Company-name evidence
Check a company name
What the Companies House search can show, what it cannot, and how to compare company-name, domain and trade-mark evidence before you commit.
Three separate checks, three separate decisions
- Companies House: search for existing names and review same-as, too-like, restricted-word and other naming rules. Companies House makes the registration decision.
- The domain registry: a current lookup helps you shortlist; the registrar confirms final status and price.
- Trade marks: a free register entry can still infringe a registered mark. This one needs its own search and, for valuable brands, professional advice.
Most founders run these checks one at a time, days apart, and discover a clash after they have fallen for the name. Comparing the available evidence at the same moment reduces that risk, but each authority still makes its own decision.
Check names as you generate them
NameGenie folds the first two checks into the naming itself: describe your business, and every generated name arrives with current domain evidence and a Companies House search side by side. No copying candidate names into two systems by hand.
Try the generator, or use the brand name checker to screen a name you already have. If the early evidence supports it, the start a business journey helps you continue towards registration. Companies House makes the registration decision.
Questions founders ask
- How do I check if a company name is taken?
- Search the Companies House register for the name. An existing same-as name prevents registration, while too-like names and other naming rules can also cause problems. NameGenie screens search results automatically, but Companies House makes the registration decision.
- Does a free company name mean I can use it?
- Not by itself. The register check covers Companies House rules only. A name can be free to incorporate and still infringe a registered trade mark, so treat a trade mark search as a separate step before you invest in the brand.
- What makes Companies House reject a name?
- Names that are the same as an existing registered name are refused, and so are names with sensitive or restricted words unless you have permission. Private limited companies must end in Ltd or Limited.
- Should I check the domain at the same time?
- Yes. A brand needs the company entry and the website address to carry the same name. Checking them separately is how founders end up with a registered company whose matching domain is owned by someone else.
Related: register a limited company, get a business domain. This page is a general guide, not legal advice, and a register check is not a trade mark clearance.