How to Check Registered Business Names in the UK: Guide

Choosing a name for your new venture is often an exciting part of the process, but you might find that your ideal name is already taken.
This could be due to it being registered with Companies House, trademarked, or simply claimed online, leading to confusion and potential legal issues. To avoid problems like trademark infringement or customer confusion, it's essential to check the availability of business names.

In this article, we’ll cover the importance of checking business names, how to do it, and some key dos and don’ts. By the end, you'll know how to select a name that is both unique and representative of your brand.

Let’s dive in!

1. Why is checking business names so important?

Before we delve into how to check if a business name is available, we need to talk about why it’s so important in the first place.

Legal reasons

From a legal perspective, registering a business with an unchecked name can lead to serious consequences. If you get caught, you could face a trademark infringement lawsuit, be forced to stop trading or pay damages. This also forces your hand at an expensive rebrand later on.

Branding reasons

When talking about branding, you need to think original. This is no different when choosing a business name. If you go for a name that’s similar to another business, you risk confusion among customers, which can leave your reputation damaged and your brand identity weakened. It can also complicate the process of protecting your brand, which is something nobody really wants to deal with.

Practical reasons

When it comes to the practicality of your brand name, original is always better. The gist of it is that a business name that’s unique is easier to find and remember. While you set out to learn how to check registered business names, pay attention to the various business names you come across. See which ones stand out to you, and you can take inspiration from the ones that do!

Looking ahead

When you’re starting a business, it can never hurt to imagine it a few years down the line. Thinking ahead can save you trouble and time later on, so make sure you have this in mind when choosing your business name. Try going for something that is available across business registrations, websites, and social media alike, to make it easier to expand your business when the time comes.

2. What are the different business name types?

The first thing you need to know about business names is that not all of them are treated in the same way. How you register your business name depends on the exact type of business you’re setting up. Here’s a brief overview of the different types of businesses in the UK.

• Sole trader

Registering as a sole trader is ideal for people starting a business alone. If this is you, when choosing a business name, you can either trade under your personal name or create a trading name. For example, if you’re looking to start a cake business, you could name it “Kate Stone” or “Kate’s Cakes”.

• Limited company

For a limited company, the process is less straightforward. It involves more formality and stricter checks, so you’ll have to be extra original. In order to form a limited company, you must register your business name with Companies House, and you will have to include “Ltd” or “Limited” at the end. For example, “Kate’s Cakes Limited”.

• Partnership

If you have a partner for your business, you might consider starting a partnership. This means sharing responsibilities and profits, as well as the name itself. You could use your combined names, or come up with a new trading name that represents your partnership as a whole.

3. Where can I check registered company names in the UK?

Once you have chosen a potential business name, the next step is to check if it’s available. In the UK, there are a few places you can look for company names by yourself.

• Companies House register

If you’re forming a limited company, this is the first place you should look. The Companies House register is the official government database of all registered limited companies in the UK. Even better, ANNA’s free name checker does this for you automatically. No need to dig through databases!

• Trademark register

The UK Intellectual Property Office has a trademark database that is immensely useful for checking business names. This is because even if a business name isn’t registered as a company, it could still be legally protected as a trademark. Double-checking this database is therefore vital in avoiding legal trouble when choosing a business name.

• Domain name checkers

In today’s digital age, having a website is essential for a business. This is where different domain name checkers, such as GoDaddy or Namecheap come into play. These tools allow you to see if your chosen business name is available in the form of a web address.

• Social media platforms

Nowadays, most marketing for small businesses is done via social media. This is why besides securing a web address, you should also check social media such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to see if a username handle with your business name is available.

4. Step-by-step guides on how to check registered business names

If you want to check if a name is available, you need to understand exactly how different business name platforms work. So let’s go through a step-by-step guide to each one.

How to check registered business names via Companies House

1. Go to the Companies House website
2. Click “Find company information”. You will be met with a box to search for business names
3. Scan the results list carefully - find exact matches and similar names
4. Click on your matches to see their status and the full legal name of the business
5. Check sensitive or restricted words that need special permission
6. Double-check that your name is in compliance with the rules

How to check trademarks on business names

1. Open the UK Intellectual Property Office trademark search
2. Choose search by keyword, phrase or image
3. Search your desired names and check their statuses and the classes of goods and services, as well as specifications of what is actually covered by the trademark.

Tip: If a similar name appears in the same or related class of services as yours, that’s a sign you should rethink your business name.

Checking internet web addresses

1. To check if a web address is free for your business, head to a domain checker and search your exact brand name with the domain extension of your choosing, such as .co.uk or .com
2. If these are unavailable, try to come up with some variations, such as adding hyphens, short descriptors related to your business or “uk” to the URL.

Tip: Remember that your url should be easily spelled, simple, and easy to say and understand when read aloud!

How to check business names on social media

1. Pick the platforms you’d like to present your business on
2. Search your exact handle - ideally, this should be the same across all platforms
3. If your handle is already taken, get creative until you come up with a distinctive, clear variant
4. Once you have your handle, claim it on all platforms at the same time in order to secure it!

5. Some useful tips

Now that you understand how to check if a business name is in use, here are some useful tips to make sure you succeed.

• Run a Google search - to make sure no unregistered businesses are using your name informally
• Don’t rely on Companies House approval for legal safety - trademark rights override Companies House registration
• Keep a record of your searches - keeping your checks organized will help you in more ways than one
• Don’t ignore dissolved or dormant companies - names can be protected for some time after closure, or the business may be revived
• Think about international rules if you plan to trade overseas - a name that passes in the UK might be problematic elsewhere
• Double check for restricted terms - words like “royal”, “bank”, “trust”, etc. need special approval, you can check the rules here
• Get help if you need it - if you’re unsure about a close call, it’s better to ask a trademark attorney before you go for it.
• Don’t overlook cultural pitfalls - something harmless in English could mean something awkward in another language
• Keep searchability in mind - in the age of Google, searchability is extremely important, so don’t go for a name that’s too common
• Don’t lock yourself into a single location - if you name your business by a location, it could limit your expansion
• Avoid slang or trends - something cool today might seem out of the loop down the line

How can ANNA help me check registered business names in the UK?

Picking a name is the first step to owning a business. However, running a successful company takes more than just coming up with creative names. That’s where ANNA (Absolutely No Nonsense Admin) comes in to help.

ANNA has a built-in free name checker to help you effortlessly and quickly do your business name research. With ANNA, you’ll also avoid making mistakes, such as using restricted words such as royal, trust, and other protected terms, which can block or delay your registration process.

Once you have your name, ANNA can help you:

✅Register your company

With ANNA, you can register your business online through an easy, streamlined process.

• Choose your company name
• Fill out some information
• Receive your registration confirmation and a business account

It’s as simple as it sounds. Absolutely no nonsense involved!

✅Keep your finances in check

An ANNA business account offers the tools you need to keep track of your finances.

• Snap receipts
• Professional invoices with built-in payment links
• Auto-sort expenses
• Easy tracking with instant notifications

✅Stay on top of your taxes

With ANNA+Taxes you can leave the tedious bookkeeping behind. ANNA will help you to:

• Easily manage taxes, payroll, and VAT filling
• Save money on taxes with Bookkeeping Score
• Never miss a deadline again with your personalized tax calendar and reminders

So if you’re ready to choose your name and register your business, take ANNA with you on the journey and get ready for success!