Type the name you have in mind. We check it against the CRO’s register of companies and its naming rules, in seconds and with no signup.
We compare it with names already on the CRO register and test it against the CRO’s published naming rules.
Not ready to incorporate? The CRO lets you hold a name for 28 days for €25, with one 28-day extension.
We prepare and file the incorporation, and deal with the CRO if it comes back with a query on the name.
These are drawn from the CRO’s own company name guidelines and the Companies Act 2014. Our check applies them automatically.
The CRO compares names without words like “the”, “company”, “services”, “group” or a place name. Names that sound alike are refused too, even when spelled differently.
A name made only of common or descriptive words, place names or numbers won’t pass. Add a distinctive word of your own.
Some words need permission from a named body, and a name must not be offensive or suggest state backing.
| Word or feature | What applies |
|---|---|
| bank, banker, banking, banc | Central Bank of Ireland permission. This also catches derivatives such as “bancorp”. |
| society, co-op, co-operative, union | Prior permission from the Registrar of Friendly Societies. |
| credit union | Prohibited under the Credit Union Act 1997. |
| university, institute of technology | Permission from the Department of Education. |
| architect | Needs an RIAI Notice of Determination (a few terms such as “landscape architect” are exempt). |
| chamber of commerce | Permission from Chambers Ireland. |
| standard | Prohibited. |
| SE at the start or end | Reserved for a Societas Europaea (European company). |
| group, holding company, charity | The CRO may ask for supporting information. |
| € @ # $ £ and quotation marks | Symbols are not allowed in a company name. |
Source: the CRO’s Company Name Registration guidance. The CRO can change its guidance, and the Registrar has discretion under section 26 of the Companies Act 2014, so this is a guide and not a guarantee.
No. It is a preliminary check only. A name can be reserved through the CRO’s online system, CORE, for €25. The reservation lasts 28 days and can be extended once by a further 28 days. If you file your incorporation with the reservation certificate, €25 comes off the CRO incorporation fee.
The CRO judges the name as a whole, including how it sounds. A small change in spelling doesn’t help if the two names sound alike, and common words, numbers and place names don’t count as a difference.
No. The CRO does not check a proposed company name against the business names register or against trade marks. You can search business names on CORE and trade marks on the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland website before you spend money on branding.
Yes. Under section 30 of the Companies Act 2014, someone can object that a name is too similar to theirs. The Registrar can act within the first six months after incorporation and can direct the company to change its name within six weeks.
You are invited to modify the application and resubmit it. The CRO does not charge for resubmitting a rejected application, and this can be repeated until it is accepted.
No. For a standard private company the name has to end in “Limited” or “Teoranta”. We ignore the ending when we compare names, and add it when we file.
We can take it from here — incorporation, registers, tax registration and everything after.
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