How do I choose a domain name for my personal website?
From the Personal Reputation Management team · Last updated October 19, 2026
Short answer: Start with your professional name form: firstname-lastname or firstnamelastname on .com when available at a standard price, then .org or .me before inventing spellings nobody will guess. Avoid hyphens you must explain aloud, premium aftermarket prices without a plan, and buying a pile of variations. One domain you actually build on, renewed at at-cost pricing, beats a portfolio of parked names.
What this guide will cover
This article is in our writing queue. The outline below is the exact scope it will cover — no more, no less — and the short answer above is the honest summary you can use today.
- Name forms and endings in priority order
- Standard versus premium pricing traps
- Renewal costs and registrar choice (Cloudflare-style at-cost)
The short version you can act on now
Start with your professional name form: firstname-lastname or firstnamelastname on .com when available at a standard price, then .org or .me before inventing spellings nobody will guess. Avoid hyphens you must explain aloud, premium aftermarket prices without a plan, and buying a pile of variations. One domain you actually build on, renewed at at-cost pricing, beats a portfolio of parked names.
Related questions
Honest by design — including what we don't do
What we do
- Show you what people find, result by result, and ask you to confirm what's actually you.
- Build your personal site from facts you approved — nothing is published without your approval.
- Use licensed search data and official tools only. No scraping.
- Keep watch weekly, in plain English, with one clear next step.
What we never do
- No fake reviews, fake profiles, fake news, or bought links.
- No bogus takedown notices, and no promises to remove results or guarantee rankings.
- No searching for anyone but you, and we never sell your data.