I'm sure that for most peeps here, who are accustomed to writing songs with lyrics or composing pieces with a theme already in mind, that this is not a problem.
 
I get most, maybe even all of my "inspiration" from my synthesizers and the sounds they can make, along with the usual reverb, chorus, echo effects etc...
 
So that invariably leaves me with bit of a pickle when it comes to naming my "art."
 
My first album was a self named affair, which is so, so common. But I couldn't think of anything else.
 
I was a bit more creative with my second album, which I called "Vast," and the theme, in general, was the vastness of the universe.
 
That was a long time ago, and since then I have been limited to creating ideas with a simple alpha-numerical system.
 
I then have to think of an idea for an album and then name the pieces that go into it.
 
Not that easy... Not for me anyway.
 
I was wondering if peeps could share their thought process when naming their works, especially when there are no lyrics or subject matter...
 
 
cheers
 
andy

Just call it something Latin or Ancient Greek and then your creation will stand out. 

Without a defined name in mind, it is often helpful to use a descriptive name, especially if you come back to it months/years later. Without a descriptive name you have to listen to them to find anything.

Downside is if playing, then get an idea, you need to "save as" to change the name (and possibly the folder). For MIDI work only, the projects can easily be saved in the same folder, and can even move them between folders to escalate what to focus development on.

If no lyrics, I try to name the project according to what happened or inspired me to write the music, for instance, I have a project named Swedish Blonde...

 
I think andy is talking more about the ultimate name of the piece of music rather than a useful name for it while it's a project in the creation stage.
 
For a pop song, this is the key word or phrase of the song, which usually appears in the chorus.  This should sum up the whole idea of the song.
 
I think you have to find the title for an instrumental piece the same way.  Start with the purpose of the piece in general terms, narrow that down to a single phrase, then either keep the phrase or narrow it down even more to a single word or two.  Concentrate on why you wrote the piece, not how it was done or what it looks like.
 

Usually I write instrumentals, and they're usually inspired by something or someone, so it's not a problem. Occasionally though a piece just 'falls out' with no thinking behind it, then I'll use a phrase which evokes a memory for me, like a short little rocker I did called 'Next Train's Gone', which is a line from the old Will Hay movie 'Oh Mr Porter'. Seems like an odd combo at first, but after a while it just sticks.

I tend to think in the abstract when it comes to music and so most of my output has no meaning at all. It makes naming things a pain. Personally I find the "random" button on Wikipedia to be a good source of names. I've heard writers say they'll just open the dictionary at a random page to get an idea. 

interpolated
Just call it something Latin or Ancient Greek and then your creation will stand out. 

Ah... I see you are familiar with my work 
 

mettelus
Without a defined name in mind, it is often helpful to use a descriptive name, especially if you come back to it months/years later. Without a descriptive name you have to listen to them to find anything.

Yeah, I can certainly vouch for that... Fortunately, at the moment, I'm not doing much, but in the past I could have as many as a hundred ideas on the go and I had to keep a document which kept a log on what each idea was, where it was up to, whether I thought it was worth carrying on with, and so on.
 
The way I store stuff now, though, will allow me to move a folder and even rename it and Sonar will still load and play as normal, providing I do not rename the CWP file.
 

gustabo
If no lyrics, I try to name the project according to what happened or inspired me to write the music, for instance, I have a project named Swedish Blonde...

Indeed, I wish I could do that, but I guess my motivations/inspirations come directly from where I am sitting, in front of my workstation.
 
I saw a news item once, about a guy whos music was inspired by his local landscapes. I'm just not that way I'm afraid... I wish I was but there you go 
 

Paul P 
I think you have to find the title for an instrumental piece the same way.  Start with the purpose of the piece in general terms, narrow that down to a single phrase, then either keep the phrase or narrow it down even more to a single word or two.  Concentrate on why you wrote the piece, not how it was done or what it looks like.

 
I agree... And perhaps it is something I should try. An excellent example of this, that I can call to mind, is The Planets by Gustav Holst. I do not listen to much classical music, but this is one of may most favourite works that I "discovered" as a young boy of eleven. Some of those pieces fit the title so closely, no, exactly in fact.
 

jamesg1213
Occasionally though a piece just 'falls out' with no thinking behind it, then I'll use a phrase which evokes a memory for me

That's a good idea. I did a track, once, that was specifically for a friend that had recovered from throat cancer. It's a happy tune, as most of my stuff is, so I thought it worked quite well given the positive outcome of his treatment. Daft thing is, it's still sitting there, called SOJ, which are the initials of my friend's name, and I've yet to think of a proper title for it.
 

sharke
I tend to think in the abstract when it comes to music and so most of my output has no meaning at all. It makes naming things a pain. Personally I find the "random" button on Wikipedia to be a good source of names. I've heard writers say they'll just open the dictionary at a random page to get an idea. 

This is kind of where I am coming from I guess... I have done exactly the same, using a book on astronomy, for example.
 
And, as you say, Wikipedia is an excellent, and more accessible idea, seeing as I'm sat at my PC anyway 
 
 
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, I enjoyed reading your replies 

sharke
I've heard writers say they'll just open the dictionary at a random page to get an idea. 

Maybe to kickstart some lateral thinking, but I'd like to think that music is created to serve some sort of purpose, otherwise why do it.  That purpose may just be simple pleasure, but then why not call it that.
 

Just looking at the OP I see lots of title potential (these are all direct-or-close-to-direct quotes):
 
naming my creation
theme (already) in mind
"inspiration" from my synthesizers
the usual effects
a bit of a pickle [my fave so far]
naming my art
a self named affair [okay, now this is my favorite]
so, so common
I couldn't think of anything (else)
a bit more creative
the theme, in general
the vastness of the universe
That was a long time ago
created ideas with a simple alpha-numerical system
idea for an album 
the pieces that go in(to it)
Not that easy... Not for me anyway.
sharing my thought processes
naming my work
subject matter
cheers, andy
 
So, perhaps, when you need a title, write a couple of paragraphs about the song, then [important] put them away for a day or two and then come back to it. (Alternatively, hand it to someone else for this next step.) Go through the essay and pull out the title candidates that are lurking therein. Then the hard part is deciding which of your top ten becomes the champion and gets to go on the label.