The rules of how to name an organic compound have been made by an organisation called the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).Names are made up of 
- a prefix signifying the number of carbon atoms on the main chain e.g. hex-
- suffixes of the main functional group e.g. -ane
- another prefix for other non-carbon groups and alkyl side groups(side chains) e.g. 'methyl' hexane
- multiplying prefixes such as di- and tri -
- Locants - the location of the functional group or other groups