Free tool · 2026/27 rates
Company name check: is the name already registered?
Before forming a company or changing its name, check whether the name, or one too like it, is already on the register. This tool searches the public Companies House register for the name you type and shows the closest matches with their company number, status and incorporation date. A name that is identical to an existing active company's name will be rejected; a name that Companies House considers "too like" an existing one may be rejected or later be the subject of a direction to change. The search is live against the register and nothing you type is stored. Dissolved companies are shown because a name that was used by a company dissolved within the last twenty years can sometimes still be objected to by its former owners.
The rules a name must pass
Companies House refuses a name that is the same as one already on the register, ignoring punctuation, spacing, the company-type ending such as Limited or Ltd, and certain words and characters such as "the", "www", "UK", "GB", "&" versus "and", and plurals. It also refuses names that suggest a connection with the UK government, a devolved administration, a local authority or a public body, unless permission has been obtained; names containing sensitive words or expressions, such as "British", "Institute", "Bank", "Royal", "Trust" or "Association", without the relevant approval; and names that are offensive or would constitute a criminal offence.
A name that passes registration can still be challenged. For twelve months after registration Companies House can direct a change where the name is too like an existing one, and the Company Names Tribunal can order a change where a name was registered to exploit someone else's goodwill. A registered company name gives no trade mark rights; a competitor can trade under a similar name without incorporating it, and a trade mark owner can object to your company name on trade mark grounds. For a name that matters to the business, a trade mark search and application are the complementary step.
Using the result
If the name is free, our company formation service incorporates for £49 plus the £100 Companies House fee, usually within a working day. If you want to rename an existing company, company name change is £49 plus the £20 Companies House fee. If you want to reserve a name for a business that will start later, dormant company formation is £29 plus the Companies House fee. This search queries the public register and is provided as a convenience; it is not a guarantee that Companies House will accept the name.
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