Company name vs trade mark: does registering a company protect the name?
No. Companies House stops another company registering the same name, but it does not give you the right to stop others using your brand. A registered trade mark does that, for the goods and services you list.
What each one does
- Company name: your company's legal name on the Companies House register. It must not be the same as another registered company's name.
- Trade mark: a right in a brand for specific goods and services. With a registration you can take legal action against anyone who uses your brand without permission, and use the ® symbol.
Why a company name can be lost
gov.uk says that if your company name, or a trading name, is too similar to another company's trade mark, you may have to change it if someone makes a complaint. Companies House itself advises searching the trade marks register before choosing a name.
So registering the company first and the trade mark later leaves a gap. Someone else can file the brand as a trade mark in the meantime.
What to do
- Search the UK trade marks register for your name before registering the company. See how to search.
- File a trade mark for the brand customers see, in the classes you trade in. It can be different from the company's legal name.
Price with us: £374 all-in for one class (our fee £169 + the £205 UKIPO fee). Extra classes: £135 each (our £75 + UKIPO's £60), up to 3 classes; for 4 or more we quote. You pay first; if our check says High risk and you decide to stop, we refund everything except £39.
Can you register your name?
Send us the name and what you sell. We look at the UK register for identical and similar marks and email you the result, usually within 1 working day. Free, no obligation.
Does a limited company name protect my brand?
No. It stops another company registering the same company name, but it does not give you trade mark rights.
Can I be forced to change my company name?
Yes. gov.uk says that if your name is too similar to another company's trade mark you may have to change it if someone makes a complaint.
Should the trade mark be the company name?
Register the name customers see on your products or services. It can be a trading name rather than the legal company name.
- gov.uk, Choose a company name
- Companies House, Incorporation and names (search the trade marks register before choosing a name).
- gov.uk, Register a trade mark: overview
Checked 11 November 2026. We are a private filing service, not UKIPO, and this is general information, not legal advice.