Comments on: The Top 50 Most Distinctive Credit Union Names

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:51:24 +0000

You’re right Malinda, K-25 is a little cooler/better than Y-12, but the list includes only current credit union names.

By: Malinda Wood

Malinda Wood — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:59:45 +0000

If you include Y-12 in this list, then you really have to include K-25 – now known as Enrichment Federal Credit Union. K-25 is where the government enriched uranium for The Bomb in WWII – hence the new name, Enrichment. K-25, the actual plant, closed in 1987 and was dismantled over the past umpteen years. The building was U shaped and the length of 3 football fields.

By: Tracie Wilcox

Tracie Wilcox — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:24:41 +0000

I think the name Space Age could easily be added to this list.

By: The Financial Brand » Blog Archive » 75 interesting credit union name changes in 2009

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:56:09 +0000

[...] might be time to update The Financial Brand’s list of The Top 50 Most Distinctive Credit Union Names. Which ones do you think belong in the [...]

By: The Financial Brand » Blog Archive » From “America’s who?” to “ACU who?”

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:21:24 +0000

[...] seemed like a smart idea at the time, but none of this would have an issue if they had picked a more distinctive name. Now the credit union is compounding its problem, and the costs in terms of money and lost time are [...]

By: Jeffry Pilcher

Jeffry Pilcher — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:34:08 +0000

Polish Slavic is one of my favorites too.

I wish I could do the in-branch merchandising and retail fixturing for a credit union with the word “Combatants” in it — too bad.

By: Mistsy

Mistsy — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:29:18 +0000

I was disappointed that the Polish Combatants Credit Union dropped “combatants” from the name.

Some of my favorite credit union names come from the DC area – Organization of American States CU, White House CU, Dept. of the Interior CU, National Geographic CU – there are tons of them. If you get a google map of the area and search “credit union” on it, you’ll find many interesting ones.

I like Polish Slavic Credit Union in the NYC area. PSFCU. I like the PS like ending a letter.

By: The Financial Brand » Blog Archive » 2008: The Year in Review

The Financial Brand » Blog Archive » 2008: The Year in Review — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:34:04 +0000

[...] The Top 50 Most Distinctive Credit Union Names [...]

By: Shannon P

Shannon P — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:45:41 +0000

I really like the “Red Canoe” name–it fits the Pacific Northwestern love of local nature and outdoor activities, and the website has been beautifully built around the theme of canoes and nature. Gorgeous photos, smart use of the paddles in the design.

Best of all, it helps contend with the Credit Unions’ constant plight of, “But do I have to work for ____ to be a member of the CU?” There is no business or industry here by the name Red Canoe (that I know of), but had they held on to the Weyerhauser name, they would have continued that misunderstanding.

By: Jeffry Pilcher

Jeffry Pilcher — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:15:20 +0000

Great points Mike.

By: Mike Sweeney

Mike Sweeney — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:27:04 +0000

Great post Jeffry. I think companies in every industry get bogged down with names that sound too identical to their competition. From the consumer’s view, they all blend together and it makes it harder to differentiate. If you’re going to stand out from your competitors, the first thing that has to be different is your name.

By: Jeffry Pilcher

Jeffry Pilcher — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:11:47 +0000

Hi Elaine, thanks for your comment.

The best brands are controversial — never universally loved. That’s why this list isn’t titled, “The 50 Most Loved & Admired Credit Union Names.” lol

I wonder if your military friend got over his initial reaction. Many people in Longview, WA (where Red Canoe is based) freaked out about the name at first, but now it is well-respected and well-liked.

I’d also bet your military friend buys Starbucks Coffee or has bought Kodak film. He may have a Bluetooth headset on his Blackberry. Or maybe he has an iPod. The point being that I’d bet he never thought about those names — ever. Renaming makes people think consciously about names in a way they almost never do with other brands at other times. (All the brands in this paragraph have names that make absolutely no sense at all.)

By: Elaine

Elaine — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:05:43 +0000

When I was telling someone at my last job (at a community college) that I was going to work at a credit union, he immediately mentioned how much he HATED the new name of his credit union…Red Canoe. Then again, he was an older, ex-military, conservative IT guy. Not so much for the change.

I love the Addison Avenue story, too. It’s almost whimsical.

By: shari storm

shari storm — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:54:06 +0000

Jeffry – very fun post. At first I thought you were joking about some of these. But they have hyperlinks so they must be real (I mean, if something is on the internet, it’s for real, right?!)

One of my personal favorites is ICU; particularly Matt Vance’s story about calling a member and their reaction to receiving a call from the “ICU”.

By: Jeffry Pilcher

Jeffry Pilcher — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:00:24 +0000

Yeah Tim, Addison Avenue is one of the best names for its subtle link to the credit union’s heritage. I think Seven Seventeen is also one of those names. I think it used to be the number for whatever union it used to serve (IBEW #717, for instance). I don’t know though. I could be wrong. It doesn’t say anything about it at their website.