10 Best YouTube Channel Names to Inspire You
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Starting a YouTube channel? Congratulations!
We’re guessing that means you already have an idea of what kind of videos you want to make, and how you’re going to go about making them.
But often, that’s the easy part.
The hard part? Picking a YouTube channel name. You need to choose a moniker that’ll not only resonate with your audience, but tell potential new viewers (and YouTube’s algorithms) exactly what you do – and why those viewers should click.
Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find our top 10 YouTube channel names – along with our top five tips for picking yours. Then, you’ll be one step closer to becoming a YouTuber!
What is a YouTube Channel Name?
You have a name. The place you live in has a name. So it makes sense that your YouTube channel needs a name, too.
Like all important things in life, a YouTube channel name serves as its unique identifier – telling the world’s internet users who made the videos they’re watching.
Why is Your YouTube Channel Name Important?
Your YouTube channel name will appear on your channel page, on your videos, and in YouTube’s search results.
Meaning that, regardless of whether someone is watching one of your videos, browsing your channel’s catalog, or simply searching for similar content, your channel name will be there. If it doesn’t align with your channel’s purpose, intent, niche, and individual brand, you won’t get clicks – let alone views.
A good YouTube channel name should create brand awareness. Increase the memorability and visibility of your channel. And, most importantly, help searchers new to your brand understand what you do – and what your point of difference is.
10 Best YouTube Channel Names
The best YouTube channel names are captivating, creative, compelling, and catchy.
Here are our top 10 examples.
1. PewDiePie
Let’s start with one of the most unique, well-known YouTubers on the internet – Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg. (Fortunately, PewDiePie is much easier to remember!)
Blending a deft mix of comedy, video games, and pop culture, PewDiePie has amassed an incredible 111 million subscribers.
So why do we love the name? For its sheer uniqueness, that’s why – and because of how much it relates to Kjellberg’s channel niche and target audience.
He allegedly chose ‘pew’ to mimic the sound of a video game’s laser, and ‘die’ because of what usually happens to characters in one. ‘Pie’ was, well… because he enjoys it!
2. The Try Guys
The Try Guys – Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang – is a YouTube TV series about three men willing to try anything to entertain their healthy (count: almost eight million) online following.
Baking a cookie without a recipe? Eating everything at Taco Bell? Beating a poker champion? If the Try Guys can conceive it, they’ll attempt it.
We love this particular YouTube channel name for its deceptively simple premise. They’re guys… that try!
3. 5-Minute Crafts
Often, the simplest YouTube channel names are the best. Exhibit A? 5-Minute Crafts – a moniker that does exactly what it says on the tin.
Remember, the more specific your channel name is about your channel’s premise and purpose, the easier searchers will find it to understand what you do. And the more simple you make it for them to click, the more likely they’ll be to do so.
This is probably why 5-Minute Crafts is one of the most popular arts and crafts hubs on YouTube – with a whopping 77.7 million subscribers!
4. Unspeakable
While The Try Guys and 5-Minute Crafts succeed because of their simple, easy-to-understand names, Unspeakable takes the opposite approach. It lures you in not because it’s prescriptive, but because it’s perplexing. It’s daring, it’s challenging, and it invites you to click – and find out just how ‘unspeakable’ things get!
Unspeakable, by the way, is a channel where you’ll see the host – Nathan Johnson Graham – ”pull pranks, drive crazy cars, do insane challenges, and much more with the squad.”
They must be some impressive stunts – he’s racked up 14.5 million subscribers, and counting!
5. Dude Perfect
Dude Perfect is a comedy group consisting of five friends and former roommates. Between showcasing laboriously planned trick shots and lampooning common stereotypes, there’s plenty for everyone.
Why do we love the name? Because it’s not only memorable but speaks to exactly what the group is and what they do.
They’re a bunch of dudes. And, whether it’s creating the world’s longest trick shot machine or attempting a (frankly, quite remarkable) water bottle flip, they’re always striving for perfection. Dude Perfect – it makes sense!
6. Ryan’s World
Ryan’s World features the eponymous Ryan Kaji (along with his mum, Loann), starring in a range of educational and entertaining videos aimed at kids aged two to six years old.
We like the channel name because it implies a sense of community. It’s Ryan’s World, but you’re invited to explore it with him – be that the origins of a tsunami, or an exploration into what happens when you stop showering.
But the channel name is also interesting because it’s an example of a channel that switched names. Formerly Ryan ToysReview, the channel’s new name reflected a pivot away from solely toy-reviewing, and more towards a wider range of science- and art-related content for youngsters.
7. MrBeast
With a net worth of around $25 million and record 2021 earnings of $54 million, Jimmy Donaldson (aka ‘MrBeast’) is the highest paid YouTuber working today.
And it’s fair to say his YouTube channel name has gone a fair way to establishing and maintaining Donaldson’s popularity. Inimitable, imposing, and vaguely intimidating, MrBeast’s moniker both warns us off while inviting us to click and explore the videos within.
You’ll find a cornucopia of content on the channel with catchy, clickbaity titles. Some standouts include “I Survived a Plane Crash” and “I Gave my 100,000,000 Subscriber an Island.” Enjoy!
8. Markiplier
Honolulu-born Mark Edward Fischbach – better known as Markiplier – made his name, like PewDiePie, with the “Let’s Play” style of video. In his videos, you’re in Fischbach’s shoes while he plays a video game – usually survival horror – providing a humorous running commentary throughout.
Fuelling Fischbach’s success is, no doubt, the unique name of his YouTube channel. It combines his name, Mark, with ‘multiplier’ – a reference to the initial premise of the channel, which was originally a sketch comedy with Fischbach playing all of the characters.
It’s unique, it’s interesting, and it entices us to click – all the things a good YouTube channel name should!
9. Screen Rant
Boasting 8.57 million subscribers, Screen Rant is a go-to resource for film and TV-related content. From videos that explain the endings of mind-bending movies, to telling us the “top 20 things we missed” about our latest watch, Screen Rant can swallow hours of time.
On top of being the likely source of your next YouTube wormhole, though, Screen Rant is also an excellent example of an inspiring YouTube channel name. By using the word ‘screen’ rather than ‘movie’ or ‘TV’, it doesn’t limit itself to one medium. And the other half of its name – ’rant’ – suggests it has a lot to say about its subject matter.
Just another example of the most straightforward channel names being the best!
10. Epic Meal Time
Epic Meal Time is a rare example of a YouTube channel name that tells us exactly what it does, while also promising much more. Along with its unique, vaguely militant profile image – a war-like skull and crossbones against a fiery, explosive background – the show tells us we can expect cooking. Just not, necessarily, as we know it!
Tantalizing with the tagline “We make your dreams come true…then we eat them”, this Canadian cooking channel flaunts fantastic food – from a butter chicken Big Mac to an 8-ft Porchetta Sandwich.
Epic Meal Time? Epic YouTube channel name!
Top Tips for Picking a YouTube Channel Name
Feeling inspired? Excellent! But before you go ahead and start brainstorming your new YouTube channel’s title, there’s a little more reading to do (just a little… promise!).
Check out our top five tips for picking a YouTube channel name below:
1. Don’t go in cold
When AI (artificial intelligence) is so prevalent in today’s world, why neglect its help when it comes to generating good names for YouTube channels?
We recommend starting with Wix’s YouTube name generator. Simply type in a couple of words relevant to the type of brand you want to build, and it’ll think up some brilliant names. You don’t have to use any of them, of course – but they’re the perfect springboard for creativity!
2. Capitalize, capitalize, capitalize!
Notice something all of the YouTube channel names above have in common?
They use capitals. (You won’t see pewdiepie, the try guys, or mrbeast topping the earning charts – that’s for sure!)
Why? Because Capitals Stand Out. They grab our attention quickly, and more immediately than all-lower-case names, because our brains are better able to parse the different words within them. (In fact, lower-case YouTube channels are one of the biggest video marketing mistakes you can make!)
So when you’re planning your YouTube channel’s name – no matter what it is – remember to be liberal with those capital letters.
It’s of capital importance!
3. Remember SEO
Whether your YouTube videos exist to entertain, inform, or (a la Unspeakable and MrBeast) simply shock your audience, you’ll need to retain a focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
After all, you could have the most amazing content on the platform, but – unless searchers are able to locate your videos in online searches – it won’t mean squat.
So, when picking your YouTube channel name, ensure it reflects, as closely as possible, your channel’s purpose. Draw up a list of keywords you’d like to target, and make sure to include these in your video’s title and description when you upload it. And don’t forget your tags!
4. Do your market research
Whatever kind of content you’re creating, knowing your audience is always the first step to getting it right.
So before you start cooking up your YouTube channel name, do some research first. This could include sending out a survey to a sample of your target demographic, or setting up a small focus group to understand what resonates with your prospective viewers.
It’s more time – and most likely more money – you’ll spend now. But it’ll pay off in the long run.
5. Keep it simple!
Another attribute the 10 best YouTube channel names above share? They’re all simple. Think The Try Guys, 5-Minute Crafts, and Epic Meal Time in particular – they all speak to exactly what their respective channels do.
So don’t overcomplicate – innovate!
Summary
From extreme sports and video games to tsunamis and private island giveaways, the YouTube channels profiled here run the gamut from the inspiring to the insane.
Regardless of whether their content appeals to you, though, anyone can appreciate the impressive names of these channels. Memorable, witty, unique, funny, and simple in turn, there’s plenty here to inspire your own foray into YouTube.
So good luck, have fun, and let us know how you get on in the comments. And, for more video-related content here on Website Builder Expert, check out our top digital marketing tips – and our step-by-step guide on how to create a video marketing strategy. Enjoy!
FAQs
The best YouTube channel names use capital letters, are based on market research, and are unique – often combining the YouTuber’s name with something they’re passionate about.
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