Company and LLP Names and Name Changes
Must register name at CH
Private limited companies end in ‘limited’ or 'ltd’
Public limited companies end in ‘public limited company' or 'plc’
LLPS end in 'limited liability partnership' or 'LLP’
No identical name can be registered
o some things are excluded for working out if a name is the same as
an existing: the Registrar will ignore:
the word 'the' where followed by a blank space and 'www.’ at the
start of a name
words such as LLP, ltd, plc and punctuation
certain words and symbols are treated us the same e.g. 'and', '&', '@'
and 'at'
Prohibited and restricted words
o cannot be registered if it is an offensive name s.53 CA
o s.54 CA cannot be registered if its name suggests a connection with
government
o s.55 CA cannot be registered if it contains a sensitive word
o s.75 and s.76 CA provisions about misleading names.
Companies - Disclosure Requirements
CA and Company Limited Liability Partnerships and Business (Names and Trading
Disclosures) Regulations 2015 impose an obligation on companies to disclose certain
information:
o Registered name must appear on business letters, correspondence, invoices,
orders and websites etc.
o Place of registration (country), registered number, registered office address
on all business letters, order forms and website
o Display its name at its registered office and other places of business
Often a company will incorporate and trade under the same name
Some might trade under a different name to the one registered at CH
Name registered at CH is 'company name', name it may trade under is '
business name’
o E.g. Frasers Group PLC Flannels, Sports Direct, Jack Wills etc
to some may be companies in their own right but they are all trading
names of Frasers Group plc.
Compulsory Name Change
s.66(1) CA a name must not be the same as that of another registered
company/LLP
A company/LLP may be ordered to change its name:
o s.67 and s.68 CA within 12 months of registration if it is the same or 'too
like’ an existing name
o s.75 CA within 5 years if misleading info was given at the time
of registration
Must register name at CH
Private limited companies end in ‘limited’ or 'ltd’
Public limited companies end in ‘public limited company' or 'plc’
LLPS end in 'limited liability partnership' or 'LLP’
No identical name can be registered
o some things are excluded for working out if a name is the same as
an existing: the Registrar will ignore:
the word 'the' where followed by a blank space and 'www.’ at the
start of a name
words such as LLP, ltd, plc and punctuation
certain words and symbols are treated us the same e.g. 'and', '&', '@'
and 'at'
Prohibited and restricted words
o cannot be registered if it is an offensive name s.53 CA
o s.54 CA cannot be registered if its name suggests a connection with
government
o s.55 CA cannot be registered if it contains a sensitive word
o s.75 and s.76 CA provisions about misleading names.
Companies - Disclosure Requirements
CA and Company Limited Liability Partnerships and Business (Names and Trading
Disclosures) Regulations 2015 impose an obligation on companies to disclose certain
information:
o Registered name must appear on business letters, correspondence, invoices,
orders and websites etc.
o Place of registration (country), registered number, registered office address
on all business letters, order forms and website
o Display its name at its registered office and other places of business
Often a company will incorporate and trade under the same name
Some might trade under a different name to the one registered at CH
Name registered at CH is 'company name', name it may trade under is '
business name’
o E.g. Frasers Group PLC Flannels, Sports Direct, Jack Wills etc
to some may be companies in their own right but they are all trading
names of Frasers Group plc.
Compulsory Name Change
s.66(1) CA a name must not be the same as that of another registered
company/LLP
A company/LLP may be ordered to change its name:
o s.67 and s.68 CA within 12 months of registration if it is the same or 'too
like’ an existing name
o s.75 CA within 5 years if misleading info was given at the time
of registration
