Is your business name still free?
Check your business name against six popular domain endings in seconds, and get free name ideas if it is already taken.
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- 1
Type your business name
Just the name, no need to add "LLC" or a domain ending.
- 2
Press Check availability
We check .com, .net, .co, .org, .biz and .us in a few seconds.
- 3
Claim it or try another idea
Available domains show a Claim it button. Taken your first pick? Try one of the free name ideas below the results.
How to check if a business name is taken
The domain is the fastest signal, and it is the one people forget until last. But a free domain does not mean the name is legally yours to trade under. Run all four checks below before you put the name on anything that costs money to reprint.
1. The domain
Do this first, using the checker above, because it is instant and it rules out the most names. If the .com is gone and the business holding it is in your line of work, stop and pick something else. If the .com is gone but it is parked or held by an unrelated business abroad, a .co or a country domain is a reasonable fallback.
2. The business register
In the US that is the Secretary of State register for the state you will trade in, plus a check that no other entity has filed a similar name. In the UK it is Companies House. Registers are state or country specific, so a name being free in one place says nothing about another.
3. Trademarks
A registered trademark beats a domain and a company registration. Search the USPTO database in the US, or the IPO in the UK, for your name and for names close enough to be confused with it in the same category. This is the check that stops a rebrand two years in, and it is free to do.
4. Social handles and Google
Check the handle is free on the platforms you will actually use, and search the name in Google to see who already ranks for it. A name that puts you in a fight with an established business for your own brand search is a name that will cost you money in ads forever.
What to do when your first choice is taken
Almost every good name is taken in its plainest form. That is normal, and it is not a reason to give up on the idea. What usually works:
- Add your location. Bradley Plumbing becomes Bradley Plumbing Leeds. Also helps in local search.
- Add the trade. Nomad becomes Nomad Coffee Roasters, which is clearer anyway.
- Add a short prefix. Get, Try, or My in front of the name. The checker suggests these automatically.
- Use a different ending. .co reads as a business domain and is widely accepted.
- Change one word. Often the fastest route to something better than the original.
How to name a business: what actually matters
A business name has one job, which is to make you easy to find and easy to recommend. Most naming advice ignores the practical half of that.
Say it out loud, then spell it down the phone
If someone has to ask how it is spelled, you will lose customers to a typo forever. Clever spellings, silent letters and numbers instead of words all fail this test. The name will be said aloud more often than it is read.
Descriptive names win local search, invented names win brand
"Kingsway Dental" tells a customer what you do and where, and it has a real chance of ranking for people searching for a dentist nearby. An invented name like "Vessel" gives you room to grow and a domain you can actually get, but you have to spend money teaching people what it means. For a local service business, descriptive usually wins. For something you intend to sell nationally, lean the other way.
Do not paint yourself into a corner
Names that pin you to one product or one street are the ones people most often regret. "Ashgrove Boiler Repair" is awkward the day you start doing bathrooms. Think about the widest version of the business you might plausibly run in five years, and check the name still fits.
Keep it short
Short names are easier to remember, easier to fit on a van, and easier to get a domain for as a compound. Two words is a good target and three is usually the practical limit.
Check it means nothing unfortunate
Search the name on its own, and as one word without spaces, which is how it will appear in your domain. The classic failure is a compound that reads as something else entirely once the spaces come out.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a business name is available?
Type the name into the box above and press Check availability. We check the matching domain across six endings (.com, .net, .co, .org, .biz and .us) and tell you which ones are free to register.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes. There is no cost, no signup, and no limit on how many names you can check.
What does "available" mean here?
Available means nobody currently owns that domain and you can register it today. Taken means somebody already owns it. Unknown means we could not confirm the status right now, so check again at checkout before you buy.
Why do some results say "unknown"?
Domain registries do not always answer instantly. If a lookup times out or a registry does not respond, we mark it unknown instead of guessing. Try again in a moment or verify directly with a registrar.
My exact name is taken. What now?
Scroll down to the free name ideas. We generate variations using common prefixes and suffixes like Get, Try, My, HQ, Co and Studio, and you can check any of them with one click.
Should I check a trademark too, not just a domain?
A free domain does not mean the name is legally clear to use. Before you commit, search the USPTO trademark database, or your country's equivalent, to make sure nobody has already trademarked the name in your industry.
Which ending should I pick, .com or something else?
A .com is still what most US customers expect and type from memory. If your .com is taken, .co and .us are the next best substitutes for a US business. Avoid picking an ending just because it is cheap or unusual, it makes your business harder to find.
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