How to check if a business name is available in the UK
Last reviewed 15 July 2026
“Is this name taken?” has more than one answer, because a business name lives in more than one register. A name can be free to incorporate at Companies House and still be a registered trademark someone can stop you using. Checking properly means running four separate checks, in cost-and-consequence order.
1. Companies House — can you register the company?
Companies House won’t let you register a name that is the “same as” an existing company’s (their rules ignore things like “Ltd”, punctuation, and words such as “UK” or “.com” when comparing). It will also reject names that are “too like” another, contain a sensitive word without approval, or break formatting rules. This check is free and instant, so do it first.
2. Trademarks — can you legally trade under it?
This is the check people skip, and it’s the one that costs the most to get wrong. A registered trademark gives its owner the right to stop others using a confusingly similar name for similar goods or services — regardless of what Companies House allowed. Search the UK trademark register for identical and similar marks in the classes that cover your sector. If there’s a live mark that’s close, get advice before you commit.
3. Domains and social handles
Practically, you want the matching .co.uk or .com and the handles on the platforms your customers use. These don’t affect your legal right to the name, but a name where every digital asset is taken is a name that’ll cost you in workarounds forever.
4. The wider web — is someone already trading as this?
Even with no registered trademark, an existing business with real customers can have unregistered rights (“passing off”). A quick search for the name plus your sector tells you whether you’d be walking into an established reputation.
Do all four at once
NameVetted runs Companies House, trademark screening, domains, social handles and sensitive-word rules in a single check, and flags where each one lands. Run a free name check to see availability across all of them, or if you’re still choosing, generate name ideas that are pre-screened before you ever see them.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For anything high-stakes, confirm with a qualified trademark attorney.
Check your name across all of it — free
Companies House, trademark risk, domains, social handles and sensitive words in one check. See where your name actually lands before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is checking Companies House enough?
No. Companies House only tells you whether you can register the company. A name can pass there and still infringe a registered trademark, which is a separate register with its own rules.
How long does a UK business name check take?
The Companies House and domain checks are effectively instant. A full trademark and web-presence screen takes seconds when it’s automated — NameVetted returns all of it in one report.
Related guides
Can two UK companies have the same or similar name?
Two companies can’t share the “same as” name — but the rules on what counts as the same, and on merely similar names, surprise most founders.
Company name vs trademark: what’s the difference?
A company name lets you exist. A trademark lets you stop others trading on your name. They’re different registers with different rights — here’s how they fit together.
Can two businesses have the same name in different industries?
Delta the airline and Delta the tap-maker both exist for a reason: trademarks are class-specific. But “different industry” has limits — here’s where the line really is.