Naming a new vehicle at Ford involves a complex internal process that requires approval from 30 to 40 executives. Scott Hauman, the company's global head of nomenclature, oversees a team tasked with naming nearly 100 vehicles, features, and services in 2026 alone.
The selection process includes multiple rounds of scrutiny and consumer testing. Ford evaluates potential names with approximately 2,000 participants through private research panels to gauge public perception before finalizing a choice.
Legal and linguistic reviews are critical stages in the workflow. Lawyers screen every candidate for trademark conflicts, while the team must also ensure that names do not carry unintended meanings or sound awkward in international markets.
