Category generalization for search queries

A system and computer-implemented method are provided for associating categories with business names for generalizing search queries, the method including identifying one or more businesses within a first geographic region, determining a business name and one or more categories for each of the one or more businesses, generating one or more name components for each of the one or more businesses from the name of the business, generating one or more name component groups from the name components of the one or more businesses, each name component group including one or more identical name components, determining for each name component group, if the one or more name components within the name component group are associated with businesses that share one or more common categories and associating the one or more common categories with the name component of the name component group.