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Startup Name Check
The most expensive naming mistake is made before the company exists: founders incorporate first and check later. Then the .com turns out to be taken, the Instagram handle belongs to someone else, or a live trademark blocks the name — and fixing it means rebranding, re-filing, and re-printing everything. The check is free. Do it before you file.
Check My Startup Name Free →The pre-incorporation checklist, in order
- Domain — .com first: check the exact .com against the registry (RDAP), live. If it is taken, shortlist alternatives now — before the name is on legal paperwork. NameCheck shows 12 ranked alternatives with one-tap .com re-checks.
- Social handles — format, then manual availability: verify the name fits each platform's handle rules (length, allowed characters) for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X — NameCheck does this automatically. Then check availability by hand on each platform; consistent handles make you findable.
- Trademark pre-screen: search the official databases (USPTO in the US, EUIPO in the EU) for the exact name and close variants, and look for live marks in your classes of goods or services. This is a pre-screen, not legal advice — but it catches the names that would obviously fail. See also: Free Trademark Search.
- Company registry — separate step: domain and trademark checks do not cover the business register. Check your state or country's company name register for LLC / corporation name availability. See: LLC Name Availability.
Why the order matters
A name that is "available" in one system can be blocked in another. The .com can be free while a trademark blocks you; the trademark can be clear while the company register rejects the name. Running all four checks before you incorporate means the name on your filing is a name you can actually use — on the web, on social, and on the product.
Common mistakes founders make
- Only Googling the name. Google shows who ranks, not who registered. A .com registered ten years ago with no website will not show up in search results — but it still blocks you.
- Checking the .com and stopping. A free domain means nothing if the handles are taken or a famous mark is confusingly similar. One pass, three systems.
- Assuming a taken .com means the name is "owned". Domain registration is not trademark ownership, and a parked domain does not give anyone rights to the name. Check the trademark separately.
- Picking a purely descriptive name. "Fast Delivery Co." describes the service — descriptive names are hard to protect and hard to own. Distinctive names clear trademark screening more easily.
FAQ
Should I register the domain before I incorporate?
If the .com is free and you like the name, yes — register it the same day. Domains are first-come, first-served, and a good name rarely stays free for long.
Does NameCheck check the company registry?
No. NameCheck checks the .com domain live, social handle formats, and runs a trademark pre-screen. Company registry availability (LLC / corporation names) is a separate filing check with your state or country's register.
What does the $9 report add?
The free check gives you the live verdict. The $9 one-time Clearance Report packages it into a keepable document: domain verdicts across 6 TLDs with sources, handle checks, trademark pre-screen, 12 ranked alternatives, filing classes, and a next-step checklist.
Check My Startup Name Free →
More: Is My Business Name Taken? · Check Domain Availability · Business Name vs Domain Name
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