Just wanted to get your thoughts on this matter. Can the name of a project provide significant benefit or detriment to a project if it is appropriate/unappropriate or unattractive/attractive -sounding?
I am not sure how much of an impact it has.
Nothing at all i think. If you have a good idea thoughtful plan and great team management then i don't think it's matter at all. But that not means you give your project name what ever you want. I saw some projects which name based on their on name. i mean really.
I think it's a better to choose name a name from project what it's based on. And choose small word and maximum two words is the best option i guess.
Why do you think that the name of cryptocurrency is nothing important? This is the first step in creating a cryptocurrency that's why the name is really important. Every crypto name is important, to know its differentiation and its use comparing to other existing cryptocurrency. Its name is the basement of its existence, it is like a mother naming its child.
If i'm not wrong if you go CMC website then you can see many good projects which name is not too much valuable. Like UNUS SED LEO, Crypto.com Coin, Basic Attention Token, ABBC Coin, Synthetix Network, BitCapitalVendor etc. Those are not cool names at least but those projects achieve their goals anyway.
And i totally disagree with you that line "Its name is the basement of its existence, it is like a mother naming its child". Great team management, thoughtful idea, huge communication etc should be core for the project. Just think without those thing you have a good name, should your project will be success one..?