TL;DR: Every country has its own rules about what you can call your company — and the differences are significant. The Name Checker surfaces the specific rules for your jurisdiction so you avoid wasted applications and rejected names.
Choosing a company name feels like the fun part of starting a business. In reality, it's one of the most compliance-sensitive decisions you'll make. Company names must pass multiple legal tests simultaneously: they cannot be identical or confusingly similar to an existing registered company, they cannot contain restricted or sensitive words without regulatory approval, and they must include the appropriate legal designator for the structure and jurisdiction.
Get it wrong and your application is rejected — you lose the application fee and the time investment, and your business launch is delayed while you start over. Get it nearly wrong — choosing a name that's similar to but not identical to a competitor's trademarked name — and you face post-registration legal action that can be far more expensive than a careful name check upfront.
The rules vary dramatically between countries. The UK's Companies House has specific guidance on "same as" and "too like" name conflicts. Australia's ASIC applies a different test. France has its own rules about which words can appear in company names and which require approval. New Zealand's Companies Office considers factors that UK Companies House doesn't, and vice versa.
Navigating these rules without a structured tool means reading through dense government guidance documents and hoping you haven't missed anything.
The MmowW Scrib🐮 Name Checker walks you through the name validation process for your specific jurisdiction, checking your proposed name against the key rules before you file your application.
Using the Name Checker step by step:
Step 1 — Enter your proposed name. Enter the full name you want to use, including the legal designator you intend to use (Ltd, LLC, Pty Ltd, etc.).
Step 2 — Select your country. The rules applied differ by jurisdiction. Select the country where you're registering.
Step 3 — Review the name conflict check. The tool checks your proposed name against existing registered company names in that jurisdiction, flagging exact matches and names that may trigger a "too similar" objection.
Step 4 — Review the restricted words check. The tool checks whether your proposed name contains any restricted or sensitive words that require additional approval — words like "Bank," "Royal," "Government," "National," "University," and many others vary by country.
Step 5 — Check the legal designator requirements. Each structure in each country requires a specific legal designator. The tool confirms you're using the correct one.
Step 6 — Get a name availability report. The output gives you a structured summary you can reference when completing your formation application.
Use our free tool: Name Checker
Try it free →Rachel wants to call her events company "Spark Events Limited." She runs this through the Name Checker for the UK and discovers there are already 12 companies with "Spark" in their name, including "Spark Events UK Limited" and "Spark Events and Management Limited."
The Name Checker flags these as potentially "too similar" under Companies House guidelines. Rachel adjusts her proposed name to "Sparkwell Events Limited" — still distinctive to her brand, but clearly different from the existing registrations. She avoids what would otherwise have been a rejected application and the delay that comes with it.
A fintech startup wants to call itself "Meridian Bank Solutions Ltd." The Name Checker immediately flags "Bank" as a restricted word in the UK — its use requires prior approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), and using it without approval is illegal.
The startup adjusts its name to "Meridian Financial Solutions Ltd," which avoids the restricted word while preserving the brand intent. The Name Checker saves the team from submitting an application that would either be rejected or trigger a compliance issue.
A New Zealand company called "Kiwi Digital Ltd" is opening an Australian subsidiary. Their proposed name for the Australian entity is "Kiwi Digital Pty Ltd." The Name Checker for Australia returns a result showing that there's an existing "Kiwi Digital Pty Ltd" already registered in New South Wales.
The team adjusts to "Kiwi Digital Australia Pty Ltd," which passes the check. Without the Name Checker, they would have submitted an ASIC application that would have been rejected — a delay that could have affected their market entry timeline.
| Country | Legal Designator Required | Name Registration Body | Restricted Words Policy | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | "Limited" or "Ltd" (or Welsh equivalents) | Companies House | Extensive list requires SoS or regulatory approval | gov.uk/choose-company-name |
| France | "SARL," "SAS," "SA" etc. | INPI/CFE | French language rules apply | inpi.fr |
| Sweden | "AB" (aktiebolag) | Bolagsverket | Name must be clearly distinctive | bolagsverket.se |
| Australia | "Pty Ltd" (proprietary) or "Ltd" | ASIC | Restricted words list applies | asic.gov.au/name-availability |
| New Zealand | "Limited" or "Ltd" | Companies Office | Similar name test applied | companies.govt.nz |
| Canada | "Inc.," "Ltd.," "Corp." | Corporations Canada / Provincial | NUANS search required | canada.ca |
| USA | "LLC," "Inc.," "Corp." (state-specific) | State Secretary of State | Varies by state | sba.gov |
Name Checker is completely free — no signup required. Check your proposed company name against the rules for your jurisdiction before filing.
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MmowW Scrib🐮 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney or solicitor for advice specific to your situation.
Q: Does passing the Name Checker mean my name is available?
A: The Name Checker is a pre-check tool that identifies likely conflicts and rule violations. It does not substitute for the official name check conducted by the corporate registry when you file your application. In some jurisdictions (like Canada with NUANS), a formal name search must be conducted through the official system before filing. Use the Name Checker to identify obvious issues and refine your name before spending money on the official application.
Q: What's the difference between a company name and a business name (trading name)?
A: A company name is the legal name of the registered entity — it must include the legal designator (Ltd, LLC, etc.) and is registered with the corporate registry. A business name (also called a trading name or DBA — "doing business as") is what you might trade under publicly, which can be different from your registered company name. Both must be registered separately in most jurisdictions. The Name Checker focuses on company name requirements.
Q: If my name passes the corporate registry check, am I also safe from trademark disputes?
A: No. A corporate registry check only looks at registered company names — it does not check trademark registers. A name can be available as a company name but still infringe a registered trademark in the same category. This is a separate check requiring a trademark search, which we recommend conducting through your country's trademark registry. In the UK, this is the IPO register; in Australia, IP Australia; in the USA, the USPTO.
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