Best YouTube Channel Names by Niche
Your channel name should signal your content before viewers ever click play. Here's a deep dive into naming strategies for the most popular YouTube niches.
Quick Reference by Niche
| Niche | Best Approach | Examples | Key Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Gamertag or compound name | Shroud, Dream, GameGrumps | Keep it broad enough for multiple games |
| Tech / Reviews | Personal brand + niche signal | Linus Tech Tips, MKBHD | Authority + approachability |
| Beauty / Fashion | Real name or stylized brand | NikkieTutorials, GlowByEmma | Your face is your brand |
| Cooking / Food | Personality or concept-driven | Binging with Babish, Tasty | Should make viewers hungry |
| Education / Science | Clever wordplay or descriptive | Veritasium, CrashCourse | Smart without being intimidating |
| Vlog / Lifestyle | Just your name or a philosophy | Emma Chamberlain, Yes Theory | Keep it personal |
| Comedy | Group energy or personal name | Good Mythical Morning, Cody Ko | Fun before they even click play |
Gaming Channels
Gaming is YouTube's largest category, and the naming conventions reflect its competitive, personality-driven culture.
| Approach | Examples | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Gamertag | Shroud, Ninja, Dream, Sykkuno | Personality-driven channels |
| Descriptive compound | GameGrumps, JackSepticEye, TheRadBrad | Creating a vivid image or character |
| Genre-specific | MinecraftMasterClass, ApexLegendsPro | Targeting a specific game (limits flexibility) |
Best practice: Keep it broad enough to play different games if your interests change.
Tech and Reviews
Tech channels need to balance authority with approachability.
| Approach | Examples |
|---|---|
| Personal brand + niche | Linus Tech Tips, Dave2D, iJustine |
| Concept names | Unbox Therapy, JerryRigEverything, LevelOneTechs |
| Acronyms | MKBHD (Marques Keith Brownlee HD) |
Beauty and Fashion
Beauty channels are deeply personal, and names reflect that.
| Approach | Examples |
|---|---|
| Real name dominant | NikkieTutorials, Jackie Aina, James Charles |
| Stylized branding | GlowByEmma, ThePaintedLip, SkincareByHyram |
Avoid being too trendy: Beauty trends change fast, but your channel name shouldn't have to.
Cooking and Food
Food channels should make viewers hungry just from the name.
| Approach | Examples |
|---|---|
| Personality-forward | Binging with Babish, Joshua Weissman, Adam Ragusea |
| Concept-driven | Tasty, Pro Home Cooks, Epicurious |
| Cultural niche | Maangchi (Korean), Chinese Cooking Demystified |
Education and Science
Educational channels need names that signal intelligence without being intimidating.
| Approach | Examples |
|---|---|
| Clever wordplay | Veritasium (veritas + -ium), Vsauce, SmarterEveryDay |
| Descriptive | CrashCourse, Khan Academy, 3Blue1Brown |
| Niche authority | Economics Explained, History Matters |
Vlog and Lifestyle
Lifestyle channels revolve around the creator's personality.
| Approach | Examples |
|---|---|
| Just your name | Emma Chamberlain, Casey Neistat |
| Aspirational / philosophy | The Sorry Girls, Yes Theory, Matt D'Avella |
Keep it personal: Viewers subscribe to lifestyle channels for the person, so the name should feel human.
Comedy and Entertainment
Comedy channels need names that are fun before you've even watched a video.
| Approach | Examples |
|---|---|
| Duo / group names | Good Mythical Morning, Smosh, Dude Perfect |
| Personality names | Cody Ko, Danny Gonzalez, Kurtis Conner |
| Absurdist / plain | Gus Johnson, Joel Haver |