Business name checker

Type a name to see if its domains are registered and its YouTube and TikTok handles look free. Then check your state's records and trademarks below.

What we check

  • yourname.com
  • yourname.net
  • yourname.co
  • yourname.io
  • yourname.ai
  • yourname.org
  • YouTube @yourname
  • TikTok @yourname
  • Instagram @yourname

Domains come from each registry's own records. Handles come from public profiles, so a closed account can still hold one.

What this checker looks at

A business name has to work in three places: on the web, on social media and in the law. This page checks the first two. It asks the registry behind each domain ending (.com, .net, .co, .io, .ai and .org) if anyone has registered the name, and it looks for a YouTube and a TikTok profile at the same handle.

The legal side lives with your state and the federal trademark office. We can't search those for you, so the section below links to each one. A name can be free as a domain and still belong to a company in your state, so check both before you print anything.

How to check if a business name is available

  1. Check the domain

    Type the name above. We drop LLC, Inc and spaces the way people register domains, so Acme Plumbing LLC checks acmeplumbing.com.

  2. Check the social handles

    The same name is checked as a YouTube and a TikTok handle. Instagram doesn't answer lookups, so tap Check on Instagram to see the profile page yourself.

  3. Search your state's business records

    Each state keeps a list of registered companies, usually at the Secretary of State. Two businesses can't register the same name in one state.

  4. Search federal trademarks

    The USPTO trademark search shows names registered or pending anywhere in the US. A trademark can block a name even if no company in your state uses it.

  5. Register what you need

    Good domains go fast. Register the domain as soon as the name passes, then file with your state.

Pro tip Check the .com even if you plan to use another ending. When someone else owns the .com, some of your customers will end up on their site.

State records and trademarks

These are the official sources. We link to them and don't copy their data.

Another state? Search for its Secretary of State business search. Every state has one, and it is free.

5 tips for a name you can keep

  1. Check more than one name

    Check your top three names, not just your favorite. Each check takes a few seconds, and a backup saves a week if the first one is taken.

  2. Keep the domain short

    A long domain gets mistyped. If yours is over 15 letters, try a shorter form of the name.

  3. Skip hyphens and numbers

    People hear your name more often than they read it. A hyphen or a 4 has to be spelled out every time you say the address.

  4. Look at who holds the .com

    Open the taken .com. A parked page may mean it is for sale. A working business in your field means you should pick another name.

  5. Match your handles

    Customers search social media by name. One handle on every platform is easier to find than three different ones.

Want names made for yours? Describe what you're naming and Nomi finds names that fit.

Frequently asked questions

Type it into the checker above. It checks six domain endings and the YouTube and TikTok handles at no cost and without an account. Then use the free state and USPTO searches linked on this page for the legal side.

A name is taken if a company in your state has registered it, or if someone holds a trademark on it for similar goods or services. For your website, it is taken if the domain is registered. This page shows the domains and handles; your state's records and the USPTO show the rest.

Available means the registry has no record of the domain. A few of these are reserved or sold at a premium price, so the registrar's page shows the final price before you pay.

No. A domain is only your web address. The legal right to the name comes from registering your business with your state and, for wider protection, a federal trademark.

Instagram shows a server the same login page for every handle, so a tool can't tell taken from free that way. The Check on Instagram link opens the profile in your browser, where you can see for yourself.

Try a small change, such as adding your city or what you do: Acme Plumbing Denver. Or start from the domain search, which writes names and only shows the ones you can register.

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