Business Name Availability FAQs

A name availability check does not reserve the name for you; it’s merely a snapshot to see if your desired name is eligible and available. Name reservation goes one step further to hold the name for a brief period of time, preventing other businesses from claiming it for themselves.

It depends on the state. For example, one state may bar the plural of an existing name, whereas others won’t. Additionally, each state has its own required and prohibited terms. CT knows all the ins and outs, so you can focus on procuring the most impactful name for your business.

A corporation, LLC, or other type of business can have only one legal name at a time. This name is protected—no other business can have a legal name that is deceptively similar. In contrast, a business can have several assumed, “doing business as (DBA)” names at once, which remain unprotected.