Name Availability Tools

Name Check Tools

How to Check if Your Company Name is Available

Finding a name that has all the qualities and characteristics that you’re looking for AND is available for use is one the biggest challenges facing start-up owners.

It’s a fact. Finding a distinctive name for a new business gets more challenging. Thousands of entrepreneurs launch new businesses every day. Each one looking for that perfect name that sets them apart from others in their industry.

There’s also increased global competition for company names. The internet and globalization have increased the intensity – and exponentially quadrupled the scarcity – of original and engaging names.

Adding to the naming challenge is the requirement that you can secure the matching dot-com domain extension. That means if you like the name Anasun, you have to acquire the domain name Anasun.com – not Anasun.net, AnasunIndia.com, MyAnasun.com or a million other domain options. To be found on the internet, your customers expect to find you at Anasun.com – nothing else.

So after you’ve found that “eye-popping” name for your new company, here are eight naming tools to ensure check availability and usability:

1. Enter Your Name Choice into Your Navigation Bar. Type the domain name into your navigation bar and see what comes up. This is a simple easy way to start.

2. Take Advantage of Search Engines. Search in Google, Bing, Ask, DuckDuckGo and other search engines. This is easy to do and will tell you right off how the name is being used. You should also consider typing various spellings of the name, or possible typos to see what comes up. We stopped a client who almost adopted a name that was one letter off a global porn site.

3. Explore Whois.net. Here is a tool that will help you find out ownership and history of your domain name. Just type the domain name in Whois.net. It’s free and you’ll get an immediate response on the domain name status.

4. Check for a Shady Past. You don’t want to start with a name that has a checkered history. Archive.org/web is a tool to check the past use of your name. You can take a peek at how the name has been used at select periods over time.

5. Local, State & Regional Name Registration Search. Consider expanding your search to check if the business name is registered with municipalities, state or regional authorities. In many jurisdictions, names must be registered locally.

6. Trademark Name Search. You’ll also want to know if your name choice has been registered. The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has a free tool to check if the name has been registered. Search the USPTO database at USPTO Search.

7. Advanced Search. Consider advanced research tools like DomainTools.com where you’ll be able to perform more robust domain name searches, including a full history of the domain name.

8. Search NamingTools Available Name Inventory. NamingTools maintains a directory of available company names that are ready to use. Use our name search tool to find your name. Available Names