The essential guide to choosing good project names

The most typical use of code names is for army operations. We British have uninspiring names. For example, Operation Herrick Afghanistan and Operation Granby Gulf War I sound more like Monty Python names than operations of war. Apparently there’s a computer in the MOD building in Whitehall that spits out random names.

Personally, I like to consider that it’s really an elderly civil servant who spends his days environment crossword puzzles until he’s called on for a random name. In comparison, after a period of automation, American code names since 1989 have been designed for PR value as much as obscurity – Desert Shield and Just Cause, as an example. There’s a fascinating list of US codenames online here.