Check a Company Name
What the Companies House check proves, what it does not, and how to clear the register and the domain in one move.
The three checks a name has to pass
- Companies House: no existing company may hold the same name, and restricted words need permission.
- The domain registry: the matching web address has to be free, or the brand lives at an address that does not match its name.
- 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. The fix is to run the register and domain checks at the same moment, before you commit.
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 live domain availability and an exact-match Companies House check side by side. No copying candidate names into two registers by hand.
Try the generator, or use the brand name checker to screen a name you already have. When the name clears, the start a business journey takes it from checked to registered.
Questions founders ask
- How do I check if a company name is taken?
- Search the Companies House register for the exact name. If a company with the same name is already registered, your incorporation will be rejected. NameGenie runs this exact-match check automatically on every name it generates.
- 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.