{"id":39899,"date":"2025-06-03T17:59:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T16:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/?p=39899"},"modified":"2025-06-04T10:16:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T09:16:35","slug":"how-to-choose-a-company-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/limited-companies\/how-to-choose-a-company-name\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose a company name?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wondering how to choose a company name<\/strong> that ticks all the right boxes? It’s one of the first and most important steps when setting up your business<\/a>. \ud83c\udfaf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your name is your first impression. It should suit your brand, be easy to remember, and pass all the boring-but-important legal checks with Companies House and HMRC. \u2705<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll walk you through how to choose a company name<\/strong> that\u2019s smart, simple, and future-proof, whether you’re starting from scratch or simply rebranding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does HMRC say about company names?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a few rules to follow before you fall in love with a name. \u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When deciding how to choose a company name<\/strong>, Companies House<\/a> and HMRC have a list of dos and don’ts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a quick breakdown:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Needs to be unique<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First things first, your name needs to be unique. That means it can\u2019t be the same as another company registered with Companies House. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: <\/em>Cake Club Ltd, CakeClub UK Ltd and The Cake Club Limited would all be considered the same as Cake Club Ltd. \ud83c\udf70<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div> \n\n

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If you\u2019re not sure, you can check using their name availability tool.<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div> \n\n

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2. Include \u2018Limited\u2019 or \u2018Ltd\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re setting up a limited company, your name must also include ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’ at the end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re Welsh, you can use \u2018Cyfyngedig\u2019 and \u2018Cyf\u2019 instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some exceptions, though. If you\u2019re registered as a charity or have special permission, you might not need to include this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Avoid offensive or sensitive words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This one goes without saying, but anything rude or potentially misleading is a big no-no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Watch out for trademarks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your name may be available for use on Companies House, but have you checked if it\u2019s already trademarked? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, if your name is similar to another company, they could make a complaint, and Companies House might ask you to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example,<\/em> Planet Pizza Ltd could be considered similar to Planit Pizzas Limited. \ud83c\udf55<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different spelling, but the concept is pretty much the same.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div> \n\n

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You can search for a trade mark here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div> \n\n

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5. Trading under a different name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is some good news, though! You can choose a different trading name from the one you registered with Companies House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Finance Bros Ltd is your legal name, you could trade as Smart Money Club instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. No punctuation or special symbols<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, you can\u2019t use special characters like !, \u00a3, or @. Companies House is pretty strict here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Be careful with \u2018official-sounding\u2019 words <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re thinking about including words like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n