Company name rules and sensitive words

A UK company name must end with the right legal indicator, must not be the same as a name already on the Companies House index, and cannot be offensive, criminal, misleading about a connection with government, or contain computer code. Words on the sensitive words list, such as Bank, British, Chartered, Institute or Insurance, need approval before they can be used, and some need a letter of non objection from a named body.

What must every company name include?

A private limited company’s name must end with “limited” or “ltd.” under section 59 of the Companies Act 2006, and a public company’s name must end with “public limited company” or “p.l.c.” under section 58. A Welsh company may use the Welsh equivalents instead. Companies House guidance adds that expressions describing a form of company, such as LLP or CIC, can only be used at the end of a name.

Section 60 exempts some private companies from using “limited”, including charities. Companies House guidance explains that a private company limited by guarantee can apply for the exemption if its articles state that its objects are the promotion or regulation of commerce, art, science, education, religion, charity or a profession, require income to be applied in promoting those objects, prohibit dividends or any return of capital to members, and require assets on a winding up to pass to a body with similar or charitable objects.

Which names are refused outright?

Companies House guidance lists names that cannot be registered at all. The statutory basis is:

• Offence or offensive. Section 53 prevents registration of a name if, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, its use would constitute an offence or it is offensive.
• Foreign governments and international bodies. Section 56A, inserted by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, prevents a name likely to give the false impression of a connection with a foreign government or its agencies, or an international organisation of two or more countries, such as the UN or NATO.
• Computer code. Section 57A prevents a name that consists of or includes computer code, and section 76C lets the registrar change such a name without waiting for the company.
• Characters. Section 57 allows regulations to limit the letters, signs, symbols and punctuation that can be used, and where they can appear.
• Fraud. Companies House will refuse a name if, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, registration by that name is intended to facilitate an offence involving dishonesty or deception.

There are also reuse restrictions. Under section 57B, a company that was made to change its name following a direction or an adjudicator’s order cannot later be registered again by the original name or a similar one, and section 57C stops another company with a shared officer or member taking that name, unless the Secretary of State approves.

What are sensitive words and how is approval obtained?

Section 54 requires the Secretary of State’s approval for any name likely to give the impression of a connection with the UK government, a devolved administration, a local authority or a specified public authority. Section 55 requires approval for a name that includes any word or expression listed in the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business Names (Sensitive Words and Expressions) Regulations 2014. Schedule 1 to those regulations includes, among many others:

• Accredited, Association, Audit office, Chartered, Charity, Institute, Institution, Society, Standards and Trust;
• Bank, Fund, Insurance, Mutual, Reinsurance and Underwriting;
• British, England, Scotland, Wales, Royal, King and Queen, together with Government, Council and Parliament.

For some words, section 56 and Schedule 2 to the regulations require the applicant to ask a specified body in writing whether it objects. For example, the Financial Conduct Authority must be asked about Bank, Insurance, Fund and Mutual, and the Department for Business and Trade about Accredit and Accredited. The application to Companies House must say that the request was made and include a copy of any response. Companies House guidance explains the purpose: a word may be inappropriate if it suggests pre eminence, a particular status or a specific function, such as British, Institute or Tribunal, or represents a regulated activity.

When is a name the “same as” an existing one?

Section 66 prohibits registration of a name that is the same as one already on the registrar’s index. Schedule 3 to the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015 sets out what is ignored in the comparison. According to Companies House guidance, these include:

• legal endings such as Limited, Ltd, PLC, LLP and CIC at the end of the name;
• when preceded by a space, full stop or “@”, expressions such as “& co”, “and company”, “com”, “co.uk”, “UK”, “GB”, “Great Britain”, “Wales” and “Northern Ireland”;
• most punctuation, a final “s”, “the” and “www” at the start, spaces between permitted characters, and anything after the first 60 characters.

Accented letters are treated as their plain equivalents, and symbols such as “%” and “@” are treated as the words they represent. The guidance gives examples: “PLUM TECHNOLOGY LTD” is the same as “PLUM TECHNOLOGY & COMPANY LTD”. The rule does not apply where the new company will be in the same group as the existing one and the existing company consents in a letter included with the application.

What is a “too like” objection?

A name that passes the “same as” test can still be challenged. Under section 67 the Secretary of State can direct a company to change a name that is too like a name already on the index. Section 68 requires any direction to be given within twelve months of registration by that name, and to allow at least 28 days to comply. Companies House guidance says a name may be too like another if it differs by only a few characters or looks and sounds the same, and that it cannot consider trade mark infringement, passing off, geographic location or similarity of activities when deciding a too like complaint. The guidance therefore recommends checking the UK Intellectual Property Office trade marks register before choosing a name.

What is an opportunistic registration objection?

Section 69 lets anyone with goodwill in a name object to a company name that is the same as it, or so similar that it would be likely to mislead the public by suggesting a connection. The application goes to a company names adjudicator. If the ground is made out, the company must show one of the defences in section 69(4): the name was registered before the objector began the activities on which its goodwill is based, it was registered in the ordinary course of a company formation business and is available to the objector on standard terms, it was adopted in good faith, or the objector’s interests are not adversely affected to any significant extent. Even then, the objection succeeds if the main purpose of registering the name was to extract money from the objector or block them. If upheld, section 73 requires an order to change the name, and the adjudicator can choose a new one if the company does not.

Can a name be challenged years after registration?

• Section 75: if misleading information or an unfulfilled undertaking was given to obtain a name, typically to justify a sensitive word, a direction can be given within five years of registration.
• Section 76: if a name gives so misleading an indication of the company’s activities that it poses a risk of harm to the public, there is no time limit. The company can apply to court within three weeks to set the direction aside.
• Section 76A: a direction can be given if the name has been or is intended to be used to facilitate an offence involving dishonesty or deception.
• Section 76B: a direction can be given if the name was registered in breach of the rules or should have been refused.

Ignoring a direction is an offence by the company and every officer in default. The practical result is a forced change of company name.

How do the rules apply to a real choice of name?

Illustration only. A sole trader who runs a bookkeeping and insurance referral business decides to incorporate and wants to call the company “Brightwater Insurance Services UK Ltd”.

1. “Brightwater Insurance Services Ltd” already exists. Because “UK” and “Ltd” are disregarded, the proposed name is the same as the existing one and will be refused.
2. Choosing “Brightwater Bookkeeping and Insurance Ltd” avoids the same as problem, but “Insurance” is a sensitive word needing approval, and the Financial Conduct Authority must first be asked whether it objects.
3. If approval is obtained by overstating the firm’s regulatory status, the company risks a direction under section 75 at any time in the next five years.
4. The owner settles on “Brightwater Bookkeeping Ltd”, checks the trade marks register, and plans to describe the referral activity on the website instead.

What are the common mistakes?

• Checking only for an exact match on the register and missing a same as clash created by disregarded words.
• Assuming Companies House registration gives protection against a trade mark claim. It does not.
• Using Institute, Chartered or Association without checking whether approval or a non objection letter is needed.
• Forgetting that section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 can stop a former director of a company that went into insolvent liquidation from using the same or a similar name for five years, regardless of what Companies House accepts.
• Overlooking trading disclosure rules once the name is registered; the name must appear at the registered office, on correspondence and on the website.

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Related Accountapedia entries

• Business names and trading names: the rules
• Companies limited by guarantee
• The company secretary: role and duties
• Community interest companies
• How to incorporate an LLP
• Objecting to a company name: the Company Names Adjudicator

Sources

• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 59
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 58
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 60
• GOV.UK: Incorporation and names
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 53
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 56A
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 57A
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 76C
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 57
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 57B

Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 8 October 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.