Discovering New Domains

Recently I had to look around for a domain name for a potential new project. Only trouble was, all the ones I wanted had gone (surprise, surprise) and I wanted to avoid odd variations on a theme, hyphens and underscores everywhere.

If you've ever wondered what the chances are of your perfect domain name being available, Dennis Forbes has done the maths, and it's not only staggering but also quite interesting...

Every male and female first name, and every surname in the US census has been registered, and so have almost all the combinations you can imagine. Every two-letter acronym has gone, as has every three letter name. But if you want five letters, your chances are higher. You're more likely to get a domain beginning with a 'W' than an 'S', while 11-letter domain names are less widely available than 17-letters.

So if you can decide on a 17-letter domain name beginning with 'W' you're probably in luck.

"You've thought up a brilliant idea for a new Web 2.0, AJAX-enabled web app, or you're about to release a thus-far-unnamed killer software app. Now you just need to find the perfect domain name for it to live at (and, in true new-economy fashion, you'll base your corporate name upon whatever available domain name you find... PILLAGEANDPLUNDR Corporation).

You pull up GoDaddy and start punching in clever names, along with their many variations, only to find that they're all seemingly taken.

'This can't be!' you cry. 'Has every possibility already been registered?'"

(Read the full article.)