone. However, I would argue, that the most compelling constructed names, operate on two levels simultaneously: first through the emotional effect of sound – rhythm, timbre, tonal balance – and second, through suggestive semantic fragments that linger beneath conscious awareness.
When these two forces are artfully fused, they create what we at River + Wolf call atmospheric names: invented words whose meaning is carried through an emotionally resonant field created by the fusion of sound and submerged linguistic associations.
To make this point even clearer, let’s look at a few additional examples: Lunesta, Anthropic, and Monzo – respectively a sleeping aid, AI company, and digital bank.
In Lunesta, the soft “Lune–” evokes luna (moon), while the flowing vowels and liquid consonants create a hushed, drifting cadence. The “–nesta” portion subtly echoes nest, siesta, and rest, allowing the name to feel intuitive and soothing without becoming overtly descriptive.
Anthropic derives from the Greek root anthropos, meaning “human,” signaling a company focused on human-centric AI. What makes the name especially effective is that its soft consonants and open vowels give it warmth and philosophical depth.
In Monzo, the onset fragment “Mon–” subtly points to money, while the sharp, compact ending, gives the name digital flair.
Definitely Not Fool’s Gold
In all of these cases, meaning emerges through the interplay of musicality and submerged linguistic association. These names communicate not through direct explanation alone, but through emotionally resonant tonal atmospheres that listeners can often feel before they consciously decode literal meaning.
And while atmospheric naming does not eliminate trademark risk entirely, it offers one a path forward at a moment when dictionary words with instantly graspable definitions are becoming increasingly scarce.
To be clear: the search for strong standalone dictionary words with tolerable risk levels will always remain part of the brand namer’s prospecting. Almost all naming professionals agree that discovering such names with tolerable trademark risks can feel like striking gold.
Yet the same rarity and value – though operating differently – can be found in atmospheric names. Particularly within highly-saturated trademark classes, such names should not be viewed as a compromise but as equally rich ways to capture meaning, and provide the consumer with a rewarding verbal experience.
In this sense, modern naming increasingly returns us to what Frost and Eliot understood long ago: language often moves us before the analytical mind fully understands why. And to that I would add that the music of a name initiates the emotional response, while submerged layers of meaning quietly sustain and deepen it.
