How to come up with a business name and check it's available

Logo and branding10 min read · Updated: 03.11.2026

Your business name will appear on your business cards, shop sign, invoices, domain and every banner, so changing it after launch is expensive. Below you'll find what makes a good name, 10 proven ways to come up with one, the legal rules, and the steps for checking it in registers and online. At the end there's a list of the most common mistakes and a checklist. This guide is not a substitute for legal advice. If you're planning a major investment in your brand, it's worth running your choice past a trade mark attorney.

What makes a good business name?

A name works when a customer remembers it after one encounter and can type it into a search engine without any trouble. Short names are also easier to fit legibly on an 85×55 mm business card (90×50 mm in much of continental Europe), in a profile avatar or on a narrow sign above the door.

You don't need to meet every criterion 100%. The legal criteria, however – being distinguishable from competitors and not clashing with a trade mark – are non-negotiable.

How to come up with a business name: 10 methods

It's best to start with a list of 30–50 candidates, drawn up using several methods at once. Then whittle them down using the criteria in the table above. Write everything down, as weak ideas often become good ones after a small tweak.

• The owner's surname or first name: builds trust in local services, e.g. "Smith Plumbing". It works well when you are the face of the business.
• A descriptive name: combines your sector with what sets you apart, e.g. "Quick Bike Repairs". It's instantly understood, but harder to protect as a trade mark.
• A blend of two words: merge two roots into one, e.g. "Printomatic" or "Gardenland". List words linked to your sector and to the customer benefit, then test combinations.
• A place name: add the name of a street, region or river, e.g. "Thameside Bakery". A good choice for a local business, less so if you plan to expand.
• A metaphor or association: choose an animal, plant or natural phenomenon that captures the character of the business, e.g. "Ant" for a removals firm. Check that the association is clearly positive.
• A foreign word: Latin, Italian or French can sound elegant, but check the meaning and pronunciation with a native speaker. Your customers must be able to read it.
• A coined word: invent a new word from syllables, e.g. by modifying a word from your sector. Such names are the easiest to register and to find a free domain for, but you have to build their meaning.
• An acronym: an abbreviation of a full name, e.g. the partners' initials. It makes sense if it can be pronounced as a word, because three random letters are hard to remember.
• Deliberate misspelling: change one letter or the spelling of a familiar word. Be careful, as customers may type the correct version into Google and end up with a competitor.
• Brainstorming and generators: name generators and AI assistants will quickly produce hundreds of suggestions. Treat them as raw material, because other people are getting the same ideas.

What the law says about business names: sole trader vs company

In the UK, sole traders don't have to register their business name anywhere. You can trade under your own name or under a business name, e.g. "Lumo Studio", but it must not include "Limited", "Ltd", "LLP" or "plc", must not be offensive, and certain sensitive words (such as "Royal" or "Bank") need approval. If you trade under a business name, your own name and a business address must appear on invoices, letters and other paperwork. In Ireland, a sole trader who trades under any name other than their own must register it as a business name with the Companies Registration Office (CRO).

A limited company can have an entirely invented name, but it must end with "Limited" or "Ltd" (in Ireland, for example, "Limited" or "Teoranta" for a private company limited by shares). The name cannot be the same as one already on the register, may be challenged if it is "too like" an existing name, and must not mislead people about who you are, what you do or where you operate.

How to check whether a business name is available at Companies House and the CRO

Companies House's free search service on GOV.UK lets you look up companies and LLPs by name or company number, and GOV.UK also offers a company name availability checker. In Ireland, you can search companies and registered business names on the CRO website. Don't just search for the full name – try its core and different spellings too, because similarity matters more than an exact match.

Bear in mind that neither Companies House nor the CRO blocks names that are similar to trade marks. Registering a company therefore doesn't guarantee that nobody will ask you to change the name. As UK sole traders don't appear on any public register, also search business directories, Google Maps and local listings for unincorporated firms.

• Search for the core of the name without the legal suffix, e.g. "Lumo" rather than "Lumo Ltd".
• Check variants: with and without hyphens or apostrophes, as one word and as two, with a doubled letter.
• Note the sector and location of similar businesses. A clash within the same sector is the biggest risk.

How to check trade marks at the UK IPO, EUIPO and TMview

A trade mark protects a name in specific classes of goods and services under the Nice Classification, which has 45 classes. UK trade marks can be found using the Intellectual Property Office's search on GOV.UK, and EU trade marks in the EUIPO's eSearch plus database. Since Brexit, EU trade marks no longer cover the UK, so check both if you trade in both markets; Irish national marks are held by the IPOI. The easiest place to start is TMview, which searches the databases of many offices at once, including the UK IPO and EUIPO. International marks are also covered by the WIPO Global Brand Database.

What counts is visual, phonetic and conceptual similarity in the same or related classes. "Lumo" and "Lummo" in printing services could clash, whereas "Lumo" in cosmetics and "Lumo" in haulage usually won't. If the result is unclear or you're planning significant spending on your brand, commission a clearance search from a trade mark attorney.

• Identify the classes for your business, e.g. 35 covers advertising, 40 covers treatment of materials, including custom printing, and 43 covers food and drink services.
• Also search for figurative marks containing words, where the name forms part of a logo.
• Check the status of each mark: filed, registered or expired.

Domain, social media and Google: the online test

Check whether the .co.uk or .uk domain (or .ie in Ireland) is available using any registrar's search tool. If the domain is taken, visit the address and see whether an active business is trading there or whether it's just a parked domain. Avoid hyphens and special characters in the address. If the name contains an apostrophe, an ampersand or a word that can be spelt two ways, buy the alternative versions too, because that's how people will type it into their browser.

Search for the name on Google, Google Maps and in the search bars of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. If the first page of results belongs to a strong brand with the same name, you'll struggle to stand out. Also check that the name doesn't have an unwanted meaning in slang or in other languages.

Testing the name in print and as a logo

A name that sounds good can look poor once it's typeset. A long word on a 60 cm sign forces small lettering that can't be read from the street. Letter pairs such as "rn" in a sans-serif typeface at small sizes merge into an "m". Print the name on an 85×55 mm business card, in the footer of an A5 flyer and in a 1080×1080 px square, then judge it from a few metres away.

Once the name has passed your checks, have a vector logo made for it, because from a vector file you can print anything from a business card to a 300×100 cm banner. The "Logo Design" package at plakaty.shop costs €47 and includes 10 logo concepts in PNG, SVG and PDF, so you can quickly see how the name works visually.

The most common mistakes when choosing a name

Most problems only come to light after the printed materials have been produced and the sign has been ordered, when changing the name is most expensive. These are the mistakes we see most often.

• Checking only Companies House or the CRO, without searching trade mark databases.
• A name too similar to the market leader, hoping to piggyback on its recognition.
• A tricky spelling that stops customers finding you on Google.
• Too narrow a description, e.g. "Pizzeria" when you plan a full menu, or a town name when you intend to expand.
• Ordering printed materials before securing the domain and social media handles.
• A trendy word or joke that will quickly date.
• Not testing the name on people outside your sector: a name that's clear to you may not be clear to your customers.