Name my shell companies

March 1, 2013 11:56 AM

MetaFilter, I'm creating two corporate entities for small side ventures, and I get to name them whatever I want! Suggestions/inspirations? (some parameters inside)

Aside from the odd cheque made out to them, the company names won't be all that visible. Names can be anything PG (including random made up words), but here are some themes if helpful:

-Company names from TV and Movies
-place names
-pop culture references - sci-fi, sitcoms (Simpsons references welcome), alternative and classic rock.
-general satire and irony

I'm hoping to have a little, semi-silly, fun. Sorta like naming pets. Consider this a right-brain warm-up for your weekend.

Obvious disclaimer: by posting a suggestion, you're agreeing that it's okay for me to use your idea for free. I won't be making any money off the name itself.

posted by dry white toast to grab bag (44 answers total)

KAOS and CONTROL.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:58 AM on March 1 [3 favorites]

The Empire and The Republic.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:00 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone more embarrassed and humiliated than when I attended a deposition of the founder of a software company who had, with his buddies, named the company something really stupid based on a very, very dirty joke when they first started out - thinking it wouldn't ever amount to anything or be publicly known. The attorney taking the deposition asked him to describe, in detail, for the benefit of the court, the origin and meaning of the name of the company. It was at that moment that I resolved never to give a company a jokey name.
posted by The World Famous at 12:02 PM on March 1 [6 favorites]

ISIS and ODIN.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:06 PM on March 1

Kang and Kodos -- the names of the two aliens who always show up on The Simpsons.
posted by missjenny at 12:11 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

UNCLE and THRUSH
posted by Jehan at 12:17 PM on March 1

Kwik-E-Corp
posted by saltwater at 12:17 PM on March 1

Veridian and Dynamics - the company from Better Off Ted
posted by lioness at 12:18 PM on March 1

Red and Purple.

I guess you could name one Red and the other Purple, or use Red and Purple for the name of one (perhaps Purple and Red for the other, or something else entirely).

It is a reference to a poem which inspired some "be your own woman" type organization. (I think it is called The Red Hat Society.) The poem says in essence: when I am old, I will be rebellious and not care what other people think and I will do as I please. I will eat whatever I junk food I want and wear whatever crazy stuff I want, like red with purple. Oh, heck. Why wait. I think I will start today.

Rebellious. Silly. Not dirty. Shouldn't get you sued.
posted by Michele in California at 12:19 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

How about unrelated products?

American Merkin and Custom Dentures LLC
North Ohio Adult Novelty and Cheese Co.
posted by Reversible Diamond-Encrusted Ermine Codpiece at 12:19 PM on March 1

ID and EGO.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 12:24 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

Weyland and Yutani. When they merge, everything is going to hell.
posted by bfranklin at 12:26 PM on March 1

Touching Cloth and Code Brown
posted by orme at 12:27 PM on March 1

Scylla and Charybdis
posted by grateful at 12:32 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

Matsumora Fishworks and Tamorobuchi Heavy Manufacturing Consultants.

There's your answer Fishbulb!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:32 PM on March 1 [7 favorites]

Shazzam and Isis.
posted by goethean at 12:32 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

Slough and Swindon
posted by Fairchild at 12:34 PM on March 1

Dont name it after star wars.. you would be following enron's footsteps( eg JEDI, Chewco)
posted by radsqd at 12:35 PM on March 1

Legitimate Business Venture
posted by ryanrs at 12:35 PM on March 1 [10 favorites]

Well clearly one of them has to be Compuglobalhypermeganet.
posted by bookwo3107 at 12:35 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

Keymaster Enterprises and Gatekeeper Corp.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 12:35 PM on March 1

The Motherloving Sugar Corp

The Globex Corporation
posted by beccaj at 12:40 PM on March 1

Yoyodyne and Acme
posted by Hactar at 12:52 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

Big Daddies Little Sisters Charities
Shodan Glados Asssociation
Denton Tong Enterprises
Raynor Kerrigan Associates
D.I. Helios
Hermann Navarre
Black Mesa Resport & Spa
Vault Dweller Industries

Bluth Fünke Consultancy
Two Lucilles
Ann Hog Mexican Travels
posted by Foci for Analysis at 12:53 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

Jolly Fats and Weehawkin
posted by SugarAndSass at 1:12 PM on March 1

Bourne and Korn
posted by Zed at 1:27 PM on March 1 [3 favorites]

Or you could name your shell companies after seashells as a tongue in cheek, inside joke.

Shell names with pictures.
posted by Michele in California at 1:35 PM on March 1

Mario and Luigi
Amalgamated Gigawatt and Hyperion Intergalactic
Engulf & Devour and Globex
Holding Company and Umbrella Corporation
Spacely Sprockets and Cogswell Cogs
Gringotts and Frobozz
Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems and Cyberdyne Systems Corp.
Wayne Enterprises and Stark Industries
Clampett Oil and/or Ewing Oil and/or Denver-Carrington
posted by carmicha at 1:43 PM on March 1

Name them after Maryanne Moore's suggested names for the Edsel. What could be cooler than owning two companies called Intelligent Whale and Mongoose Civique?
posted by CutaneousRabbit at 1:55 PM on March 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Codes
posted by cromagnon at 2:01 PM on March 1

Initech
Dunder Mifflin
Vandelay Industries
Wernam-Hogg
Paper Street Soap Company
Kramerica
Pierce & Pierce
posted by young sister beacon at 2:06 PM on March 1

Vamanos Pest Control.
posted by barnone at 2:17 PM on March 1

And Madrigal Electromotive GmbH.
posted by barnone at 2:18 PM on March 1

Conch and Clam.
posted by b1tr0t at 2:25 PM on March 1

You give a pretty vague description of the companies, so maybe Hansel and Gretel will have to be their names.
posted by oceanjesse at 2:29 PM on March 1

Rock and HardPlace.
ThisSpaceDeliberatelyLeftBlank and NoNameProvided.
SheSells and SeaShore.
Comet and Blitzen.

Or look at some of the threads about naming computers...
posted by RedOrGreen at 2:40 PM on March 1

ksh and bash.
posted by oonh at 3:25 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]

Reversible Diamond's suggestions are reminding me of the fake company names my Dad would answer the phone with:
- Kelly's Fish Market
- Colin's House o' Gazebos
- Faraday Printing
- Medical Examiner's Office, you stab 'em we slab 'em!

From TV/Movies:
- Gizmonic Industries
- Sanctuary
- Fringe Division
- Warehouse 13
- Pope & Associates
- Charles Townsend Agency
- Blue Moon Detective Agency
- Simon & Simon
- Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce
- Rekall
- RDA
posted by mon-ma-tron at 3:34 PM on March 1

McMahon and Tate
posted by The World Famous at 3:37 PM on March 1

Makes me think of a bit from cstross' book Accelerando - one of the characters creates a fleet of thousands of procedurally-generated shell companies:

"The president of agalmic.holdings.root.184.97.AB5 is agalmic.holdings.root.184.97.201. The secretary is agalmic.holdings.root.184.D5, and the chair is agalmic.holdings.root.184.E8.FF. All the shares are owned by those companies in equal measure, and I can tell you that their regulations are written in Python. Have a nice day, now!"

posted by Mars Saxman at 3:45 PM on March 1

You could look through this thread for inspiration.
posted by aka burlap at 9:20 PM on March 1

Tessier-Ashpool S.A.
W.A.S.T.E. (We Await Silent Trystero's Empire)

…but I still like Yoyodyne.
posted by a halcyon day at 9:27 PM on March 1

Thing One and Thing Two.
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 6:30 PM on March 2

Voyager and Pioneer
posted by Telpethoron at 12:18 PM on March 3