Before registering a UK company, founders can check whether their proposed company name is available through the official Companies House company name availability checker.
However, an available result does not mean the name is fully cleared for use. Companies House company-name rules, trade marks, existing trading names, sensitive words, domain names and potential objections all need to be considered separately.
For founders preparing to register a new company at Companies House, checking the name properly before paying the incorporation fee can prevent rejected applications, forced name changes and expensive rebranding later.
Methodology: This guide was checked against current Companies House, GOV.UK, UK Intellectual Property Office and Companies Act guidance, including Companies House fees effective in 2026.
Why Should You Check Name Availability Before Registering a Company?
A company name becomes part of the business’s legal identity. It appears on the Companies House register, contracts, invoices, banking records and other statutory documents.
Checking it before incorporation can identify problems before money is committed to branding, signage, packaging, domains or marketing.
More importantly, Companies House applies specific legal rules to names. A proposed name can fail even when it is not letter-for-letter identical to another company.
The key point is that there are two different similarity tests:
- “Same as” rules can stop a name being registered.
- “Too like” rules can become relevant after registration if somebody complains and Companies House agrees that the names are too similar.
These should not be treated as the same test.
What Is the Companies House Name Availability Checker?
The Companies House checker is a free preliminary tool that compares a proposed company name with names on the registrar’s index.
It is useful for identifying names that Companies House considers the “same as” an existing registered name.
For example, the live checker can return a message explaining that a proposed name is considered the same as one or more existing names.
Use the official Companies House name availability checker rather than relying solely on domain registrars, company-formation websites or general web searches.
Check Domains and Social Media Before Incorporating
An available result is not comprehensive legal clearance.
The checker does not replace:
- a UK trade mark search;
- checks for unregistered businesses and trading names;
- sensitive-word approvals;
- domain-name checks;
- social-media checks;
- sector-specific registers;
- international trade mark searches where the business will operate overseas;
- or professional legal advice where there is a serious brand conflict.
It should therefore be treated as stage one of the naming process, rather than a guarantee that a name is legally or commercially safe.
How to Check Company Name Availability Step by Step?
Step 1: Search the Exact Proposed Name
Start with the Companies House name availability checker and enter the exact company name you want to register.
Include the intended wording but test important variations as well.
For example, a founder considering Northstar Digital Solutions Ltd might also search:
- Northstar Digital
- North Star Digital
- Northstar Solutions
- Northstar Digital UK
- similar spellings or abbreviations
The reason is simple: small formatting changes do not always make a company name legally different.
Screenshot suggestion: Add a live screenshot here showing a Companies House checker result that does not identify a “same as” conflict. Recheck the example immediately before publication so the screenshot reflects the current register.
Step 2: Understand Whether the Name Is “Same As”
This is where the existing article needs an important correction.
Companies House applies statutory normalisation rules when determining whether two names should be treated as the same.
Certain punctuation, words, symbols, company endings and alternative representations are ignored or treated as equivalent.
A name caught by these rules can normally be prevented from registration at the incorporation stage.
Step 3: Do Not Confuse “Same As” With “Too Like”
A “too like” name is different.
GOV.UK explains that a company may have to change its name if somebody complains and Companies House decides that it is too like an earlier registered name.
The official example compares Easy Electrics For You Ltd with EZ Electrix 4U Ltd.
This means founders should not assume that passing the automatic “same as” check removes all similarity risk.
A company may be registered successfully and still face a subsequent objection.
“Same As” vs “Too Like”: What Is the Difference?
| Rule | When It Matters | What It Means |
| Same as | Primarily when registering the name | Companies House treats certain apparently different names as legally equivalent |
| Too like | Following an objection or complaint | The names are not necessarily technically the same, but are sufficiently similar to cause concern |
| Trade mark conflict | Before or after incorporation | A separate intellectual-property issue that Companies House registration does not resolve |
| Opportunistic registration | After registration | Can potentially be challenged through the Company Names Tribunal where the statutory requirements are met |
This distinction is important because Companies House registration is not a trade mark clearance process.
Companies House “Same As” Cheat Sheet
Companies House guidance identifies words, characters and symbols that may be ignored or treated as equivalents.
The following examples illustrate how the rules can operate:
| Existing Name | Proposed Name | Likely Issue |
| Hands Ltd | Hands UK Ltd | Same-as risk because “UK” can be disregarded |
| Hands Ltd | Hand’s Ltd | Punctuation may be disregarded |
| Plum Technology Ltd | Plum Technology & Company Ltd | Official Companies House same-as example |
| Bright & Bold Ltd | Bright And Bold Ltd | “AND” and “&” are treated as equivalent |
| One Digital Ltd | 1 Digital Ltd | “1” and “ONE” are treated as equivalent |
| Two Labs Ltd | 2 Labs Ltd | Numerical and written alternatives can be treated as equivalent |
| The North Star Ltd | North Star Ltd | “The” at the beginning can be disregarded |
| Real Coffee Café Ltd | Real Coffee Cafe Ltd | Accented characters can be treated as their standard equivalents |
| Pound Finance Ltd | £ Finance Ltd | “£” and “POUND” are treated as equivalent |
| A Plus B Ltd | A + B Ltd | “PLUS” and “+” can be treated as equivalent |
Companies House also disregards many company-type endings and, in specified circumstances, terms such as UK, United Kingdom, company, co.uk and Wales.
The important lesson is that adding punctuation, “UK”, “Company” or another superficial modifier does not necessarily create a unique company name.
A materially different name such as Northstar Kitchens Ltd rather than Northstar Digital Ltd may escape the technical “same as” test, but that does not automatically eliminate a “too like”, passing-off or trade mark issue.
Are There Exceptions to the “Same As” Rule?
Yes, but they are narrow.
Companies House guidance provides an exception where the proposed company will be in the same group as the company with the existing name, the existing company consents, and the required written confirmation accompanies the application.
This should not be interpreted as a general right to obtain permission from any business and register an otherwise identical name. The statutory conditions need to be satisfied.
What Happens With Dissolved Company Names?
A dissolved company’s old name is not automatically reserved forever simply because the historic company remains visible on Companies House.
Companies House restoration guidance makes the position clearer: when a dissolved company is restored, it will normally return under its former name.
But if another company has taken that name while the original company was dissolved, the restored company cannot simply reclaim it and may initially be restored under its company number instead.
That means a historic dissolved record does not, by itself, make the former name permanently unavailable.
Founders should nevertheless investigate before using it.
The old company may have left behind:
- trade mark rights;
- goodwill associated with the business;
- customers who still recognise the name;
- websites or online reviews;
- sector-specific issues;
- or other legal restrictions.
A Companies House availability result should therefore not be treated as permission to adopt another business’s former brand.
Can You Reserve a Company Name Before Incorporation?
Companies House does not operate a conventional name-reservation service where a founder pays a small fee and holds a name without creating a company.
One practical workaround sometimes used is to incorporate the company and leave it dormant until trading begins.
However, that is not the same as reserving a name.
A dormant company is a real legal entity and still has Companies House obligations. Dormant companies generally continue to file accounts and confirmation statements.
With digital incorporation now costing £100 and the digital confirmation statement fee at £50, creating a dormant company purely to hold a name has both cost and administrative consequences.
It also does not create the same rights as registering a trade mark.
How Much Does Companies House Registration Cost in 2026?
Companies House fees changed from 1 February 2026.
| Service | Current Fee |
| Digital company incorporation | £100 |
| Software incorporation | £100 |
| Paper incorporation | £124 |
| Same-day incorporation through supported software, where available | £156 |
| Company name change online | £20 |
| Company name change by paper | £30 |
| Same-day company name change | £85 |
| Digital confirmation statement | £50 |
These figures come from the current Companies House fee schedule, last updated in September 2026.
This also explains why checking a name carefully matters financially. A poor choice can turn a simple £20 statutory name-change fee into a much larger commercial rebranding exercise.
What Is the Real Cost of Getting a Company Name Wrong?
The Companies House filing fee is often the smallest part of a forced name change.
A business that has already launched may also need to replace or update:
| Potential Cost | What May Need Changing |
| Companies House filing | Registered company name |
| Website | Domain, pages, metadata and email addresses |
| Printed materials | Business cards, brochures and stationery |
| Physical branding | Signs, vehicle graphics and uniforms |
| Packaging | Product labels and packaging runs |
| Contracts | Customer and supplier documentation |
| Marketing | Campaigns, paid advertising and creative assets |
| Banking and finance | Account and lender records |
| Marketplace accounts | Seller profiles and storefronts |
| Customer awareness | Communication explaining the rebrand |
The exact commercial cost varies enormously between businesses, but it can easily exceed the statutory Companies House fee.
For a startup still developing its brand, conducting proper checks before launch is substantially easier than rebuilding recognition afterwards.
Which Company Names Can Companies House Reject?
A name can face problems for reasons beyond similarity.
Companies House guidance says a company name cannot, among other restrictions:
- be the same as an existing name on the registrar’s index;
- contain certain sensitive words without approval;
- be offensive;
- include prohibited characters;
- falsely suggest links with governments or certain international organisations;
- contain computer code;
- or, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, be intended to facilitate fraud or another offence involving dishonesty or deception.
These controls were strengthened under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act reforms.
What Changed Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act?
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 significantly expanded the controls available around company names.
Measures brought into force from March 2024 included stronger name checks and wider powers to challenge or act against inappropriate names.
The reforms include restrictions concerning names intended to facilitate dishonesty or deception, names containing computer code, misleading connections with foreign governments or international organisations, and stronger powers to require or implement changes where a company does not comply.
The same reform programme has also transformed the wider incorporation process, including Companies House identity verification requirements for people involved with UK companies.
This is why founders should treat company naming as a compliance decision, not simply a branding exercise.
What Are Sensitive Words and How Do You Get Approval?
Certain words and expressions cannot simply be inserted into a company, LLP or business name.
Examples can include words implying:
- official status;
- government connections;
- professional or institutional authority;
- regulated activities;
- or particular levels of accreditation.
Terms such as British, Institute and Tribunal appear in Companies House guidance as examples of words requiring additional consideration.
The approval process depends on the word.
Companies House guidance identifies the relevant approving or commenting body. The applicant may need to obtain a letter or email of non-objection and submit that evidence with the incorporation application.
For example, using “Accredited”, “Accreditation”, “Accredit” or “Accrediting” requires prior approval through the relevant Department for Business and Trade process.
Do not simply submit an application containing a sensitive term and hope Companies House accepts it. Find the relevant word in the official sensitive-name guidance first and follow the stated approval procedure.
What Company Name Endings Are Required?
A standard private limited company’s name normally ends in:
Limited or Ltd
For a company registered in Wales, the Welsh equivalents Cyfyngedig or Cyf can be used instead.
Certain companies limited by guarantee can qualify for an exemption from using “Limited” where the statutory conditions are met.
Public companies, LLPs and CICs use different legal endings.
Do Sole Traders, Partnerships, LLPs, CICs and Charities Follow the Same Rules?
No. The legal structure matters.
Sole Traders and General Partnerships
A sole trader or ordinary partnership does not register a company name with Companies House in the same way as a limited company.
They can operate under a business or trading name, but restrictions still apply.
For example, a trading name should not misleadingly use legal endings such as Limited, Ltd, LLP, public limited company or plc, and permission can still be required for sensitive words.
Trade mark checks remain important because an unincorporated business can still infringe another party’s intellectual-property rights.
Limited Liability Partnerships
An LLP is registered with Companies House and its name must comply with LLP naming requirements.
Its legal name normally ends with Limited Liability Partnership or LLP, while similar restrictions concerning same-as names, sensitive words, offensive names and inappropriate government connections apply.
Community Interest Companies
A private CIC normally uses Community Interest Company or CIC as its ending, with Welsh equivalents available in qualifying cases.
CIC formation also involves the community-interest-company regime rather than ordinary private-company incorporation alone.
Charities
Charities should also check the relevant charity register.
For England and Wales, the Charity Commission register can be searched by charity name.
The Charity Commission can object to names that are the same as or too similar to another charity, misleading, offensive or otherwise problematic.
Use of words such as charity, charities or charitable in a company name can also involve Charity Commission approval.
Can a Company Use a Different Trading Name?
Yes.
A company’s registered name and the name it trades under do not have to be identical.
For example, Northstar Technologies Limited might commercially trade as Northstar Digital.
However, a trading name is not a way around intellectual-property or naming rules.
GOV.UK guidance explains that business or trading names must not improperly include endings such as Limited, Ltd, LLP, plc or similar company-status descriptions. Sensitive words can also require permission.
Most importantly, simply using a trading name does not give the business exclusive rights over it.
Why Should You Search UK Trade Marks Separately?
Companies House registration and UK trade mark registration are separate systems.
A name can therefore pass Companies House checks while conflicting with somebody else’s trade mark.
Before investing significantly in a brand, use the official UK IPO trade mark search.
Do not search only the exact wording.
The IPO service allows searches involving:
- keywords and phrases;
- trade mark owners;
- trade mark numbers;
- and images.
Also check variations in spelling and pronunciation and examine the goods and services classes covered by potentially conflicting registrations.
Trade mark protection is class-based, so the existence of the same word on the register does not automatically answer whether the proposed use creates a conflict.
How Much Does a UK Trade Mark Cost in 2026?
From 1 April 2026, the standard online UK trade mark application fee increased to £205, with an additional £60 for each additional class.
A paper TM3 application is £250, with the relevant class fee also £60.
The IPO’s actual trade mark search remains free.
For an important commercial brand, professional trade mark advice may be worthwhile where similar marks already exist.
Why Should You Also Search Google?
A plain web search catches something that the Companies House checker cannot: businesses using names without incorporating under those names.
This may include:
- sole traders;
- partnerships;
- trading names;
- recently launched businesses;
- overseas businesses selling into the UK;
- online shops;
- local services;
- and brands with significant public recognition.
Search the exact name in quotation marks, then search spelling variations, abbreviations and the name alongside relevant products, services and locations.
Also inspect search results, maps, social platforms, marketplaces and industry directories.
An empty Companies House result does not mean nobody is already using the brand commercially.
Which Other Registers Should You Check?
The appropriate checks depend on the type of business.
A charity-related organisation should search the Charity Commission’s register.
A financial-services startup should check the FCA Financial Services Register for similar regulated firms and names.
If the business plans to sell internationally, consider the WIPO Global Brand Database as an initial international trade mark search alongside the relevant national or regional registers.
WIPO itself recommends checking national and regional registers as well because no single global database should be assumed to provide complete clearance.
Should You Check Domains and Social Media Before Incorporating?
Yes.
Legal availability and commercial usability are different questions.
A technically valid Companies House name can be awkward to build into a brand if:
- the main domain is owned by an established competitor;
- all obvious social handles are unavailable;
- search results are dominated by another organisation;
- customers are likely to confuse the brands;
- or the name has an unwanted meaning in an overseas market.
These checks should be carried out before paying for branding or marketing.
Worked Example: How a Founder Should Check a Name
Assume a founder wants to form:
Oakstone Advisory Ltd
The founder should first search the Companies House availability checker for the exact name and close variations.
If there is no “same as” conflict, the process should continue rather than stop.
Next, search:
Oakstone Advisory
Oak Stone Advisory
Oakstone Advisors
Oakstone Consulting
Then search the IPO trade mark database using Oakstone, spelling variations and any relevant logo.
If the company will provide regulated financial services, search the FCA register as well.
Finally, search Google, domain registrations, social-media platforms and relevant international trade mark databases.
Only when the founder understands these different layers of risk should the name be treated as a serious incorporation candidate.
That is considerably more useful than simply typing the name into Companies House once.
What Should You Do If Your Preferred Name Is Already Taken?
Do not automatically assume that adding “UK”, punctuation, “Company”, “Group” or a symbol will solve the problem.
Some of those differences can disappear under the same-as rules.
Instead, build a genuinely distinctive name.
Changing a substantive brand word is usually safer than relying on superficial formatting.
Also re-run trade mark, domain and web searches after changing the name. A version that passes Companies House may introduce a new intellectual-property problem elsewhere.
Can You Change Your Company Name Later?
Yes.
A private company can normally change its registered name through a special resolution or through another mechanism permitted by its articles.
The new name must still comply with Companies House naming rules, and the legal change does not take effect until Companies House registers it.
The standard online filing fee is currently £20, the paper fee is £30, and the same-day online service is £85.
There is a more detailed explanation of how to change a company name with Companies House.
Afterwards, the company may also need to update banking, contracts, websites, licences, invoices, marketing materials and other business records.
What Happens If Someone Objects to Your Company Name?
The correct route depends on the nature of the complaint.
“Too Like” Complaint
If another registered company believes a later company name is too like its name, a complaint can be considered under the Companies House similarity provisions.
If Companies House agrees, the later company may be directed to change its name.
Company Names Tribunal
The Company Names Tribunal deals with a different problem: opportunistic registrations involving names in which another person or business has goodwill or reputation.
A complainant does not necessarily need to own a company with that name, but must be able to establish the relevant goodwill or reputation when the disputed name was adopted.
The current CNA1 application fee is £400.
One early illustration was Coke Cola Limited. In the Tribunal’s first ruling, the company was ordered to change its name following a successful application by The Coca-Cola Company.
The Tribunal should therefore not be confused with an ordinary “too like” Companies House complaint or a trade mark infringement action.
FAQs
Is the Companies House name availability checker free?
Yes. The official Companies House name checker is free to use, but an available result does not reserve the name for you.
Can two companies have the same name in the UK?
Normally, no. Companies House will reject a name it considers the “same as” an existing registered company name.
What does “too like” mean for a company name?
A name may be challenged after registration if someone complains and Companies House decides it is too similar to an existing company name.
Can I reserve a company name before registering?
No formal Companies House name-reservation service exists. Some founders incorporate a dormant company, but this creates ongoing filing obligations.
Can I use a registered trade mark as my company name?
Not safely without checking the rights involved. Companies House approval does not override UK trade mark protection.
How much does it cost to change a company name in 2026?
The standard online Companies House fee is £20, while the same-day online name-change service costs £85.
Can I reuse the name of a dissolved company?
Potentially, yes. A dissolved company’s former name is not automatically reserved forever, but trade marks, goodwill and other legal risks should still be checked.
