50 Creative Gym Name Ideas + Generator Cheat Sheet

Thinking up creative gym name ideas can often be tricky. It might seem like all of the best brand names are already taken… So, how do you come up with one that’s unique and memorable?

In this article – we share 50 awesome gym business name ideas to inspire your own, along with a proven name generator process.

• How to choose a business name
• Creative business name ideas
• Name generator cheat sheet
• FAQs

We’re a specialist fitness marketing agency with 15+ years of industry experience, so we know first-hand what works (and what doesn’t!). We’ve helped new gyms, fitness studios, and health clubs to launch successfully, so our marketing and branding strategies are tried and tested.

Your Gym Name Matters

A gym name or product brand isn’t something you can change easily if you get tired of it (or think of something better). It’s ingrained into so many aspects of your fitness business – the logo, signage, website address, customer’s first impression.

It’s arguably the single most important element in your brand.

So, it’s crucial to put in the work in up front and get it right the first time. Spending a little extra time to choose the perfect name can have a huge impact on the initial success of your business, and save you headaches down the road.

Of course, there’s a flipside too… Taking a long time to come up with the perfect gym name can delay other aspects of setting up a new business like contracts and marketing…

From registering it as a legal entity, to securing a property lease, most steps require you to have a business name first. So, let’s get yours sorted now…

How to choose a gym name

To make life easier, we created this guide on how to choose a gym name. Whether you’re starting a fitness centre, health club, or yoga studio, it’ll show you:

• How to get creative beyond the usual fitness business name ideas
• The little-known naming frameworks that big marketing agencies use
• How to make progress if you’re still not 100% sure about a name

Plus you can download our cheat sheet below, complete with 50 creative gym name ideas to inspire you…

Step 1 – Brainstorm Keywords

Start by listing words related to your brand. The key to choosing the perfect name for your gym or fitness club is starting big and then whittling down to the perfect word combination.

Here’s where we put everything on the table… Get a pen and blank piece of paper or whiteboard to note ideas on.

We prefer to do this freehand rather than using a computer because sometimes the ideas can come fast and furious – faster than we can type. And there’s nothing more frustrating than having a eureka moment, only to forget what it was because you didn’t write it down fast enough.

But that’s totally a personal preference, this is your chance to get creative so go with whatever feels right to you. Think of it like a press-up – there’s more than one way to go about it.

So, now you’re faced with a blank sheet of paper or blinking cursor, what’s the best way to brainstorm ideas? Sometimes you’ll already have an idea of the direction you want to go in, and ideas will erupt from your consciousness. Other times you’ll draw a blank…

Either way, we recommend working through the following, to ensure you get the very best name for your business. No one wants to choose a company name, only to think of a better one 3 months later.

This approach minimises any chance of ‘branding remorse’, by making sure you’ve gone down every possible naming avenue…

Ask yourself the following questions and write down all the words that come to mind. It works best if you list at least 3 keywords per question, but by all means, go for more!

1. What will make your business different from others? Thinking of these as ‘points of difference’, ‘unique selling points’ (USPs) or ‘competitive advantages’ can sometimes trigger different keywords. Examples might include 24-hour access, being a high-end or premium facility, or being a specialist in one area of wellness, such as functional or yoga.
2. What values do you want your business to stand for? Think about the kind of behaviours you’d want your business to possess if it were a person. Examples here might be ‘Inclusive, Welcoming, Integrity, Passionate, Genuine, or Strong.
3. What is your core product or service offering? Be careful here, you don’t want to name your business after a service that you drop in 2 years, so only include things that are central to your business model and you’re committed to long-term (e.g. Personal Training, Indoor Cycling or Relaxation).
4. How do you want your customers to feel? You might want them to experience feelings of being energised, nourished, renewed, or calm.

Once you have at least 3 keywords for each question (i.e. 12+ in total) it’s on to step 2…

Step 2 – Get Creative

This second step can propel your idea from a good business name to an AWESOME one. Most people don’t think to do it, but it’s where we widen the net and get creative.

This second round of brainstorming is where we refine and craft the words we’ve chosen, so we know we’re dealing with the very best name options.

You should have 12+ keywords from step 1. Now brainstorm 4 alternative words that convey the same meaning for EACH of the 12 keywords. At this point, it’s a good idea to make use of helpful tools, instead of just brainpower alone…

• Using the ‘Synonyms’ function in Microsoft Word – hover over the word, right-click the mouse and then hover over ‘Synonyms’ to view a list of alternatives.
• Using a dedicated Thesaurus website such as Thesaurus.com or OxfordDictionaries.com

Only include alternative words that really appeal to you, we don’t want to add to the list just for the sake of it.

Sometimes you’ll come across a word that conveys your meaning more accurately, more succinctly, or just more eloquently. But sometimes you’ll already have hit on the perfect word in step 1, in which case don’t overthink it.

If you do find 4 alternatives for each of the 12 you came up with in step 1, then you should end up with an additional 48 keyword ideas. Add these 48 to your existing 12, and you’ll have 60 in total. So now it’s time to start whittling them down into creative fitness business names…

You might also like… Fun & unique name ideas for fitness classes.

Step 3 – Apply A Generator Framework

Are we saying there’s a magic formula for naming a gym business? Absolutely not. That’d take all the creativity and fun out of it! And that’d make us a little bit sad inside…

No. Instead, we’re suggesting that you use a framework as your very own fitness business name generator. It’ll help you to organise your ideas and test how they work as real-life brand names.

It’s about starting to whittle down the giant cloud of ideas into a structure that you can work through and tick off line by line. This is how leading marketing agencies and global companies approach naming.

Firstly, pick one or two naming frameworks that appeal to you from the following…

• [Keyword] + Fitness (e.g. Anytime Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness)
• [Keyword] + Gym (e.g. Gold’s Gym, World Gym)
• [Keyword] + Republic (e.g. Wellness Republic)
• [Keyword] + Studio (e.g. Ketone Studio)
• [Keyword] + Place (e.g. Holmes Place)
• Location + [Keyword] (e.g. California Fitness)
• The [Keyword] Company (e.g. The Balance Company)
• [Keyword] Society (e.g. We Fitness Society)
• The [Keyword] Club (e.g. The Motivation Club)
• [Keyword] + [Keyword] (e.g. Soul Cycle)

Then try inserting all your keywords into the gym name generator framework and see which ones you like the sound of.

You can do this part verbally – you don’t need to write down all 60 possible combinations. But write down any you do like the sound of, narrowing your list down to 3-5 creative gym name ideas.

If you don’t like any of the combinations, then try another framework. If you still don’t have any after doing it twice, then it’s probably the keywords that aren’t resonating. Repeat steps one through three until you have a shortlist.

You might also like… How to write a gym business plan.

Step 4 – Due Diligence

OK, now we need to make sure your creative fitness business name isn’t already being used by another company. To do this you need to…

1. Google. Perform a Google search for the company names, using quotation marks to ensure you only get exact matches. So if Wellness Republic is your idea, then you need to enter “Wellness Republic” into Google.
2. Facebook. Run the same search using Facebook, to see if there are any companies with similar names that weren’t big enough for Google to find.
3. Trademark. Do a trademark search to find any companies who’ve already registered the name. You can do this for free online, via the United States Patents & Trademarks Office or UK Intellectual Property Office (or the equivalent site for your own country).
4. Website Domain. Do a domain name search to see if the website URL is available. Namecheap offers a comprehensive search and suggests alternatives if it isn’t available.

If your shortlisted names pass all the above, then you’re ready to move on to the final stage. Hurray!

But if a name you really love is already in use, then you have a few options.

Consider whether you can use the same name without confusing customers… If you’re opening a gym in New York, and the name-twin gym is in Bangkok, you’re not going to be talking to the same customers, in which case there’s no confusion.

There are ways around trademarked names (e.g. registering in a different class) or domain URLs (e.g. adjusting the spelling), but the core question is will any similarities confuse customers? If the answer’s yes, then go back a step and find an alternative.

You might also like… Catchy HIIT & Functional Fitness Class Names [+ DIY Idea Generator]

Step 5 – Get Feedback

Once you’ve got a viable shortlist, it’s time to test it with your gym’s target audience.

Think about the type of customer you’d like to attract and people you know who fall into that group. Then ask their opinion, don’t try to second guess.

If you’re a PT who’s expanding into a studio, then ask your existing clients which names they like. You can do this face to face over coffee, or online via Facebook or email.

The key is to make sure you’re asking the right people. Sure, you can ask your friends and family for feedback, and they’ll probably have some interesting insights.

But what you really want to know, is whether your name will appeal to your ideal customer.

Unique Gym Name Ideas

If you need a little inspiration, then here are 50 creative gym name ideas to get you started…

Community-Themed Gym Names

• The Wellness Society
• Fitness Republic
• KardioKlub
• State Of Balance
• Health Hub
• United Wellness Co.
• Fitness Nation
• The Cardio Collective
• Citizen Wellness
• Inclusive Health
• Complete Wellness Co.

Emotion-Oriented Fitness Business Names

• Nourish & Glow
• Soul Fitness
• True Wellness
• Pure Health
• Longterm Lifestyle Co.
• IntegriFit
• Open & Balanced
• Honest Wellness
• The Fitness Truth
• Genuine Health Co.
• Balance & Buzz

Transformational Gym Name Ideas

• The Kick Start Co.
• Fitness Fanatics
• The Energy Hub
• Vitality & Co.
• Tough Love
• Sweat Box
• Strong & Lean
• Feel The Burn
• Adrenaline High
• The Wellness Revolution
• Rejuven8

Relaxation-Themed Brand Name Ideas

• The Zen Den
• Rest & Renew
• Balance Collective
• On The QT
• Calm & Co.
• Relaxation Hub
• The Serenity Society
• Peace & Quiet

You might also like… 35 yoga business name ideas for your new venture.

Sports-Specific Business Names

• Cycle Hub
• The Round House
• Revolution & Co.
• Ride -Rally -Sweat
• Jukebox Journey
• The Bike Box
• Boost Barbells & Co.
• Power Lift
• Clean & Press

What if my business name is already taken or I’m not sure?

Your health club, fitness brand, or PT studio, will hopefully be around for a very long time. If you aren’t 100% happy with any of the name ideas you’ve come up with, then don’t settle for something mediocre.

Inspiration may strike tomorrow or next week, so if you aren’t sure, then wait until you are. But don’t let this delay your business set up…

If you’re at the stage where you need a business name for legal purposes, then one option is to set up a parent company. It’ll be the business through which all the legal aspects are handled, and then you can simply set your gym up as a brand within it.

This is the approach that the big boys take…

• For example, Proctor & Gamble is a parent company, but it’s their brands like Braun, Gillette, and Head & Shoulders that people remember.
• In the sports world, Nike not only has its main brand but Hurley and Converse too.
• Likewise, Adidas has Reebok and Taylor Made.

So, if you aren’t sure about your brand name yet, you might want to consider this approach. Set up your parent company so that you can move forward with business licenses and property leases.

That way you can keep the other parts of your business set up moving, whilst you continue to perfect your public-facing name.

Gym Name Generator 

So now it’s your turn to find your perfect gym name. We’ve shown how to get creative beyond the usual names, apply the little-known naming frameworks that big agencies use, and how to make progress if you’re still not 100% on a name.

If you’d like a little extra help, then you can download our handy cheat sheet as part of our Fitness Business Start-Up Kit. It includes 50 creative gym name ideas to inspire you, along with the worksheets for the above process. Think of it as a gym name generator for your business!

FAQs

Here are some of the most common questions we hear on the topic…

How do I choose a name for my gym?

By working through the 5 simple steps we’ve listed in this article…

1. Brainstorm Keywords
2. Get Creative
3. Apply A Framework
4. Due Diligence
5. Get Feedback

What are good names for gyms?

The best gym names will appeal to your ideal client and convey what you’re about. We love ‘Fitness Republic’, ‘Sweat Box’, and ‘The Health Hub’, but there are plenty of other names on the above list to choose from. 

Can I use these ideas for an online fitness business?

Yes, if you want YouTube fitness channel name ideas or catchy fitness usernames for Instagram, then you can use these examples and frameworks.

Can you come up with a name for my gym?

Between the 50 name ideas we’ve listed above and the generator frameworks, you’ve hopefully got everything you need to come up with an awesome name.

Unfortunately, we don’t offer branding or name-creation services but we really hope this article contains everything you need. But if you have more questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch 🙂