What makes a strong company name?
A strong company name works at two levels simultaneously: it functions as a legal identifier for your entity and as a brand that customers remember. These two things pull in different directions. Your legal name will carry a suffix - “LLC”, “Inc.”, or “Corp.” - which means your root name needs to look and sound right with those letters appended. “Brightwave LLC” works. “BrightWaveTechnology Solutions LLC” does not.
Choose a root name, not a full description. The suffix already signals formality. Your root name should be short enough to be usable as a standalone brand. Most successful companies - Stripe, Notion, Figma - trade informally under the root name while the legal entity carries the full suffix.
Think carefully about scalability. A name like “Austin Roofing LLC” is fine if you never plan to expand beyond Austin. But if the business pivots, grows nationally, or adds new product lines, a geographic or category-specific name becomes a liability. Name the company for where it is going, not only where it is starting.
Separate your company name from your trading name if needed. The legal entity and the brand do not have to be identical. A DBA (“doing business as”) registration lets you trade under a different name from your LLC or corporation. This gives you flexibility - you can register “Meridian Ventures LLC” as the legal entity and trade as “Meridian” or even launch multiple brand names under the same entity.
How to use the company name generator
Looking for something more specific? The company name creator might be a better fit, or if “company” skews too formal, try the business name generator. If you’re naming the brand rather than the legal entity, the brand name generator is built for that.
NameCraftr is a free, AI-powered company name generator that suggests names and checks .com availability in real time for each result, or run any shortlisted name through the standalone domain name checker to confirm. Start with a specific brief, not a vague category.
Instead of “software company”, describe your actual business: “SaaS platform that helps independent insurance agents manage client renewals and policy tracking”. The more precise your input, the more distinctive and legally differentiated the output will be.
Once you have a list of candidates, apply this four-step check:
- The legal suffix test. Add “LLC” or “Inc.” to each candidate and read it aloud. Does it still sound natural? Some names that look clean on their own become awkward with a suffix. Eliminate those.
- The .com check. NameCraftr flags .com availability for every suggestion. An available .com is your first green light - it means the brand is likely to be buildable.
- State registry search. Go to your state’s Secretary of State website and search the business name database. Name uniqueness is enforced at the state level, not federally. Two LLCs with identical names can legally exist in different states - but that creates confusion for your customers and potential legal friction if you expand.
- USPTO trademark search. Check tmsearch.uspto.gov for your goods and services class. A clear trademark search means you can build a brand without risk of a cease-and-desist from an existing holder.
Run two or three batches. Tighten the brief between rounds - add your target customer, the specific problem you solve, or a word that captures your brand tone.
After the generator: registering your company name
Once a name passes all four checks, execute these steps in order:
Register the .com domain first. Do this before announcing the name publicly. Domain registrars record search activity and squatters move fast. A domain costs around $10 to $15 per year at registrars like Namecheap or Cloudflare Registrar.
Form your legal entity through your state’s Secretary of State. Most states allow online filing. A single-member LLC costs between $50 and $500 in filing fees depending on the state. Delaware is the preferred formation state for venture-backed companies and larger corporations - it has well-established corporate law, a specialised Court of Chancery, and most institutional investors are familiar with its structure. You can incorporate in Delaware even if you operate entirely in another state, though you will typically need to register as a foreign entity in your home state as well.
File a DBA if you need a trading name separate from your legal entity. DBA registration is done at the state or county level depending on your jurisdiction. Fees are generally under $50.
File a federal trademark through the USPTO. A TEAS Plus application costs $250 per class. Class 35 covers business services; Class 42 covers technology tools and software. Your priority date - the date that matters legally - is the filing date, not the approval date. File early.
Claim social handles on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram immediately after securing the domain, even if you are not active on those platforms yet.
Common company naming mistakes
Not testing the name with its legal suffix. Founders often approve a name based on how it looks in a logo mock-up, then discover it becomes unwieldy once “LLC” or “Corp.” is appended to legal documents, invoices, and contracts. Always evaluate the full legal name, not just the brand root.
Assuming state registration equals national protection. Registering your LLC name in Texas means another Texas entity cannot use the same name. It does not stop an identical LLC from operating in California, Florida, or any other state - and it does not prevent a third party from trademarking the name federally. Only a USPTO registration gives you nationwide exclusive rights.
Choosing a name that limits the business. Category-specific names (“MedTech Analytics LLC”) and geographic names (“Denver Digital LLC”) create real problems when the business expands or pivots. The registration process is permanent and renaming a legal entity is time-consuming and expensive. Make the name broad enough to survive a product pivot or geographic expansion before you file.
Registering the domain before checking the state registry and USPTO. Domain registration costs $15. A trademark conflict can cost thousands in legal fees and force a full rebrand. Do the free searches first, then buy the domain.
Stopping at one batch of suggestions. The first batch from any generator is a starting point, not a final answer. If the suggestions feel generic, add specifics to your brief - your exact customer type, the core problem you solve, and a tone word (“reassuring”, “fast”, “technical”). The second or third batch is almost always more useful.