Companies House name checker
Check a company name at Companies House, then see what stays open
Companies House offers its own name availability search, and you can use it yourself. Our check queries the official Companies House search and links each finding to the record, so you can read it yourself.
Same as
When Companies House treats two names as the same
Two names count as 'same as' when they differ only in things the guidance does not count.
These are endings such as Ltd or Limited, punctuation, and certain equivalent characters and words. So 'Brightloom Ltd' and 'Brightloom Limited' are one name for this rule.
Our check applies these rules. It is a hint. Companies House decides at registration.
Source: Companies House guidance 'Incorporation and names' on GOV.UK, sections 6.3 to 6.7, read on 28 October 2026.
Sensitive words
Sensitive words add a step before you can register
Some words and expressions are sensitive or regulated. A UK company name that uses them needs approval or a statement of non-objection from a body.
The guidance lists them in three annexes. Annex A covers sensitive words and expressions, or words that could imply a connection with government. Annex B covers words that could imply a connection with a government department, a devolved administration or a local or specified public authority. Annex C covers other regulated words and expressions.
Our check applies the Companies House word lists. It is a hint. Companies House decides at registration.
Known simplification: Welsh and Gaelic entries with accents are missing from the word lists of the check.
Source: all three annexes are in the guidance 'Incorporation and names' on GOV.UK, read on 28 October 2026.
Beyond the register
Free at Companies House is not the finish line
A name can be free on the register and still be used elsewhere. Domains, handles and trademarks are separate matters.
Example: a real report of 29 October 2026 for 'Brightloom' (markets EU, UK, US, with software registries; 31 queries at 20 public sources). Verdict: Stop, 'Brightloom is hard to use as it is.' A UK company with the same name exists, so it cannot be registered as a UK company.
The Domains row reads 'Caution, 3 of 12 endings free, .com taken'. brightloom.com was registered on 6 February 2026. .ai was free.
The check is a review of public sources, not legal advice. Before you file or launch, check trademarks yourself or with a lawyer. The report links to USPTO, TMview and UK IPO so you can search trademarks yourself. The check does not search trademarks.
What the check does, and what it costs
The check applies the published rules and links each finding to its record.
Can I click through to the actual record to see it myself?
Yes. The check queries the official Companies House search and links each finding to the record.
Is this free, and do I have to give you my details?
The check is free, needs no account and sets no cookies.
Which sources does the check search?
It searches Companies House (UK, using its published rules on 'same as' names and sensitive words), GLEIF, SEC EDGAR and Wikidata (as 'already known').
How does it apply the same-as and sensitive-word rules?
It applies the Companies House same-as rules and word lists. Both are a hint: Companies House decides at registration.
Run your company name
Enter the name and read what the public sources show at the time of the check.