Company names
A name can be free as a domain, clear on the trademark registers, and still be refused by the registry you have to incorporate with. Every jurisdiction keeps its own list of words that are restricted, reserved or not allowed, and its own idea of when two names are “the same”. The rules are more specific than most founders expect, and they differ more between countries than the similar-looking forms suggest.
A company-name registry checks whether a name is too like an existing registration, not whether it infringes anyone's rights. Being accepted by a registry is not a defence to a trademark claim, and being refused by one does not mean anybody holds rights in the name. The two systems are unrelated, and both have to be satisfied. India is a partial exception: its rules refuse names that include a registered trade mark without consent.
Jurisdictions covered
| Jurisdiction | Sameness test | What catches people |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | “Same as” after stripping punctuation, suffixes and certain words | Sensitive words such as Group, Holdings, International and Institute that need evidence or a non-objection letter |
| United Arab Emirates | Emirate-level trade name register | The name must suit the licensed activity, and transliteration problems |
| United States | “Distinguishable on the record”, state by state | No national register, and foreign qualification in a second state |
| Delaware | Distinguishable on the Division's records | Twelve permitted designators, “bank” restricted, and a 120-day reservation |
| Canada | Confusion with names and trademarks | Distinctive element required. Ontario still needs a NUANS report |
| Australia | “Identical” after a long list of disregards | Restricted words needing ASIC, ministerial or APRA consent |
| Singapore | Identical after disregarding words such as Asia, Holdings and .com | Referral authorities, and a 12-month complaint window |
| Ireland | “Undesirable” in the Registrar's opinion | A six-month power to direct a change of a name that is too like another |
| India | “Resembles too nearly”, including phonetic spellings and translations | Names containing a registered trade mark need the owner's consent |
| Saudi Arabia | Similar to a registered trade name | A new law from April 2025, with names now tradeable |
Patterns across jurisdictions
Most registries ignore the words people add to make a name unique. Legal endings such as Ltd, Pty Ltd, Pte. Ltd. and LLC are disregarded almost everywhere. Australia, Singapore and India go further, ignoring plurals, punctuation, articles and, in Singapore's case, words like “Asia”, “Worldwide” and “Holdings”. Adding one of these to a taken name rarely works.
Words implying status or regulation need permission. Bank, insurance, university, royal, government, chartered and their equivalents are restricted in nearly every jurisdiction covered. The details are on each page. The UK list is the longest and is covered on its own page.
Acceptance is not always final. The UK has the Company Names Tribunal. Ireland's Registrar can direct a change within six months. Singapore accepts complaints for twelve months. A newly registered name can be challenged for a while afterwards.
Reservation periods are short and vary. They range from 20 days in India and 28 days in Ireland to 120 days in Delaware and Singapore. A reservation holds the name on one register only.
Not covered yet
Hong Kong, with its Chinese-character requirements, is next on the list. Coverage grows one jurisdiction at a time, because a half-researched page would be worse than no page. If the jurisdiction you need is not here, the registry's own guidance is the thing to read. Tell us which one you need, which helps us decide what to cover next.
First published 2026-09-27. Rewritten 2026-10-18 to introduce every page in this section. Reference material for people choosing a name, not legal advice.