How Do You Name A Store? Gingerly.

The Washington Post:

Gretchen Hitchner spent months thinking about the name for her soon-to-open women’s boutique.

She had opened a similar spot in Alexandria, Va., with a partner, and prior to opening they brainstormed to come up with a name they were proud of — Periwinkle.

Upon leaving the partnership to open her new store, Hitchner couldn’t take the Periwinkle name with her. So like many small business managers, she fretted over what to call her boutique. And unlike last time, she was naming this one on her own.

“Everyone brings their own meaning and history to a name,” noted Hitchner. “Somebody would criticize or tell a story about a potential name and it would really turn me off, but I also was opening myself up to some completely random interpretations.”

After five months of deliberate thought on the issue, she said the final decision was similar to how she chose a name for her 10-month-old daughter.

“We knew we were having a girl. I had about 10 names picked out, then the night before I was induced I had two names ready but I just couldn’t decide. My husband John finally said ‘flip a coin” and I said I just couldn’t flip a coin over the name of my daughter.” And so Annie Claire, who is called by her first and middle name, came into the world.

For the store, Hitchner whittled down her list to two names as well.

After running the name by her business partners, Hitchner then turned to her mother, who has been a source of inspiration in the past. Her mom said, “Do you want to know what I really think about Nectar? It makes me think of childbirth.” And she didn’t mean in a good way.

A week later, Hitchner decided on Ginger. “When my mom asked me if I wanted to know her opinion about that name, I said ‘no’.”

She polled some of her girlfriends about the name; some liked it and some didn’t. “My girlfriends and family played a large part in the naming process.”

And inadvertently, so did her daughter, whose blonde locks suddenly turned a vibrant reddish brown, a ginger color in fact.

“I think that’s a good sign,” said Hitchner.