Company name checker
Check your business name availability for free
Enter your UK business name below to see if it’s available to register at Companies House
How do I check if a company name is available?
The importance of checking company names
Why it’s crucial to verify the availability of a company name
You might want to check your business name before you register your company or start any work on your brand. It only takes a few minutes, but a unique and memorable name can potentially save you a lot of time and money.
Check Companies House database
You can also search the Companies House website directly for your preferred business name. It’s worth checking for similar names too, because they don’t allow names that are “too like” existing names.
Search the Internet
It’s also useful to do a general search online, to make sure there aren’t any well-known international businesses with the same name, and that you’re able to claim the name for your social media.
Guidelines and regulations
- A company name must include the word “Limited” or “Ltd”. For companies registered in Wales, you may choose to use the Welsh equivalents “Cyfyngedig” and “Cyf”.
- Names like “Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd” and “Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Limited” are considered to be the same. You can’t register a “same as” name for a new company unless it’s directly related to the company of the same name (i.e. part of the same group of companies), or unless you have a written confirmation that the existing company doesn’t object to you using the same name.
- If you register a company with a name that’s too similar to another company’s name (these company names are known as “too like” names) and the other company makes an official claim for the name, you will have to change your business name to something different. The complaint needs to be made to Companies House, and Companies House will decide if you need to comply or not. Example: “Lenny the Lizard Roller Skates Rent” and “Lenny Lizard Roller Sk8s RNT” will probably be considered “Too like”
- The name cannot be offensive
- Your company name cannot suggest any sort of accreditation or connection to a government body, unless you get permission from an authority in question.
You can use any name that’s not taken and doesn’t break the basic rules of naming a business. You can check HMRC’s guidelines for full details about naming your company.
Found the name you like?
Register it with ANNA
Register your company with ANNA – it’s quick and you can choose extra features like a business account, a virtual address for your business, and accounting tools to keep your books tidy.
