How to check if a business name is already taken
To find out if a business name is taken, run four checks: the domain, the social handles, your country's company register, and a trademark search. A name can be wide open as a domain and still belong to a registered company or a trademark, so no single check tells the whole story.
Start with the fast one. Search the name across domains and social platforms in a single query with account.name to clear the obvious conflicts in seconds. If it survives that, move on to the official registers below.
The four checks, in order
| Check | What it rules out | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | The web address is already registered | account.name |
| Social handles | The username is taken on the platforms you need | account.name |
| Company register | A company already trades under the name | Companies House (UK), CRO (IE), your state (US) |
| Trademark | The name is legally protected in your sector | UK IPO, USPTO, TMview (EU) |
Where to search, country by country
United Kingdom
- Company name: Companies House's company name availability checker tells you whether a proposed name can be registered. It also catches names Companies House would treat as the same as an existing company, which a plain search can miss.
- Who already trades under it: search the Companies House register. Our sister site administrator.uk searches the same register and flags companies that are in administration or liquidation.
- Trademark: the UK IPO's trade mark search is the official register. Another sister site, trademarked.uk, searches it by name and class in one step.
Ireland
- Company and business names: the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Its CORE search covers registered companies and registered business names.
- Trademark: Irish trade marks and EU trade marks both apply in Ireland. Search both at once with TMview.
United States
- Company name: there is no national register. Each state keeps its own, usually as a business entity search run by the Secretary of State. Check the state where you will form the company and any state where you will trade.
- Trademark: the USPTO's Trademark Search covers federal marks. State marks and unregistered use also count in the US, which is one more reason to pay for a professional clearance search before a big launch.
The EU and everywhere else
- TMview searches EU trade marks and most national trademark offices in one place.
- WIPO's Global Brand Database covers international registrations and many more countries.
Why a free domain is not the answer
A free domain means one thing: nobody has registered that web address. It says nothing about whether a company already trades under the name, or whether the name is trademarked in your industry. Skipping the register and trademark checks is how brands end up renaming six months after launch.
Availability and legal clearance are two different questions. Answer both before you print anything.
Company register versus trademark
A company-register search tells you whether the exact name is already incorporated. It is free and official, but a clear register grants you no rights to the name. A trademark search is the one that protects you from infringing someone else's brand, and from someone else infringing yours later. For a serious brand, do both, and pay for a professional clearance search once you are close to committing.
If the name is taken
One conflict does not always kill a name. A registered company in an unrelated sector and country may not block you. But the simplest move is usually to pick a clear alternative and re-check it everywhere at once. See our guides on choosing an available brand name and checking a name across every surface.
Once the name is clear
Move quickly. Register the company, then claim the domain and the handles the same day, before anyone else notices the name. If you are setting up in the UK, our sister site businessaccount.uk sets out what each business bank account actually charges.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a business name is already taken?
Run four checks: the domain, the social handles, your national company register, and a trademark search. A name can be free as a domain and still be a registered company or a trademark, so no single check settles it.
Does a free domain mean the business name is available?
No. A free domain means only that nobody has registered that web address. The name could already be a trading company or a trademark in your sector. Always pair the domain check with a company-register and trademark search.
Where do I search for a registered company name?
Your national company register. In the UK, Companies House has a free company name availability checker that also flags names it would treat as the same as an existing company. In Ireland it is the CRO, and in the US each state keeps its own register, usually run by the Secretary of State.
Do I need a trademark search as well?
Yes, if you are building a brand. A name can be a free domain and an unregistered company name and still infringe a trademark in your industry. Search your national or regional trademark database before you commit.
What is the fastest first step?
Check the domain and social handles in one search to clear the obvious conflicts in seconds. If the name survives that, move on to the company register and the trademark database.