Software & tech startup business name ideas

Tech is the most crowded naming space there is: short, coined names get taken fast, and software touches two of the busiest classes on the register at once. Screening early saves an expensive rebrand after launch.

Trademark classes for a software & tech startup business

Trademark protection is class-specific, so these are the classes to screen a name against. Most businesses span more than one.

42Software and IT servicesScientific and technological services, and the design and development of computer hardware and software — the home of SaaS.9Software and electronicsComputer software, downloadable content and a wide range of scientific, measuring and audiovisual apparatus. One of the busiest classes on the register.35Advertising, business and retail servicesAdvertising and marketing, business management and administration, and retail and wholesale services. The service class most brands overlook.

What works

Coined or abstract names clear more easily than descriptive tech words, which are heavily contested.
Check the namespaces you’ll actually use — domain, GitHub, npm and the app stores — not just the register.
Short is good, but not if the only free domain is a stretch; balance brevity against a clean exact match.

Common mistakes

Clearing the SaaS service (Class 42) but forgetting the software itself as a product (Class 9).
Picking a name that’s free at Companies House but already a live mark in these very crowded tech classes.

Watch out: Software almost always spans Class 9 and Class 42 — screen both, they’re among the busiest classes.

Check a software & tech startup name

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Frequently asked questions

What trademark class is software?

Software as a product is Class 9; software as a service and its development are Class 42. Most tech businesses need both, plus Class 35 if they sell.

Why do tech names clash so often?

Classes 9 and 42 are the most crowded on the register, and short coined names get taken quickly — which is exactly why early screening matters.

Related industries

ConsultancyNaming a consultancy — the services class and the distinctiveness problem.Online shopE-commerce naming: the retail class, the product class, and the domain-first reality.

All industries →

General guidance to help you screen a name, not legal advice. Confirm trademark clearance with a qualified attorney before you commit to a name.