01Why name checks matter
Renaming later is expensive: new domain, new logo, new signage, lost search rankings and confused customers. Worse, using a name that conflicts with a registered trademark can lead to a cease-and-desist letter after you have already built a brand.
A careful check takes under an hour and saves months of trouble. Do it before you register the company, buy ads or order anything with the name on it.
02Check domain availability
Search the name at any domain registrar. Try the .com first, then your country domain (like .co.uk or .pk) and relevant extensions (.ai, .io, .app). If the .com is taken, open it: a parked page may be for sale; an active business in your industry is a real conflict.
Also try simple variations people might type: with and without hyphens, plural forms and common misspellings.
- Prefer short names that are easy to spell after hearing them once.
- Avoid hyphens and numbers unless they are part of the brand.
- If you use a modifier (get, try, hq), keep it consistent everywhere.
04Search trademarks & registries
Trademark databases show whether someone has legal rights to a name in your category. Search your national office (for example the USPTO in the US, UKIPO in the UK, IPO Pakistan) and WIPO's Global Brand Database for international marks. Look for identical and similar-sounding names in the same goods or services class.
Then search the official company registry where you plan to register. A registered company with the same name in an unrelated industry may be fine; one in your industry probably isn't.
This guide is not legal advice. For a name you plan to invest in heavily, ask a trademark attorney for a clearance search.
05What to do if it's taken
If the conflict is a parked domain, you can try to buy it or choose a different extension. If an active business in your industry uses the name, move on: the cost of confusion is higher than the cost of a new name.
Small changes often work: add a descriptive word (Nova Studio instead of Nova), combine two words, or invent a word that is easy to say.
- Keep a shortlist so one conflict doesn't stall you.
- Say the name out loud and type it on a phone. Both should be easy.
- Register the domain and handles as soon as you decide.
06Free name check tool
Hazana's Name Taken checker searches domains and social handles together and marks each one as available, taken or uncertain, so you can compare several names in minutes. Use it to shortlist, then run the trademark and registry checks above on your favourites.
Check a name freeFree tools for this guide
Frequently asked questions
If a domain is free, is the name safe to use?
Not on its own. Also check social handles, trademarks in your category and the company registry. A free domain only tells you nobody bought that exact address.
Do I need the .com?
It helps, especially for international or online businesses, but many brands do well with a country domain or a modifier. Consistency across your domain and handles matters more.
How do I protect the name once I choose it?
Register the domain and social handles straight away, register the company, and consider filing a trademark in your main market.
03Check social media handles
Customers will look for you on Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook. Check each handle: a taken but inactive handle is often still unavailable, and an active account in your space will compete with you in search.
Matching handles across platforms makes you easier to find and harder to impersonate.
Check names and handles at once