Daycare is an essential service for so many American families in which both parents work during the day. 

When searching for a daycare provider, parents want someone that they can trust with their children and many of them are also looking for providers who will entertain and enrich their children. 

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Why your name matters

A key component of your brand, your name is a way for you to connect with new parents and communicate that you are at once trustworthy and credible. This is your first point of contact with parents and the foundation on which your branding will be built. 

How to choose a name for your daycare

Your first step is to search the internet to see the names of daycare providers in your area so that you’re not duplicating an existing business. Remember to

  • Consider your target audience: An estimated 90% of childbearing people are Millennials, and with Gen Z approaching their 20s, they will be entering their childbearing years very soon. Choose a name that appeals to these demographics and their values. 
  • Tell your customer what you do: If your daycare center only provides care for infants and toddlers, make sure that your name clearly conveys this to clients — maybe your business is focused on nutrition and guiding kids to healthy lifestyles through active programs. 
  • Keep it Simple: Don’t make the name of your business overly complicated. It should be easy to pronounce and short so that it sticks in the minds of busy parents. Most of today’s parents do their research online, and they will likely look for you online. 
  • Incorporate the features of successful business names: Some linguistic tricks you can use to come up with names for your business include alliteration and acronyms. You can also start with your own name and initials.  

Daycare name ideas

For infants and toddlers

Choose a name that indicates that your center specializes in babies and toddlers up to 24 months old. Brainstorm names using synonyms for “small,” “baby,” “toddler,” etc. Consider using foreign language words for “small,” which can also help establish your business with the bilingual market if that is a service that you provide. 

  • The Tot Lot
  • Babies and Tots Childcare
  • Tiny Tots Daycare
  • Little Lilliputians Daycare
  • Les Petites Childcare
  • Nannies y Los Niños Daycare
  • Merry Minis Childcare
  • The Crib Childcare
  • Small Sports Daycare
  • Newbies and Tots Childcare

Names with animals

Baby animals are a popular source of inspiration for a lot of child-oriented businesses. Many kids love to play with stuffed animals, and they are cute. Using baby animals in the name of your daycare center can help convey a happy and fun atmosphere. It’s also a great starting point for building a logo. However, to make sure that your name does not imply that you are a pet daycare, try to avoid names with traditional pets.

  • Jumpin’ Joeys Childcare
  • The Kiddie Cave Childcare
  • Lucky Ducklings Childcare
  • Baby Owls Daycare Center
  • Petite Peacocks Childcare Center
  • Mother Goose Childcare 
  • Bumblebee Academy
  • Robin’s Nest Daycare
  • The Caterpillar’s Cave Daycare

Communicating fun

Child care centers should be safe and fun places for kids while they are away from home. Choosing a name that conveys a fun and active environment can help build your company’s reputation as a solid daycare provider and a place where kids will be enriched and have a good time. 

  • Kids Space
  • The Fun Zone Daycare
  • A Kid’s Castle Childcare
  • Lil’ Bambinos Daycare
  • The Kidz Cave Childcare
  • Kids Clubhouse Daycare
  • It’s a FUNday 
  • Smalls and Smiles
  • Kids Being Kids Childcare
  • Carefree Kiddos

Higher learning

Many daycare providers have shifted from a simple place where you drop your kids off for the day to supplemental education providers. Child care centers for toddlers are sometimes referred to as preschools, where educational activities are normal and routine for kids. If your child care company caters to early education and childhood development, choose a name that effectively communicates this.

  • Little Learners
  • Small Start Academy
  • Stepping Stones Preschool
  • Building Blocks Preschool
  • A Rounded Start Daycare
  • A Blooming Mind Daycare
  • FUNdamentals Preschool
  • Kids Academy
  • Discovery and Adventure Zone
  • Mind Molders Academy

Named after toys

Like animals, toys can be used to create a sense of safety and trust in the minds of parents searching for your business. If you are using a toy as the inspiration for your name, think about the feeling you get when thinking of certain toys. To better appeal to Millennial and Gen Z parents, try to keep the name gender-neutral. 

  • Tots N Teddy Bears
  • Sketches and Smiles Childcare
  • The Alphabet Academy
  • The Tree House
  • Small Adventures

Christian daycare providers

Some parents will opt for a daycare center that maintains their religious beliefs and incorporates them into its curriculum. This is another aspect of your business that can be communicated through your name. 

  • Little Angels
  • Baby Lambs
  • His Children Daycare
  • Small Blessings Daycare
  • Rise and Shine Childcare
  • Small Miracles 
  • Holy Family Daycare
  • Holy Cross Daycare
  • The Angels Academy
  • First Path Childcare

Miscellaneous Names

Some names don’t really fall into a category, but they are cute and kid-friendly. Your name doesn’t have to fall into a specific category as long as it’s memorable and appeals to kids and parents alike. 

  • Bright Beginnings Center
  • Sunshine and Smiles Childcare
  • Happy Trails Daycare
  • A Kidz Life 
  • Kids Corner
  • Petite Smiles Childcare

Tips for choosing your name

Like all of your branding and marketing materials, your name is the first step in communicating your story to potential customers. Look at your business plan and mission statement as a starting point. Your mission identifies your values and philosophy, so it’s a good place to start brainstorming names for your business. 

Contact your network

When naming your business, you want to make sure that it will resonate with potential customers. Picking a boring name puts you at risk of getting lost in the volume of daycare providers in your city. After you have narrowed down the top picks for your business, take your list to people you know and ask them for feedback. The following questions offer a jump-off point for feedback: 

  • What do you think of when you hear this name? 
  • Does this name communicate trust and care? 
  • How easy is this name to remember? 
  • Would you choose this company as a daycare provider? 
  • Does this name appeal to children? 

Asking for honest feedback can give you an idea of how your naming strategy is going. It’s also a good way to learn if there are existing businesses using one of your names and if there are any negative connotations associated with the name that you have chosen. Also, if you’re using a foreign language that you aren’t fluent in, it’s good to run the name by a native speaker to make sure it’s not offensive. 

Tell your story first

While choosing a name seems like a good starting point for your business, it should actually be one of your last steps. Doing market research and determining what you offer and what sets your business apart should be the first part of the process. 

Establishing your mission and vision statement while building your “About Us” section will help you identify your brand position in the minds of parents. A business plan will also help you determine your curriculum and services. This should serve as the starting point for building your name. 

  • What programs will you offer? 
  • What kind of schedule do you use for kids of different ages? 
  • What is the primary age of kids that are served at the center? 

How will customers find you? 

Gone are the days when putting an ad in the local newspaper was enough to build your business. Today’s parents are tech-savvy, and many of them are distrustful of traditional advertising methods like commercials and print media. To connect with these parents, your company will likely need a website and a presence on social media. 

Social media is a key to building credibility and interacting with parents in real-time. It is one means by which parents can become familiar with your company and ask you questions. They will likely look here for reviews and testimonials from other parents and photos of your facility. 

When choosing your name, think about the social media channels that you can use to promote your business, and think about how it will be branded. This can help you narrow down your top name choices. 

How do you help your customer?

Every business needs to communicate how they will benefit potential customers. People today are inundated with ads everywhere they go, so they tend to tune out most of them and focus on things that resonate. Since most of your customers will likely be Millennials and older members of Gen Z, choose what resonates with them. 

This group of people is highly educated, and they expect their kids to have a more well-rounded child care experience. While you want to pick a simple name that is easy to remember, be aware that this group of parents will analyze every part of your branding, including your name. Choose something that will make it easy to design a catchy logo. 

Keywords

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a useful tool in all marketing, and SEO is all about keywords. The same philosophy applies to choosing a name for your daycare business. Pick a name that will be easy for a parent to look up online. Make sure your name is limited in the number of words, and that they are easy to spell. 

If your daycare center(s) are all in the same town or city, consider incorporating your community’s name into your business name. This is one of the easiest ways to incorporate SEO directly into your brand.

Be careful not to use the names of other well-known brands. Naming your daycare “Little Harvard” not only sends the wrong message to parents, but it can also get you into trouble with copyright infringement. Before naming your business after a popular movie character or children’s book, talk to a lawyer or small business expert. Otherwise, you may have to change your name well after you are established, which is a tedious and expensive process. 

Don’t limit yourself

Keep in mind — naming your daycare after its location is an easy and intuitive way to integrate SEO, but it could make it tricky to expand in the future. Making your name more general in nature gives you other options for down the road, such as selling the business or opening a new location in a different city, or even franchising. 

Don’t let these daycare name ideas overwhelm you

Selecting a name does not have to be overly difficult. Keeping it simple and using words that convey your values and mission can make the process easier. Pick a daycare name that is easy to remember and easy to find online to attract more customers. 

If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of naming your business or you don’t think that you are creative enough to start the process, have other people start it for you! Take friends and family members out to lunch and have a brainstorming session, or start a poll or discussion with your online network. 

If you choose this option, you should still start out with your business plan. Make a list of ideas and aspects of your business that you want to communicate through your name. Keep a copy of your mission statement on hand to pass out to your network. Let them use this material as a starting point for the naming process. 

Once people have come up with a collaborative list of potential names, start by eliminating the ones that don’t resonate with you or that clearly seem like a bad fit for the business. 

Naming your daycare is one of the trickier parts of starting out. It is something that you will need to build on and serves as the cornerstone of your branding efforts. Your name is the first line of communication to potential customers and if you are successful you could be stuck with it for a long, long time. 
Learn more about how to brand your daycare business with The Download.