Company Name

How to choose your company name?

Several regulations can affect your choice. To start with, all company names must end with the words 'Limited', 'Unlimited', 'Public Limited Company', or their abbreviations or Welsh equivalents. Certain companies may apply for exemption from using 'limited'.

All companies, which are commonhold associations, must end their name with 'commonhold association limited' or the Welsh equivalents. Right to manage companies must end their name with 'RTM Company limited' or the Welsh equivalent.

Your choice of name could be rejected if:

• It is 'the same as' a name already on the index (with the exception of an LLP with the same name)
• It includes the words 'limited', 'unlimited' or 'public limited company' anywhere except at the end of the name. This applies equally to abbreviations or the Welsh equivalent of the words;
• It ends with 'commonhold association limited' or the Welsh equivalent (unless the company is a commonhold association);
• It includes anywhere in the company name any of the following:
  1. 'investment company with variable capital' (or its Welsh equivalent);
  2. 'open-ended investment company' (or its Welsh equivalent);
  3. 'limited liability partnership' (or its Welsh equivalent)
  4. 'SE' (or the abbreviation of Societas Europaea (SE) bracketed or with other punctuation marks before or after the abbreviation).
• It is offensive;
• Its use would be a criminal offence.

In addition, some names need special justification or apporval before they can be registered. These include names which contain words prescribed by regulations and names which suggest a connection with central or local government. To view these categories in detail, click here to view the detailed guidance on Company Names.

If these categories are avoided, you can normally have your choice of name.

Before you apply to set up a company, or do anything to change its name, we suggest you search the index at Companies House to see if there are already any companies with names similar to the one you want. If in doubt, call us on 0207 554 2220.

Or to check free online :- CHECK COMPANY NAME.

© 2011 Stanley Davis Group Limited. 41 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JD | Registration No. 2413680 | Email Us | Print
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to carry on non-investment insurance business.
Member of the Association of Company Registration Agents.   |   Associate Member of Council Of Property Search Organisations.   |   Registered with the Property Codes Compliance Board as a subscriber to the Search Code.