Choose a company name

You must choose a name for your business if you鈥檙e setting up a private limited company.

There are different rules for sole traders and business partnerships.

Your name cannot be the same as another registered company鈥檚 name. If your name is too similar to another company鈥檚 name or trade mark you may have to change it if someone makes a complaint.

Your name must usually end in either 鈥楲imited鈥� or 鈥楲td鈥�. You can include the Welsh equivalents 鈥楥yfyngedig鈥� and 鈥楥yf鈥� instead if you registered the company in Wales.

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鈥楽ame as鈥� names

鈥楽ame as鈥� names includes those where the only difference to an existing name is:

  • certain punctuation
  • certain special characters, for example the 鈥榩lus鈥� sign
  • a word or character that鈥檚 similar in appearance or meaning to another from the existing name
  • a word or character used commonly in UK company names

Example

鈥楬ands UK Ltd鈥� and 鈥楬and鈥檚 Ltd鈥� are the same as 鈥楬ands Ltd鈥�.

You can only register a 鈥榮ame as鈥� name if:

  • your company is part of the same group as the company or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) with the existing name
  • you have written confirmation that the company or LLP has no objection to your new name

鈥楾oo like鈥� names

You may have to change your name if someone complains and Companies House agrees it鈥檚 鈥榯oo like鈥� a name registered before yours.

Example

鈥楨asy Electrics For You Ltd鈥� is the same as 鈥楨Z Electrix 4U Ltd鈥�

Companies House will contact you if they think your name is too like another - and tell you what to do.

Other rules

Your company name cannot be offensive.

Your name also cannot contain a 鈥榮ensitive鈥� word or expression, or suggest a connection with government or local authorities, unless you get permission.

Example

To use 鈥楢ccredited鈥� in your company鈥檚 name, you need permission from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

You can read more guidance on naming your company and which words you need permission to use if you鈥檙e not sure.

Trading names

You can trade using a different name to your registered name. This is known as a 鈥榖usiness name鈥�.

Business names must not:

  • include 鈥榣imited鈥�, 鈥楲td鈥�, 鈥榣imited liability partnership, 鈥�LLP鈥�, 鈥榩ublic limited company鈥� or 鈥榩lc鈥�
  • contain a 鈥榮ensitive鈥� word or expression unless you get permission

If your business name is too similar to another company鈥檚 trade mark you may have to change it if someone makes a complaint.

Displaying your name

There are rules you must follow about displaying your company name.

When you do not have to use 鈥榣imited鈥� in your company name

You do not have to use 鈥榣imited鈥� in your name if your company is a registered charity or limited by guarantee and your articles of association say your company:

  • promotes or regulates commerce, art, science, education, religion, charity or any profession
  • cannot pay its shareholders, for example through dividends
  • requires each shareholder to contribute to company assets if it鈥檚 wound up during their membership, or within a year of them stopping being a shareholder

Part of Set up a limited company: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if setting up a limited company is right for you

    1. Check what a private limited company is

    How you set up your business depends on what sort of work you do. It can also affect the way you pay tax and get funding.

    Check if you should set up as one of the following instead:

    1. Get help deciding how to set up your business

  2. Step 2 Choose a name

    1. You are currently viewing: Check the rules for company names
    3. Check existing trade marks

  3. Step 3 Choose directors and a company secretary

    You must appoint a director but you do not have to appoint a company secretary.

    1. Find out what directors are responsible for
    2. Check who can be a director or company secretary

  4. Step 4 Decide who the shareholders or guarantors are

    You need at least one shareholder or guarantor, who can be a director.

    1. Check if you鈥檒l need to issue shares or set a 'guaranteed amount'
    2. Find out how dividends from shares are taxed

  5. and Identify people with significant control (PSC) over your company

    For example, anyone with voting rights or more than 25% of the shares.

    1. Find out what counts as a PSC

  6. Step 5 Prepare documents agreeing how to run your company

    You need to prepare a 'memorandum of association' and 'articles of association'.

    1. Find out how to create a memorandum and articles of association

  7. Step 6 Check what records you'll need to keep

    1. Check the company and accounting records you must keep

  8. Step 7 Register your company with Companies House

    You'll need to register an official address and choose a SIC code - this identifies what your company does.

    1. Check the rules for registered office addresses and email addresses
    2. Check what your SIC code is
    3. Register your company with Companies House

  9. Step 8 Manage your Corporation Tax

    1. Add Corporation Tax services to your business tax account