When you come to naming your new company, you probably have a host of great ideas. You want something that tells customers what you do, sounds clever or even funny. You want to stand out from the competition. But there is another aspect to consider: UK company names are subject to legal restrictions. Some words and expressions need prior approval, while others cannot be used in certain circumstances.
What You Must Include in Your Company Name?
First up, there are the words that you have to include if you are establishing a certain type of business. A private company limited by shares or guarantee must normally end its registered name with ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’. A qualifying company limited by guarantee can apply for an exemption from using this ending.
A limited liability partnership name must end with ‘Limited Liability Partnership’ or ‘LLP’. A limited partnership’s registered name must use the appropriate ending ‘Limited Partnership’ or ‘LP’. A public company name must end with ‘Public Limited Company’ or ‘plc’.
You also must make sure you don’t use one of these in your name if you are not registered as the corresponding type of business – in other words, saying you are Smith Ltd when you are not a limited company.
Basic Name Rules
You also need to check the Companies House register to make sure your proposed name is not the same as an existing registered company name. There are also rules about what is classed as ‘same as’ names – so if there is a company called Franks Design, you cannot call yourself Frank’s Designs, as this would be classed as the same as the already listed company.
A company name cannot be offensive, include words whose use would constitute an offence, consist of or include computer code, or contain characters, signs, symbols or punctuation that are not permitted. Companies House can also reject a name intended to facilitate fraud.
A name cannot suggest a connection with the UK government, a devolved administration, a local or specified public authority, a foreign government or its agencies, or certain international organisations unless the relevant requirements are met.
Sensitive Words
Some words and expressions require prior approval before they can be used in a company or business name. The requirements depend on the word and can include evidence about the organisation or a letter or email of non-objection from the relevant authority.
Companies House’s current sensitive words and expressions guidance sets out the latest approval criteria. The examples below are not an exhaustive list.
- Accounts Commission / Accounts Commission for Scotland – provide a letter or email of non-objection from Audit Scotland.
- Accredit, accreditation, accredited, accrediting – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the Office for Product Safety and Standards, which is part of the Department for Business and Trade.
- Adjudicator – implies a legal role that must be supported with relevant documents
- Alba, Na h-Alba, Albannach – implies a connection with the Scottish Government or departments
- Archwilydd, Cyffredinol, Cymru – implies a connection with the Auditor General for Wales and needs a supporting letter
- Association – implies a company limited by guarantee with a one-member, one-vote clause and non-profit distribution clause in its articles of association
- Assurance, assurer – letter needed from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Audit commission, auditor general – needs a letter from the National Audit Office or similar body
- Banc, bank, banking – needs a letter confirming status from the FCA
- Benevolent – the company should normally be limited by guarantee, with one-member, one-vote and non-profit distribution clauses in its articles. Being a registered charity is not stated as a requirement.
- Britain / British – the requirements depend on where the word appears in the name. Using it at the start, or using ‘of Britain’ or ‘of Great Britain’, normally requires evidence that the organisation is pre-eminent or very substantial in its field. Separate approval is required where the name implies a government connection.
- Brenin, Brenhines, Brenhinol, Brenhiniaeth – implies connection to the Welsh government
- Chamber of Commerce – this expression can imply a connection with the relevant Chambers of Commerce organisation. A letter or email of non-objection from the relevant body is required.
- Charitable, charity, charities – for a new incorporation or business name, provide a letter or email of non-objection from the relevant charity regulator. Existing registered charities changing their name can provide evidence of their registered charity status.
- Charter – implies connecting with royal charter status unless in use, such as charter flights or holidays
- Chartered – implies a professional body has confirmed your qualifications and proof of this is needed, i.e. chartered accountant
- Child maintenance, child support – implies connection with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and a letter needed to confirm this
- Comhairle, coimisean, comisiwn – organisation must be an independent advisory body
- Commission – organisation must be an independent advisory body
- Comptroller and auditor general – letter needed from National Audit Office
- Co-operative – the organisation must meet Companies House's co-operative ownership, membership, economic participation and profit-distribution criteria. Co-operative Society can only be used by a society registered under the relevant co-operative and community benefit societies legislation.
- Council, cyngor – organisation must be an independent advisory body
- Dental, dentistry, dental surgeon, dental practitioner – letter required from the General Dental Council
- Duke, duchess, diuc, ban-diuc, dug, duges – letter needed from the Protocol Team (Scotland), Public Administration and Honour Unit (Wales) or the Cabinet Office Constitutional Policy Team (England)
- England / of England / English – position-specific criteria apply. Use at the start of the name or use of ‘of England’ normally requires evidence of pre-eminence and an appropriate English registered office or principal place of business.
- Federation – company should be limited by guarantee
- Financial Conduct Authority – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the FCA. Financial Reporting Council – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the Financial Reporting Council. ‘Financial Services Authority’ is not listed as a current Annex A sensitive expression.
- Foundation – the company should normally be limited by guarantee, have a pool of money or regular source of income to promote its objects, and include a non-profit distribution clause in its articles.
- Friendly society – only used by companies under the Friendly Societies Acts 1974 & 1992
- Fund – letter required from FCA
- Government – letter from relevant government department based on business type
- Health and Safety – this expression is generally not restricted unless the proposed name implies a connection with the Health and Safety Executive or the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland. Health centre / Health service requires approval from the relevant body, while Health visitor requires a letter or email of non-objection from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- His Majesty / Her Majesty, King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Royal and Royalty – a letter or email of non-objection is required from the relevant body. For many of these terms, the current route is the Cabinet Office for England and Northern Ireland, the Welsh Government for Wales, and the Scottish Government for Scotland.
- House of Commons, House of Lords – letter from the relevant house of parliament
- Inspectorate – implies a legal role
- Institute / Institution – approval is normally given only to fully functioning, established organisations already operating as an institute or institution, particularly organisations conducting high-level research or professional bodies of the highest standing.
- Insurance / Insurer and Reinsurance / Reinsurer – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the FCA. ‘Underwrite / Underwriting’ are the sensitive expressions listed by Companies House.
- Judicial appointment – must have a letter from the Ministry of Justice
- Licensing – this word can be used provided the proposed name does not imply a connection with a licensing authority under the Licensing Act 2003 or other relevant legislation.
- Medical centre – current Companies House guidance refers applicants to the Northern Ireland Department of Health. Midwife / Midwifery and Nurse / Nursing require a letter or email of non-objection from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- Mutual – must have a letter from FCA
- National Audit Office – must have a letter from the National Audit Office
- NHS – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the Department of Health and Social Care.
- Northern Ireland / Northern Irish – position-specific criteria apply, and the company must have its registered office in Northern Ireland where required. A name implying a connection with the Northern Ireland Assembly requires a letter or email of non-objection.
- Ombudsman / Ombwdsmon – a statutory organisation can use the term where it has been appointed by government to investigate complaints. A non-statutory body must meet the specific dispute-resolution, certification and Ombudsman Association membership criteria set out by Companies House.
- Parliament / Parliamentarian / Parliamentary – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the relevant Corporate Officer of the House of Commons or House of Lords. Parlamaid and its Scottish Gaelic variants require approval from the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
- Patent, patentee – must have a letter confirming the patent from the Intellectual Property Office
- Police – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the relevant body. The current route is the Home Office for England and Wales, the Department of Justice for Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Government for Scotland.
- Polytechnic – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the Department for Education.
- Post office – you must have a letter from the Post Office
- Reassurance / Reassurer – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the FCA.
- Registrar – the organisation should normally have a regulatory, governing, supervisory or representative role. Evidence of its status and support, together with a letter or email of non-objection from a relevant body, should be provided.
- Registered society – can only be used by a society registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
- Regulator – must have a letter confirming the regulatory role, as well as from the relevant government department
- Scotland / Scottish – position-specific criteria apply, and the company must have its registered office in Scotland where required. Separate approval applies where the name implies a Scottish Government connection.
- Sheffield – must have a letter from the Company of Cutlers
- Society – this word is normally used by a company limited by guarantee whose articles include one-member, one-vote and non-profit distribution clauses.
- Special school – must have a letter from the relevant department of education
- Standards – this word can be used provided it does not imply that the organisation is an established national standard-setting body. Where it does, evidence of that status and appropriate support should be provided.
- Stock exchange – this expression normally implies a connection with the London Stock Exchange and will not normally be approved unless there are special circumstances.
- Trade union – trade unions are prohibited from being a registered company, and so the name cannot be used
- Tribunal – implies a legal role; must have a letter from the relevant government body
- Trust – must provide details of what type of trust, for example charitable trust, employee trust or academy trust
- University – must have a letter from the relevant department for education
- Wales / Welsh – position-specific criteria apply, and the company must have its registered office in Wales where required. Separate approval applies where the name implies a Welsh Government connection.
- Windsor – provide a letter or email of non-objection from the relevant body. The appropriate authority depends on the jurisdiction.
Other Terms
There are other words and expressions that require checks even though they are not dealt with in the same way as the sensitive words above. For example, ‘Agency’ can be used provided the name does not imply a connection with a government department, devolved administration, local authority or specified public authority.
Companies House also maintains a separate list of words and expressions protected under other legislation. Their unauthorised use can be a criminal offence. The list includes regulated professional titles such as ‘Architect’ and ‘Solicitor’, but also expressions such as ‘Building Society’, ‘Credit Union’, ‘Olympic’ and ‘Red Cross’. The official list is not exhaustive.
