It may seem vanity but customers like it better: Entrepreneurs are more successful when they name their companies after themselves. A survey of two million companies over the period 2002-2012 shows that almost 20 percent of the firms were named after their founders. And, on average, they generated higher profits. The authors explain this finding by noting that if you name a firm after yourself, you are sending a signal. You believe your product is good enough to stake your personal reputation on it, not just that of your company. Customers reward that integrity and authenticity.
