Key Difference: Company name is a name associated with an organization working in order to achieve profits in the field of commercial activities related to business. On the other hand, a brand name is a name provided by the company to its products and services to distinguish them from the other companies. Various brands can also belong to a single company.

Company name simply refers to the name by which a company is recognized in a commercial market. It is a registered name of the organization. These organisations are known as companies and they primarily focus on profit making.

We all have names and it is a part of our identity. Similarly, when a company is formed, a name is associated with it for its identification. It is referred to as a company name. This company name is of immense importance as the name also contributes in the marketing of the company's products. A name becomes an identity of all the products and services that are delivered and catered by the company.

Some points that can be kept in mind while deciding the name of a company are listed below:-

1. Name of your company should be as unique as the products or services offered by the company. The name of the company should itself present the mirror image of the quality of the products that set it apart from its competitors.

2. Name of the company should have a creative aspect in order to draw the attention of the consumers.

3. You think of a name, and attach it with your company. It is not as simple as it sounds. One needs to make sure that a company name must be legally available and many other legal things and issues must be carefully handled.

4. In case of a confusion, refer to an expert that can also be a professional naming firm, which will guide you on certain other aspects as well.

5. A matching domain name is always helpful to make an online presence of the company. Thus, one should first determine that no other company exists with the same domain name as similar to your company name.

However, there are no particular rules that can ensure success of the name of the company. Toyota Motor Corporation, PepsiCo Inc. and Apple Inc. are few names of the companies.

On the other hand, brand name is the name given to the specific products or services by the company. It is also regarded as a trademark. It is provided by a manufacturer or organization. They are usually protected from use by others by securing a trademark or service mark from an authorized agency that is generally a government agency. Like company name, for a trademark or service mark, one needs to ensure that the name is not already registered.

According to Wikipedia, the word "brand" is derived from the Old Norse brandr meaning "to burn." It refers to the practice of producers burning their mark (or brand) onto their products.

Brand names are also associated with the logos.  Logos are graphic representatives of brands. They help the customers to identify and differentiate the products of parent companies from the others. A brand name should be able to focus on the key theme of a product in an effective manner. It should be noticeable and attractive. 

For example, a famous company named as PepsiCo includes 22 brand names like Pepsi-Cola brands, Frito-lay Brands, Tropicana brands, etc. 

Therefore, a company name is used to distinguish one company from the other companies. A brand name is used to distinguish the products of the company from the other company's products. Sometimes, a brand name is the same as the name of the company. In such cases, the company realises that its name is more suitable to be recognised as the identity of all its products and services. Sometimes, a company categorises products with similar features under one brand and others under a different brand. Brand recognition is very important and thus, brand naming is considered very seriously. At times, a brand name associated with a company tends to get more popular than the name of the company. 

Image Courtesy: watchmojo.com, pepsico.com