Free Business Name Checker UK: Domains, Companies House & Trademarks
Type a business name and get an instant availability picture: which key domains are already registered, plus one-click checks against the official Companies House register and the UK trademark database. Free, no email, no signup.
Business name to check
The five checks a business name must pass
Domain availability is only one gate. Before committing to a name, run all five checks from our full guide to choosing a UK business name:
- Companies House: no “same as” registered company (registration alone is not trademark protection).
- Trademark register: the expensive clash: infringement letters arrive after you’ve printed the van. Check your goods/services classes.
- Domain: .co.uk (and ideally .com) available or cheaply buyable; a natural variant like adding your trade is fine.
- Search results & socials: Google the name in quotes; check the handles.
- The say-it-aloud test: if it needs spelling out, it taxes every referral forever.
Once the name clears, the next step is making it look real: professional logo design from £129, and who owns what in logo copyright & trademark UK.
Link to this tool
Frequently asked questions
Does Companies House registration protect my business name? +
Only narrowly: it prevents an identical company registration. It does not stop similar trading names or override an existing trademark. Real protection comes from registering a UK trademark with the IPO.
What does "appears free" mean for a domain? +
No live DNS records were found for that domain, a strong signal it is unregistered, but not absolute (a small number of registered domains have no DNS). Always confirm at a registrar before committing to the name.
Which check matters most before choosing a name? +
The trademark register. A domain can be varied and a company name adjusted, but trading under a name that infringes an existing trademark in your sector can force a full rebrand: vans, signage and all.