Choosing a company name

Your new 's name can be important – you can use it to give a real sense of what your is about. Find help with choosing and registering a name for your . There are some restrictions and legal considerations you need to think about when choosing your 's name. There are also practical concerns like whether you can secure a corresponding , although remember that you can do business under a that is different from your 's.

Choosing a name

  1. 1.How do I choose a name when setting up my company?
  2. 2.How do I register my chosen company name?
  3. 3.Are there any restrictions on what I can call my company?
  4. 4.Can I choose a name already used by another company?
  5. 5.Are there any words I am not allowed to use in my company's name?
  6. 6.Can I use symbols or punctuation in my company's name?
  7. 7.Do I have to include Ltd or Limited in my company name?
  8. 8.Is there a maximum length for my company name?
  9. 9.Can I use the name of a company which has gone into liquidation?

Checking if a name breaches someone else's rights

  1. 10.How do I check if the name I want to use is already registered by another company?
  2. 11.Can I choose a name which is similar to another company's trademark?
  3. 12.How do I check if the name I want to use infringes anyone else's trade mark?
  4. 13.Can I choose a name which is the same as another business's trading name or brand?
  5. 14.How do I check if the name I want to use is the same as another business's trading name or brand?

Where a company's name must be shown

  1. 15.Do I need to display my new company's name at my offices?
  2. 16.Can my company trade under a different name from its registered name?

Changing a company name

  1. 17.Can I change my company's registered name after incorporation?
  2. 18.Can I be forced to change my company's name after it has been registered?

Objections to a company's name

  1. 19.Can someone object to my company's name after it has been registered?

List of words indicating a company's legal status

This list of words indicating a company's legal status sets out the different words that show what a company's legal status is if they are used in its registered name. When choosing a name for your company, you must make sure your proposed name uses the right word to show the company’s legal status. For most new businesses, this simply means ensuring your registered company name ends in Limited or Ltd. There are a number of other terms which are used to indicate a company’s legal status. You must ensure that you do not use the wrong indicator in your company’s name. This could result in delays as Companies House might return your application to you and require you to choose a different name. It is also possible that your company could be ordered by Companies House to change its name further down the line, which could be highly damaging and expensive if you have already started to build a reputation under the original name. It is worth getting it right the first time.
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Checklist for choosing your company's registered name

There are a range of legal requirements and practical matters to consider when choosing a name for your company. This checklist summarises all of these considerations in a single page, so that you can thoroughly test your proposed company name before you register it. The consequences of failing to test your company name can be serious. At best, if your name is already used by an existing company, it will delay your application to register a company or change your name at Companies House. At worst, however, you could infringe someone else’s trade mark, which could lead to you having to make a hefty compensation payment and embark on a costly rebranding exercise. Companies House will not check if your proposed name infringes another person's trade marks or other rights, so to avoid nasty surprises further down the line, it is crucial to ensure you properly test your company name before registering it. This checklist will enable you to do so. You can also get this document as part of the Starting a company toolkit .
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