Let’s be honest – when was the last time you smiled at a chatbot’s name? Probably never if it was named something like “CustomerHelper3000”. Deciding what to call your chatbot can be daunting because, well, you can call it whatever you like! So where do you even begin?
Whether you’re naming your baby, a puppy or a chatbot, finding the right name is important. A good chatbot name isn’t just a label—it’s your customers first impression so it should reflect your brand. At Japeto, we encourage our clients to come up with the name of their AI assistant. But in the beginning we come up with our own fun little names for the chatbots we build.
Now that we’ve established the importance of a good chatbot name, let’s dive into some key considerations to ensure it connects with your audience. Hopefully our bot naming process inspires you when you come to name your own chatbot. Also, please don’t use these steps to name your baby.
Almost Human
Imagine you’re chatting with a virtual assistant about a delayed order. Do you think your customers would rather interact with “SupportBot 2.0” or “Navi”? A human or human-ish name can make your AI assistant more approachable, giving it a touch of personality. I’d prefer to talk to an AI travel assistant named Navi over SupportBot 2.0. Because I know its purpose, Navi’s going to help me navigate.
What’s the purpose
Combining a virtual assistant’s purpose into their name is a great way of telling the customer what they do.
Examples:
P3nny, a virtual assistant for a bank’s website.
iRis, an appointment booking assistant for an optician.

The Essential DO and DON'TS
We’ve gone over what to consider when naming any virtual assistant, but now let’s look at the essential dos and don’ts when choosing a name.
Don’t disguise the chatbot as a human
It can be tempting to give your chatbot the name of one of your team, but a more made-up name or a spin on your business name is better. First, so that customers can recognise a chatbot and then they can accept they’re talking to a virtual assistant. Customers will appreciate transparency from your virtual assistants. Choosing a name that indicates it’s a chatbot creates trust right away, making the interaction feel more genuine. Plus, with the rate of automation use for customer interactions growing there is no need to pretend your virtual assistant is a human team member.
Do check its short and clear
The name must be easy to pronounce and write, make sure everyone in your team can say it without struggle. So stear clear of alternative spelling like Ohlyieveahr or Nhyieomyiah.
Don’t call it “bot”
“Chatbot” as a term is general but the traditional “chatbot” is being displaced by AI assistants like the ones we build, and “bot” does have negative connotations associated with it.
Ways to name your chatbot
Having looked at everything that should be considered it can be overwhelming but it’s not something that you have to do alone. At Japeto, we encourage our clients to involve their entire team in the naming of their AI assistant. Here we’ve found some great ways you can get your team involved.
Survey
Running a survey to gather feedback from your staff is a fantastic way to generate creative ideas. Your team knows your brand inside-out and can provide unique perspectives. Perhaps consider including some of these prompts.
What qualities do you associate with our business?
Can you think of a name that uses some part of the business name?
What name would make you smile during an interaction with a chatbot?
Competition
Why not turn naming your chatbot into a fun and engaging event?
Invite your team—or even your customers, if appropriate—to submit their best ideas. You can set parameters to guide the suggestions, such as keeping the name relevant to your brand, easy to pronounce, or reflective of the chatbot’s purpose.
To make it exciting, consider offering a prize for the winning name. For example, a gift card, a team lunch, or public recognition in the company newsletter. A competition not only generates a wealth of creative ideas but also fosters teamwork, energises your team, and helps everyone feel involved.
Once the suggestions are in, hold a vote or panel discussion to decide on the winner. So the final name is agreed on collectively.

Public Poll
Using a public poll to name your chatbot is a smart way to boost engagement and generate PR. Involving your audience creates excitement, and makes your chatbot more relatable.
This approach also offers great marketing benefits—polls shared on social media or your website can increase visibility. Media outlets love community-driven stories, making this a simple yet effective way to amplify your brand. Present 3-5 name options aligned with your chatbot’s purpose, and celebrate the winning name publicly to maximise the buzz.
Real World Examples
Now let’s have a look at some of the names others have chosen for their virtual assistants and dive into why these names work.
Pat
Pat is the UK’s first AI-powered sexual health chatbot, developed by Positive East in collaboration with Japeto. The name “Pat” was chosen after an organisation-wide survey at Positive East, where staff and stakeholders provided input on the most fitting name. Pat is also gender-neutral, making it more suited for sensitive conversations about sexual health. Before settling on Pat, the chatbot was affectionately known as “Karl” at Japeto—a placeholder name that added some humour to the early stages of development!
Hart
Hart, the safeguarding and wellbeing chatbot, was created by Japeto and Harlow College’s Games Design and Development students. The students cleverly incorporated “heart,” in the name of their chatbot, reflecting the bot’s empathetic and supportive role. The name resonates with the bot’s purpose—providing emotional support and care.
Woebot
Woebot is a clever and fitting name for a healthcare chatbot focused on mental health. The play on “woe” (addressing deep sorrow) with “bot” makes it memorable and directly relevant to its purpose. It strikes a balance between approachability and seriousness, which is critical for sensitive topics like mental health.
Now you might ask why is this a good name? Didn’t you just tell us not to use “bot”. Yes I did but it’s important to consider context here. A lot of people find it difficult discussing their mental health issues to other people. So knowing they’re talking to a chatbot right away is appropriate in this case and shows they’ve considered their target audience.

Claude
Anthropic’s chatbot, Claude, pays homage to Claude Shannon, the brilliant mind behind information theory. Naming the bot after a visionary thinker adds an intellectual and aspirational layer to its identity. This connection reinforces the chatbot’s advanced capabilities while honouring its roots.
Dom
Dom is a simple, personable, and brand-aligned name for Domino’s Pizza. It humanises the ordering process and makes interactions feel a bit more conversational and informal, perfect chatbot name for the businesses brand identity.
Alexa
Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa’s name was apparently inspired by the ancient library of Alexandria. Which is great, it demonstrates its purpose as a source of knowledge. Though it’s also said the name Alexa was chosen for its hard consonant “x”, which makes it easy for the voice recognition system to identify. The name is human, maybe distinct enough to avoid confusion with most common names in conversation.
However, while human names like Alexa and Siri have been used by massive tech companies, the situation is a bit different for smaller businesses. For instance, there were reports of people named Alexa facing teasing, prompting some parents in the UK to ask Amazon to reconsider the name. Some even changed their children’s names legally as a result of the bullying. As a result, Amazon allowed users to choose alternative wake words like Echo, Computer, or Ziggy.
While giving your chatbot a human name is perfectly fine and can make it feel more personable, consider the context. Smaller businesses don’t need to worry about the same level of scrutiny as Amazon, but it’s always good to ensure your chatbot’s name resonates positively with your audience.
Google’s Gemini
Gemini, Google’s AI system, takes its name from the Latin word for twins, reflecting the collaboration of Google Brain and DeepMind. It reflects the fusion of two powerful teams working together. So the twin imagery perfectly aligns with the bot’s origin.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, naming your chatbot isn’t a life-or-death decision. After all, it’s not like you’re naming your child (although if you are, maybe take a little more time with that one). The key is to find a name that feels right for your brand and your chatbot’s personality. So, take a deep breath, have a bit of fun with it.