Check a business name everywhere that matters
A UK business name needs to be clear in four places: Companies House, the trademark register, the domain system and the social platforms. People usually check one, register it, then discover the other three the hard way. Type the name once below and this page assembles the full round of checks, each opening the official source with your name pre-filled.
The checklist for
Name clear? Then move while it stays that way: registration is £14.99 through Tide with the account included, or £100 directly at Companies House. Our new business guide covers the whole sequence.
What each check tells you
Companies House shows registered companies with the same or similar names; registration will be refused for a match. The trademark register is the one that bites later: a registered mark in your sector can force a rename even if your company registration sailed through.Domains decide whether customers can find you at the obvious address, and social handles decide whether you are @yourname or @yourname_official_2 for the rest of the business's life.
The order of operations
- Run the four checks above. Ten minutes.
- If anything is taken, adjust now. Renaming after launch costs stationery, signage and search rankings.
- Register the domain first: it is the cheapest and the fastest to lose.
- Register the company (or start trading, as a sole trader), then open the account.
- If the brand is the business, file the trademark before you are worth copying.
Questions people actually ask
How do I check if a business name is taken in the UK?
Check four registers, not one: Companies House for registered companies, the UK trademark register for protected marks, domain availability for the web address, and the social platforms for handles. A name is only really yours when all four are clear.
Can two UK businesses have the same name?
Two sole traders can trade under the same name, but Companies House will not register two companies with the same or too-similar names, and a trademark owner can stop anyone using a confusingly similar name in their category regardless of company registration.
Does registering a company name protect it?
Only against identical company registrations. It gives no trademark rights: someone with a registered trademark in your sector can still force a rename. If the name matters commercially, check the trademark register and consider filing.
What does it cost to secure a business name properly?
Company registration is £100 at Companies House (or £14.99 through Tide's package), a UK trademark application starts at £170 for one class, and a .co.uk domain is a few pounds a year. Checking all of them first costs nothing.