Every UK company must have a name that complies with the rules set out in the Companies Act 2006 (Part 5) and the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015. Companies House will reject an incorporation application if the proposed name does not meet these requirements.
Basic Naming Rules
Required Endings
The company name must end with the correct suffix to indicate its legal structure:
| Company Type | Required Ending |
|---|---|
| Private limited company | “Limited” or “Ltd” |
| Public limited company | “Public Limited Company” or “PLC” |
| Limited liability partnership | “Limited Liability Partnership” or “LLP” |
| Community interest company | “Community Interest Company” or “CIC” (plus Ltd or PLC) |
Welsh companies can use the Welsh equivalents: “Cyfyngedig” (Cyf) for limited, “cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus” (ccc) for PLC.
Exemption from “Limited”
Some companies can be exempted from using “Limited” in their name if they are formed for purposes that promote commerce, art, science, education, religion, charity or any profession. These companies must:
- Be limited by guarantee (not shares)
- Prohibit dividend payments in their articles of association
- Require all profits to be applied to promoting the objects
Prohibited Names
Companies House will refuse a name that:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Same as an existing company | Identical to a name already on the register (with minor variations treated as the same) |
| Too similar to an existing company | Could be confused with a name on the register |
| Offensive | Considered offensive by the Secretary of State |
| Criminal offence | Would constitute a criminal offence to use |
| Suggests government connection | Implies a connection with HM Government or local authority without approval |
“Same as” Rules
When checking if a name is the same as an existing name, Companies House ignores:
- The suffix (“Ltd”, “Limited”, “PLC”)
- Punctuation and special characters
- Definite and indefinite articles (“The”, “A”, “An”)
- Certain generic words (“company”, “and co”, “business”)
- Differences between singular and plural
- Differences between “&” and “and”
For example, “Smith & Jones Ltd” would be treated as the same as “Smith and Jones Limited”.
Sensitive Words and Expressions
Certain words and expressions require prior approval before they can be used in a company name. The approval may come from the Secretary of State, a government department or a specified body.
Examples of Sensitive Words
| Word/Expression | Approval Required From |
|---|---|
| Royal, King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Crown | Cabinet Office |
| British, National, English, Scottish, Welsh | Secretary of State |
| Authority, Board, Council, Commission | Secretary of State |
| Bank, Banking | Prudential Regulation Authority or Financial Conduct Authority |
| Insurance, Assurance | Financial Conduct Authority |
| University, Polytechnic | Department for Education / Privy Council |
| Trade Union | Certification Officer |
| Charity, Charitable | Charity Commission |
| Registered, Patent, Architect | The relevant professional body |
The full list is published in the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Sensitive Words and Expressions) Regulations 2014.
Approval Process
To use a sensitive word, the applicant must:
- Write to the relevant body explaining why the word is appropriate
- Obtain a letter of non-objection from the body
- Include the letter with the incorporation application or name change application
Companies House will not register the name until the approval letter is provided.
Checking Name Availability
Before incorporating, check whether the proposed name is available:
Companies House Name Check
The Companies House WebCHeck service and the company search at companieshouse.gov.uk allow free name searches. The search shows existing companies with the same or similar names.
Trade Marks
A name being available at Companies House does not mean it is free from trade mark conflicts. A separate search of the UK Intellectual Property Office trade mark register is advisable. If another business holds a trade mark for the same or similar name in the same class of goods or services, using the name could lead to:
- An objection to Companies House under s.69 (within 12 months of registration)
- A trade mark infringement claim
- A passing off claim
Displaying the Company Name
Once registered, the company must display its name:
| Location | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Registered office | Name displayed outside the office (or at the building entrance) |
| Business premises | Name displayed at any location where business is carried on |
| Business documents | All letters, invoices, order forms, notices, official publications and websites |
| Company seal | If the company has a seal, it must bear the company name |
Additionally, the following must appear on business letters and order forms:
- Company’s registered number
- Place of registration (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland)
- Registered office address
Changing the Company Name
A company can change its name by:
Special Resolution
The shareholders pass a special resolution (75% majority) to adopt a new name. The company then files:
- The special resolution with Companies House
- Form NM01 (notice of change of name by special resolution)
- The Companies House filing fee, which is lower online than on paper
Companies House issues a Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name once the new name is approved.
Articles of Association
If the articles of association contain a power allowing the directors to change the name (rather than requiring a shareholder resolution), form NM04 is used instead.
After the Name Change
- The company retains the same registered number
- All statutory books and records should be updated
- Business stationery, signage and contracts should be updated
- The company must display the new name at its premises and on all documents
- A former name will appear on the Companies House record for 20 years
Company Name Objections
Any person can object to a company name under s.69 Companies Act 2006 if:
- The name is the same as a name in which the objector has goodwill
- The name is sufficiently similar to be misleading
The objection is made to the Company Names Adjudicator (part of the Intellectual Property Office). If the objection succeeds, the company must change its name within a specified period or Companies House will change it to its registered number.
Trading Names (Business Names)
A company can trade under a name different from its registered name, but it must still comply with the business names rules:
- The company’s registered name must appear on all business documents alongside any trading name
- The registered name, number and office address must be displayed at the trading premises