What Do The Most Popular Podcast Names Have In Common? A Breakdown by Genre

Choosing a name for your podcast is something you can easily spend a long time agonising over when launching a new podcast.

And it’s fair to want to get it right. While episode titles come and go, your podcast name remains; it’s what captures the whole idea and premise of your show.

Speaking with podcast marketing expert Jeremy Enns recently, he made a comment that I think really captures why a good name for your podcast is so important. He said:

“When you look at a book cover and think, “Wow, I need to read that book,” you haven’t even read a page yet but you’re already bought in on the premise. The same goes for a TV series. You don’t judge it based on the episode titles, but the premise.

I think more indie creators need to be thinking like that; about the show level, the concept, the premise. If you can get that right, I think all of your marketing becomes 10 times easier.”

Jeremy Enns, Podcast Marketing Academy

You need a name that basically does the graft of promoting the podcast for you. It’s about striking a balance between something that’s catchy or memorable, while also capturing the whole idea and premise of your show, telling listeners what to expect. But easier said than done, of course!

There are three main ways to name a podcast (more on this in this podcast naming guide if you’re interested):

1. Creative names that are usually a play on words but hint towards what your podcast is about
2. Descriptive names that are a bit more straight to the point and tell listeners what the podcast is about
3. Name-based show names that leverage the host’s name to engage listeners.

We also surveyed a bunch of our subscribers about which category their show falls into. Here’s what they said:

It wasn’t so surprising that only 2% of those who responded leverage their own name when promoting their show. Our subscribers are almost exclusively indie creators, and name-based shows tend to be most popular amongst celebrities and established names.

But what naming strategy will work best for YOUR podcast?

I spent some time analysing the names of the top podcasts in the charts to see if there were any commonalities between the names of shows that are most popular with listeners.

One thing that quickly became clear was that podcast name trends vary widely depending on which podcast category your show falls into. So, I decided to run a category-by-category test to see what came up. 

Read on to see what I uncovered. You can jump to the category that’s relevant to you by clicking the option in the menu on the right →

Quick note on how I ran this test

For transparency, here’s how it went: I ran the names of the top 30 podcasts in the UK Apple Podcast charts for each category through ChatGPT, asking the AI to look for commonalities and also to assess the percentage split between name types. I then studied the lists to add my own observations and recommendations.

Podcast Name Analysis – By Category

Comedy Podcasts

Name types percentage split:

• Creative → 47%
• Descriptive → 20%
• Name-Based → 33%

Comedy podcast name observations

1. Unsurprisingly, the majority (47%) of top comedy podcasts have creative names, using puns and plays on words to hook listeners in. Playful or punny titles e.g. My Mate Bought A Toaster or Chatabix appeared often.
2. Names that have a celebrity host name in the title were popular (e.g. The Ricky Gervais Show) since many of the top shows in the charts are hosted by celebrity comedians.
3. Shocking or edgy phrasing, e.g. Call Her Daddy and Help I Sexted My Boss, and sex was a common theme.
4. Titles that mimic casual conversation also came up frequently (e.g., What’s My Age Again?, Help I Sexted My Boss, and There I’ve Said It).

Tip for naming a comedy podcast: Go for something catchy, clever and memorable that reflects the type of humour your show practices.

Health & Fitness Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative →30%
• Descriptive → 37%
• Name-Based → 33%

Health & fitness podcast name observations

1. There was a pretty even split between the different name types for the health and fitness category.
2. Host/trusted expert names were used a lot in the names of health podcasts, which isn’t so surprising, as anchoring the show to a credible or well-known individual will attract more listeners.
3. Themes of sleep, relaxation and calm appeared often – clearly a popular podcast niche in this category!
4. Science and evidence-based focus to emphasise credibility, e.g. ZOE Science & Nutrition and Huberman Lab
5. Inspirational and motivational language was used frequently, e.g. The School of Greatness and High Performance.

Tips for naming a health and fitness podcast: Try to be clear about what your niche is, hint at evidence-based practice for credibility, and use language that suggests your show will provide listeners with the motivation they need.

Business Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative → 20%
• Descriptive → 37%
• Name-Based → 43%

Business podcast names observations

1. Name-based podcasts were popular in the business category. Host names were used a lot for trust/authority and also personal branding projects, e.g. The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett and James Reed: all about business
2. Action-oriented/aspirational phrasing was used often, suggesting transformation, growth, or learning, e.g. Ladies Who Launch and How to Get Purpose Right
3. Clear topic indicators, such as “Money”, “Finance”, “Business”, “Founder”, “Markets”, and “Economics”, are all super common words in business podcast names. Business is a broad category, so it’s important to let listeners know what area of business your podcast is exploring.

Tip for naming a business podcast: Use indicators to be clear about what your topic is, and aspirational or motivational phrasing if relevant. Including your name somewhere (even if you’re not an established figure) can also indicate credibility and can be good for building your personal brand if that’s a long-term goal of your show.

Education Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative → 23%
• Descriptive → 33%
• Name-Based → 44%

Education podcast names observations

1. Host name-based podcast names (e.g. The Mel Robbins Podcast) and similar authority markers were the most popular option in the education category. This isn’t so surprising for education podcasts, as listeners will often look to learn from known authorities in their field.
2. There was a theme of time (e.g. Coffee Break Italian) used as a way to indicate that busy listeners can learn in bite-sized chunks.
3. Many used simple, straightforward titles that clearly communicate the content topic niches.

Tip for naming an Education podcast: Choose something clear and simple that indicates what the listener will learn/gain from it. If you’re a qualified expert in your field, adding your name for credibility is also a good option.

Society & Culture Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative Names → 40%
• Descriptive Names → 50%
• Named- Based → 10%

Society & Culture podcast name observations

1. There were a lot of podcasts in this category about food, so (surprise!) food-related terms came up a lot, e.g. Wine Times, Table Manners, Ruthie’s Table, Dish, Desert Island Dishes, Comfort Eating.
2. Descriptive names with topic indicators and cultural references were popular too. This category is so broad it contains some fiction or fiction-adjacent podcasts, e.g. The Magnus Archives, All About The Archers, Agatha Christie Radio Plays
3. Quirky creative names with unusual combinations were also popular e.g. Sentimental Garbage, Fashion Neurosis and Weirdos Book Club.

Tip for naming a Society & Culture podcast: Try to go for a name that combines clarity (what the podcast is about) with distinctiveness (making it memorable and unique in some way).

Fiction Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative → 50%
• Descriptive → 50%
• Name-Based → 0%

Fiction podcast name observations

1. There were no name-based podcast names at the top of the fiction charts. This isn’t surprising as with a fiction podcast, it’s likely to be the story that listeners are interested in, not the reader/presenter.
2. There were numerous descriptive names with a horror, thriller, or mystery theme, suggesting that this is a popular fiction podcast genre among listeners.
3. Quite a few names had format indicators, e.g., Sherlock Holmes Short Stories, Night Falls – Bedtime Stories and The Sleepy Bookshelf. This is a good indicator that listeners will look for shows where they can hear the full story in one episode rather than spread across a series.

Tip for naming a Fiction podcast: Go for something creative and intriguing but specific enough to indicate the genre. Fiction podcasts often draw listeners in through the title alone, so it’s worth taking time to really think about this one.

Technology Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative → 33%
• Descriptive → 54%
• Name-Based → 13%

Technology podcast name observations

1. Unsurprisingly, there were many technology podcasts with AI somewhere in the title. AI is, of course, a serious hot topic in the tech world right now, so it was always likely that AI-related podcasts would be popular in the charts.
2. A lot of podcasts have the word ‘tech’ in the name as a clear topic indicator and potentially to capitalise on the popularity of this keyword.
3. Contrarian or provocative titles seem to be popular, e.g. Tech Won’t Save Us, Darknet Diaries, AI Haven’t A Clue.

Tip for naming a Technology podcast: Go for something that either clearly communicates the subject matter (AI, tech) or has a distinctive, memorable or provocative name that stands out.

History Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative → 30%
• Descriptive → 67%
• Name-Based → 3%

History podcast name observations

1. Descriptive podcast names were overwhelmingly popular in the history category. History buffs tend to look for podcasts about a specific niche of history that interests them, so there were numerous historical topics and period references in the podcast names.
2. Many podcasts use a colon to include both a catchy main title and an explanatory subtitle. That way, they can be creative and descriptive at the same time.
3. Dramatic elements and language were used in a few of the names, e.g. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal and British Scandal.

Tip for naming a history podcast: Try to choose something that strikes a balance between being descriptive enough that listeners understand what the podcast is about, while maintaining an element of intrigue or drama.

True Crime Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Name-Based: 45%
• Creative Names: 35%
• Descriptive Names: 20%

True crime podcast name observations

1. Many true crime podcasts use the specific name of the victim, criminal or case in the title (e.g. What Happened to Talina Zar). This is why name-based podcasts were the most popular.
2. There were a few that included a location (normally UK or US) to help listeners distinguish, e.g., “They Walk Among Us – UK True Crime.”
3. Unsurprisingly, there’s a common theme of dark and mysterious terminology used e.g. “in the dark,” “see of lies” and “RedHanded.”

Tips for naming a true crime podcast: Be clear about the specific case your podcast is interested in (if applicable), keep it dark and quirky and be clear about the location of the crime, as some listeners prefer US cases over UK (and vice versa!).

Sport Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative Names: 27%
• Descriptive Names: 60%
• Name-Based: 13%

Sports podcast name observations

1. Descriptive names that are clear about the type of sport that’s covered and the specific niche/topic were the most popular (e.g. F1: Chequered Flag and The Square Ball: Leeds United Podcast).
2. “Show” is used almost as frequently as “podcast” in names, suggesting that many are accompanied by a video component rather than being audio-only.
3. More than half (53%) of the most popular sports podcast names start with “The”, with many following the structure “The [something] show/pod/podcast”

Tips for naming a sports podcast: Be clear about what your sports niche is, consider using “show” rather than “podcast” if you have a video component to let listeners know they have a video option too.

Music Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative Names: 60%
• Descriptive Names: 20%
• Named After Host: 20%

Music podcast name observations

1. Creative, unique, and playful podcast names that sound clever and stand out were popular in the music category; creative names made up a large majority (60%) of the top music podcasts.
2. List podcasts seem to be popular, reflecting the eclecticism of music lovers, e.g. 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s and A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs.
3. Genre-specific names were also popular, e.g. Soul Music, Let There Be House, House Music All Life Long.
4. Interestingly, only 20% of the top music podcasts mentioned a band or artist. This is likely because there are few bands that could justify an entire podcast, but would rather be featured as an episode under a genre or list podcast umbrella.

Tips for naming a music podcast: Choose a creative, clever and evocative name that clarifies music genre (if applicable).

Science Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative Names: 43%
• Descriptive Names: 37%
• Host/Name-Based: 20%

Science podcast name observations

1. Creative names were the most popular type of name in the science category, suggesting that playful, fun, and accessible science podcast names are most popular with listeners.
2. Loads of the top science podcasts had the word ‘science’ in them, perhaps to make them easier to discover in listening app searches.
3. A lot of the podcast names in this category were short and concise, perhaps to make them sound more accessible.

Tips for naming a science podcast: The most effective names tend to be clever and concise, with quirky phrasing to imply it will be accessible to most listeners. It’s also worth being clear about the podcast’s subject matter and unique perspective.

TV & Film Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Descriptive: 23%
• Name-Based: 24%
• Creative: 53%

TV & film podcast name observations

1. Creative titles were by far the most popular of the three name categories in film and TV podcasts, e.g. You Must Remember This, Watch What Crappens and Films To Be Buried With. They also indicate that the shows are eclectic in their coverage of all film genres.
2. Name-based titles were less common than you’d probably expect for an industry that’s heavily based on celebrity culture.
3. All podcasts with descriptive names were those that named a specific TV show or film in the title.
   

Tips for naming a TV & film podcast: You don’t actually need to leverage a celebrity name to have a popular podcast in this category. Something catchy, fun and memorable will serve your podcast just as well.

Kids & Family Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Creative: 27%
• Descriptive: 40%
• Name-Based: 33%

Kids & family podcast name observations

1. Descriptive titles were the most popular category, as the topics were broad, and it was important to distinguish between the different audiences (kids or their parents) by making it clear what the podcast is about.
2. Lots of family podcasts had ‘Dr’ in the title, suggesting that trust and authority are important for parents to engage with parenting content.
3. There were common themes of sleep, e.g. Deep Sleep Sounds, Kids Bedtime Stories & Meditations and After Bedtime, suggesting parents are using these podcasts to help soothe kids at bedtime.
4. Many podcasts featured ‘parents’ or ‘parenting’ in their titles, likely to capitalise on these keywords for increased discoverability.

Tips for naming a kids & family podcast: Parents scanning or searching for new podcasts want to instantly know you’ll solve their specific parenting challenge (or provide what their kids want to hear). So lead with clear value, like “Calm Parenting”, rather than creative names that need explanation.

Religion & Spirituality Podcasts

Name types percentage split

• Descriptive: 47%
• Creative: 13%
• Name-Based: 40%

Religion & Spirituality podcast observations

1. The majority of top religion and spirituality podcasts lean toward descriptive naming – straightforward titles that clearly explain the content.
2. Creative podcast names were not popular in this category, but the good ones do stand out (e.g. The Way Out Is In). Authority and a clear indication of what the podcast is about were more of a priority.
3. A lot of the podcasts in the charts for this category leveraged the host’s name for credibility and authority. These figures included pastors and other religious or spiritual figures who will be well known within these communities.

Tips for naming a religion & spirituality podcast: Choose a title that either clearly explains your message, reflects your personal authority, or sparks curiosity (depending on whether your goal is to build trust, loyalty, or intrigue).

Total Across Categories

So, there you have it – a tour of the most popular podcast name types among the top shows in each category. And in case you’re interested, here’s how name types averaged across the board:

Is this a silver-bullet formula for success? No. Many more factors determine the reach and impact of a podcast. But a great podcast name is undoubtedly a big part of the discovery process. Hopefully, this has helped you determine whether yours is as good as it could be, based on the audience you want to reach.

If you need help naming your podcast, our comprehensive guide has you covered, and our free AI-powered podcast show planner will generate ideas and concepts for you as well.