There are a number of considerations to make when choosing a Limited Company Name in Ireland. The main consideration will be from a brand identity and marketing position. Acquiring an Limited company name with your brand identity ending in the word languages is obviously the best position to be in but if the company registration is office to not allow the name that you require there are strategies but we can put in place to ensure that you can trade with your brand name. We will so the research to ensure that your chosen company name gets the best chance of being accepted. When choosing a Limited Company name in Ireland, a few considerations must be made. There are rules with regards to the availability and acceptance of limited company names set down by the company registrations office in Ireland. The Choice of company name is only approved by the Companies Registration office once they have checked to ensure it is:

What's in a name?
1. Available
It must not be the same as or similar to another company name. Ultimately the company wrote mistress office have final be on this but there are situations where a rejection of a name could be queried to see we can get it approved.
2. Not State Affiliated
It must not suggest that the company is affiliated with the State or an organisation run by the state. For example, a Car Dealership cannot call itself the Department of Motors.
3. Offensive
Any names that are deemed offensive will not be accepted.
4. If a company limited by guarantee is being registered and it involves the charity then the company registrations office may require further information to support this application

A number on its own is not a sufficient distinguisher for a Limited Company Name. Other restrictions regarding Limited Company name registration are as follows:

  • The work “Bank” can only be used with the permission of the Central Bank of Ireland.
  • The word assurance, Insurance cannot be used without permission of the Central Bank.
  • If you want to use the words “Group”, “Holdings” or “International”, the CRO may ask for further clarification around the nature of the business.

Additional words should be used in a limited company name to distinguish it from other companies already on the register. Certain words and their abbreviations together with accents and punctuation marks are not sufficient to distinguish between company names. Examples of such words include the definite article and the words “company”, “co”, “corporation”, “and”, “&”, “service”, “services” ,“limited”, etc. Place names are not considered to be a sufficient distinction between company names, e.g. Ireland, Dublin, West, etc.

Names which are phonetically similar to other names may also be refused. This includes purposefully misspelt names for example; Collect being spelled as Kollect.

Many companies do not get the limited company named that they initially apply for. This don’t mean that you can’t register the company it just means that another word trading name will need to be registered linked to the limited company name. Remember, once you have registered your Limited Company Name, you can register a business Name and trade with that Name. This process gives you much more freedom with marketing a business name.

Registering a trading name under a Limited Company

If you are setting up as a Sole Trader, or Partnership, any business name may be registered. Restrictions are in place where names are trademarked. If this is the case and you cannot acquire the name for the limited company that you require then a trading name can be linked to the limited company name under a specific application. This allows you to trade with the name that you require and ensures your compliance.

Registering a website URL as a Limited Company Trading Name

If you would like to trade with your URL then it is possible to structure this but it is not possible to register a limited company name as a URL website address. It is possible to link a trading name to a limited company name and have the trading name a website URL. In this case we will guide you through what information we require to prove that you own the URL name being registered. WHOIS information from the registrar will be required to show that you own the name and we can then make the application for the trading under the limited company name to be a website address.

To Summarise, when choosing a name:

  • Ask us to check the names of the register for similarity to other names.
  • Use our automated checker on the homepage of our website to see if the name is exactly the same as another name on the register.
  • Use unique words to differentiate you from other names if there is a conflict.
  • Register a trading name if required to trade with a name that you cannot acquire for the limited company.
  • Ensure that the name does not come into conflict with a government body in Ireland.
  • Don’t use any abbreviations in your limited company name.

If you need some guidance on the telephone please don’t hesitate to contact us to help you choose the limited company name. You can of course just proceed on the website and we will ensure that it is compliant. if a limited company name is rejected with a section 137 non resident directors bond then we will manage the new bond under the new application and you will not be required to sign documents again.