Business name generator. With a free domain check.
Pick your trade and, if you like, a word or your town. You get name ideas in four styles, and one click tells you if the .co.uk, the .com and the company name are free.
What makes a good business name
The best names are easy to say on the phone, easy to spell after hearing them once, and tell people roughly what you do. "Gleam Cleaning" passes all three. A clever made-up word can work for a shop or an app, but a plumber or a cleaner usually wins more work with a plain name that includes the trade, because people searching Google and scanning a list of results want to know at a glance that you do the job they need.
- Say it out loud. If you have to spell it every time, customers will get it wrong.
- Keep it short enough for a van, a sign and a social media handle.
- Think about growth. "Didsbury Cleaning" is great until you cover the whole of Manchester.
- Avoid names close to a competitor. It confuses customers and can lead to a legal letter.
- Check the domain before you fall in love with it.
The four styles
Classic names put a strong word next to your trade: Keystone Builders, Copper Kitchen. They are clear and they age well. Modern names join words into one brand, like GleamHQ or Brewly, which suits online shops and anything you want to feel current. Short names are made-up words of four to eight letters, the easiest way to find a free .com, though they need more marketing to explain. Local names use your town or area, which helps people nearby trust you and can help you show up in local searches.
Checking the name is free
Before you order a logo or a van wrap, check four things. Is the .co.uk free? Is the .com free? Is there already a limited company with the same name? And is the name a registered trade mark for your kind of work? This tool checks the first three in one click. For trade marks, search the UK Intellectual Property Office's free trade mark search, or use our business name checker, which runs every check together and links you to the trade mark search.
Words you cannot use freely
Companies House keeps a list of sensitive words that a company name can only include with permission, such as Royal, British, Bank, Trust, Institute, University and, for clinics, Dental. Our checker flags them. Words that suggest a qualification you do not hold, like "chartered", can also break your professional body's rules.
Next steps once you have a name
Register the domain straight away, even if the website comes later, and set up an email address on it. Then claim the name on Google Business Profile and the social networks you will use. When you are ready for a website, you can work out the cost with our website cost calculator.