How to Choose a Company Name in the UK: The Checks to Run Before You Register
Choosing a company name in the UK comes down to two jobs. The creative one is finding a name that's short, distinctive and easy to spell. The administrative one is making sure Companies House will accept it, that nobody owns it as a trade mark, and that you can get the matching web address. Most naming advice covers the first job and skips the second, which is where founders get caught out after they've already printed the logo.
This guide covers both, in the order they matter. The checks use Company Name Checker, a free, independent UK tool that applies the Companies House "same as" rules to a name and shows you why it clashes, rather than only searching for an exact match.
The short version
| Check | What it catches | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Same as" test | A name Companies House will refuse because one already exists once endings, punctuation and equivalents are stripped out | Company Name Checker | Free |
| "Too like" names | Names that aren't the same but are close enough for an existing company to object | The similar-names list on the result | Free |
| Sensitive words | Words like "Group", "Holdings" or "British" that need permission | Company name rules | Free |
| Trade marks | Someone owning the name as a brand, which Companies House doesn't check | UK trade mark search | Free to search |
| Domains | The .co.uk, .uk and .com already being registered | Domain name checker | Free |
| Registering | Securing the name: it's only yours once the company is registered with it | Companies House or a provider | £100 direct online |
1. Start with a distinctive name, not a descriptive one
"Bakery Services Ltd" is hard to register and hard to remember, because thousands of businesses describe themselves the same way. Adding one distinctive word ("Copper Bakery") usually solves both problems at once.
Two more tests: it should be easy to say and spell (if you have to spell it out on the phone, customers will mistype it in search and email), and it shouldn't be tied to one product or town if the business might expand.
If you're stuck, Company Name Checker's business name generator turns one to three words about your business into name ideas and checks every one against all live UK companies, listing available ideas first. It leaves out words like "Group", "Holdings" and "British", which usually need permission.
2. Understand the "same as" rule
You can't register a company with a name that is the "same as" one already on the register. "Same" doesn't mean identical. Before comparing, Companies House strips out the parts of a name that don't make it different, following Schedule 3 of the 2015 Names Regulations. In order, it ignores:
- accents ("Café" counts as "Cafe");
- the company type at the end ("Limited", "Ltd", "PLC", "LLP", "CIC");
- equivalent words and symbols ("&" and "and", "2", "two" and "to", "£" and "pound");
- endings like "Company", "Co", "UK", ".com" or "(UK)";
- punctuation, a final "S", and "The" at the start;
- spaces, and everything after the first 60 characters.
If what's left is identical for two names, they count as the same. That's why a simple search misses clashes:
| Your name | Existing name | Compared as | Same? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith & Sons Ltd | Smith and Son Ltd | SMITHANDSON | Yes |
| Back 2 Basics Ltd | Back To Basics Ltd | BACK2BASIC | Yes |
| Acme (UK) Ltd | Acme.com Ltd | ACME | Yes |
| The Bakery Ltd | Bakery Ltd | BAKERY | Yes |
| Acme Trading Ltd | Acme Ltd | ACMETRADING / ACME | No |
The full list of rules, with more examples, is in Company Name Checker's guide to UK company name rules.
3. Check the name, and read the names around it
Type the name into Company Name Checker. It reduces your name the way Companies House does, shows you that reduced form, and places it on an A-to-Z view of the register of live UK companies so you can see exactly who sits either side of you.
It checks Companies House's monthly file of every live UK company, then searches Companies House live when that finds no clash, so companies registered in the last few weeks are caught too. There are two possible results:
- Looks available. No live company reduces to the same thing. You also get the names closest to yours that could still draw a "too like" objection, and the ways to register.
- Taken. You see the companies it clashes with, each linked to its Companies House record, the reason the names count as the same, and ideas for a name that isn't taken.
Don't skip the similar-names list on an available result. Even when a name isn't the "same as" another, an existing company can object if yours is too like theirs. For "Copper Kettle Bakery", the checker found no same-as clash but listed Copper Kettle Ltd, The Copper Kettle Cafe Ltd and Copper Kettle Coffee Ltd nearby, which is worth knowing before you commit.
Two other rules can still block a name. Some sensitive words, such as ones suggesting a link with government or a regulated profession, need permission first. And names can be refused if they're offensive.
4. Search the trade marks register
Companies House checks your name against other company names, not against trade marks. If your company name is too similar to another business's trade mark, the owner can complain and you may have to change it. Owning a company name also doesn't give you a trade mark.
The Intellectual Property Office's search is free. Company Name Checker's trade mark search guide walks through it: search the distinctive part of your name ("copper bakery", then "copper"), look at the classes of each result, and check similar spellings and sounds such as "Kopper". A clash matters most where the goods or services are similar to yours. Registering your own UK trade mark online costs £205 for one class.
5. Check the domains
A company name and a domain are separate systems: registering one doesn't reserve the other. The domain name checker turns your business name into a domain ("Acme Widgets Ltd" becomes acmewidgets) and checks the .co.uk, .uk and .com against the registries' own records, Nominet for the UK endings and Verisign for .com. If your customers are in the UK, .co.uk is the most familiar choice, and many businesses register all three so nobody else can take them.
6. Register the name
A name is only secured when your company is registered with it, and someone else can register it before you. Registering a private limited company directly with Companies House costs £100 online and is usually done within 24 hours, or £124 by post. Some providers file for you: at the time of writing, Company Name Checker lists Tide at £14.99 (with a free business account included) and ANNA at £19. Its step-by-step guide to registering a limited company covers what to prepare, including the Companies House personal code every new director now needs.
Can two companies have the same name in the UK?
Not on the Companies House register, once the "same as" rules are applied. The one exception is a company in the same group as the existing one, which can register a same-as name with that company's written consent. Trade marks work differently: they're registered in classes of goods and services, so a bakery and a software company can hold similar trade marks in different classes.
What Company Name Checker isn't
It's an independent service, not affiliated with Companies House or the UK government. Only Companies House can accept a company name, and it does that when you file. "Looks available" means no exact same-as clash; Companies House can still object to a name that is too like another or uses a sensitive word. And it's built for UK limited companies, so it won't help with names in other countries.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decide the name of a company? Shortlist distinctive names that are easy to say and spell and won't box you in if you expand. Then run each one through the same-as check, the trade marks register and a domain check, and drop any that fail.
What should I avoid when naming a company? Purely descriptive names, which are usually taken; sensitive words like "Group", "Holdings" or "British", which need permission; names close to an existing trade mark in your line of business; and names you'd have to spell out on the phone.
Does it matter if I put Ltd or Limited? Not for availability. A private limited company name normally has to end in "Limited" or "Ltd", but the ending is ignored when names are compared, so "Bakery Studio Ltd" and "Bakery Studio Limited" count as the same name.
The name I want is taken. What can I do? Add a distinctive word ("Copper Bakery" rather than "Bakery"), change the word order, or use a different descriptive word. The business name generator will suggest alternatives that are already checked.
Can I change my company name later? Yes, by special resolution of the shareholders and a filing with Companies House. See how to change a company name.
Try it
Check your company name for free on Company Name Checker, or see the Company Name Checker listing on ShipBoost. For other tools for a new business, browse small business tools and free tools on ShipBoost.
