Ireland: accepted today, renamed in six months
Ireland's Companies Registration Office (CRO) applies a short statutory test with a lot of discretion behind it. The Companies Act 2014 lets the Registrar refuse any name it considers undesirable. It also lets the Registrar order a company to change its name if, within six months, the name turns out to be too like that of an existing company. Acceptance at incorporation is therefore not final for the first half-year.
Section 26(5): no company is registered by a name which, in the Registrar's opinion, is undesirable, with an appeal to the court. Section 30: a company registered by a name too like an existing company's can be directed to change it within six months of registration, and must comply within six weeks. Sections 28 and 29: a name can be reserved before incorporation.
The tests
Undesirable
“Undesirable” is not defined in the Act, and the CRO applies it widely. In practice it covers names identical to an existing company's, names too like an existing company's, offensive names, and names that suggest a connection with the State or a regulated status the company does not have. The question is the Registrar's opinion. If you disagree, the statutory remedy is an appeal to the court, which is rarely worth it for a name you could simply change.
Too like
Section 30 deals with names that get through but should not have. If a company is registered, “through inadvertence or otherwise”, with a name the Registrar considers too like an existing company's, the Registrar may direct it to change its name within six months of registration. The company must comply within six weeks of the direction, or a longer period if the Registrar allows. In practice this usually follows a complaint from the existing company. If you search the register carefully before filing, you are unlikely to meet it.
Required endings
The ending depends on the company type under the 2014 Act:
| Company type | Ending |
|---|---|
| Private company limited by shares (LTD) | “Limited” or “Teoranta”, which may be abbreviated to “Ltd.” or “Teo.” in use (s. 26) |
| Designated activity company (DAC) | “Designated Activity Company” or “DAC” |
| Company limited by guarantee (CLG) | “Company Limited by Guarantee” or “CLG”, with exemptions available to some charities and similar bodies |
| Public limited company (PLC) | “Public Limited Company” or “PLC” |
Reserving a name
Sections 28 and 29 of the 2014 Act introduced name reservation, and the CRO operates it online through its CORE system:
- A name can be reserved for 28 days for a fee of €25.
- The reservation can be extended once, by a further 28 days, for another €25. After that you need a fresh application.
- If you present the reservation with the incorporation application, the CRO applies a €25 reduction to the incorporation fee.
- Business names (trading names) cannot be reserved.
A reservation is a decision that the name is acceptable for that period. It is not a trademark and not a business-name registration, and it lapses if you do not incorporate in time.
Business names
A company trading under any name other than its exact corporate name must register that name as a business name with the CRO, under the Registration of Business Names Act 1963. Section 26(4) of the 2014 Act confirms that using the abbreviation “Ltd.” or “Teo.” does not on its own require a separate business-name registration. The CRO notes that registering a business name does not give the holder exclusive rights to it. The register exists so the public can identify who is behind a trading name.
Trade marks
The CRO does not check trade marks. An Irish company name can infringe an Irish national mark registered with the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, or an EU trade mark, which covers Ireland. Both registers need checking before you commit. TMview searches both together. If you are planning EU-wide protection, read EU or national filing first.
Questions
Will the CRO accept a name that differs from an existing one only by “Ltd” or “DAC”?
Do not count on it. A name that differs only in its legal ending is very likely to be treated as identical, or too like, and therefore undesirable. Search the CRO register for the core name without the ending.
A company was registered last month with a name very like mine. What can I do?
Raise it with the CRO promptly. The Registrar's power to direct a change under section 30 only applies within six months of the other company's registration. After that, your options are mainly trade mark law or passing off, which cost far more.
Can I use a word like “bank” or “insurance”?
Only if you hold, or are obtaining, the relevant authorisation. Using words that imply a regulated activity without it is restricted by financial-services legislation, and the CRO will treat such names as undesirable. Check with the Central Bank of Ireland and the CRO's guidance before proposing one.
Related
- UK sensitive wordsThe neighbouring system, with a published list
- All company-name jurisdictionsHow other registries compare
Published 2026-10-18 and checked against sections 26, 28 and 30 of the Companies Act 2014 as published on the Irish Statute Book, and CRO guidance on reservations. Fees can change. Confirm with the CRO before filing. Not legal advice.