The LLC name you choose is vital because it’s the first step you need to complete before completing all the paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office to form an LLC (limited liability company). The first step on your business journey is finding a good business name that’s available to use for your company.
You might think that choosing a business name for your limited liability company would be easy, but there are lots of different rules and regulations involving LLC names, and they vary from state to state, meaning you’ll need to check your state’s guidelines regarding LLC names, business names, or company names.
Aside from the regulations regarding business names, you need to choose a good business name that makes sense and doesn’t confuse customers. Before you finalize your choice, read my comprehensive guide on how to create a business name to pick the perfect option for your company.
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about LLC company names and give you a list of the best LLC company names, ideas, and examples.
75 Best LLC Company Names, Ideas, and Examples
We’ll kick things off with a list of catchy LLC names for business entities to get your inspiration flowing. Here are 75 LLC name examples:
- Shimmering Beauty
- The Career Coach
- Phoenix LLC
- ExeCuteIve
- Roll It Up
- Joyous
- Mentor LLC
- Squeaky Clean
- Ace Industries
- Best Buyers
- Omega LLC
- Your Spark
- $pend Investments
- Your Mentor
- SalesPush
- Wholesale Shirts
- Ideal Action
- Education Nation
- Slick Pick
- Song Birds
- Knowz-It-All
- Blokes Coach
- Essence of Excellence
- Life Quest
- Protege LLC
- Rev It Up
- Cool Beans LLC
- Prosper Fitness
- Dun Write
- Cool Cats
- Writers Extraordinaire
- What-A-Catch
- Catch 22
- Revolution LLC
- You Can’t Sit Here
- The Write Software
- Sparkster
- Seekit
- Great Life
- Aeris LLC
- Big Brains LLC
- The World’s End
- Street Beats LLC
- Pink on Wednesdays
- Ingenious Me
- The Watcher’s Watch Group
- Skeleton Crew
- Books and Brews
- Black Books
- My Morning Coffee
- Coffee and Crafts
- Hail Hydra(tion)
- Mystique Beauty
- Grammar Police Tutors
- Awesome LLC
- Silver Bullets
- Piano Perfection
- Electric Life
- Stupid Cupid
- The Fast Lane
- AfterLife
- The Hobbit Hole
- 7th Heaven
- The Weary Traveler Inn
- Good Seeds
- Big Spender Investments
- A Spoonful of Sugar
- World of PaperCraft
- Lily White
- Munster Media
- Best Life Beauty
- Shoot to Thrill
- Goth Gardening
- The Dirty Dancer
LLC Name Availability
You need to make sure that the business name you want to use is available. In most states, you’re not allowed to use an LLC name that’s already being used by another company.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to find out a business name’s availability through your Secretary of State’s business name database website. To easily verify if your preferred name is already taken, use my simple guide to conducting a business name search effectively.
For example, if you’ve chosen an LLC name like “AfterLife LLC,” you’ll use the database to find out if any other company has an LLC company name that starts with “AfterLife.” So, run a search for both “AfterLife LLC” and “AfterLife” to see if any other company has chosen this as their LLC company name.
Ensuring that the business name you’ve chosen isn’t being used as an LLC company name by any other business gives you what is known as a “distinguishable” LLC name. This means that your LLC name can be distinguished from every other business name in the state. For businesses in New York, you can perform a nys LLC lookup to confirm your name's uniqueness quickly and easily.
This important step prevents you from infringing on the business name rights of other businesses while also ensuring that your LLC name stands out from other businesses. If you’re based in California, streamline this process using my guide on performing a California company search to verify name availability.
LLC Name Requirements
There’s one major LLC name requirement you need to remember if you own a limited liability company.
If you own an LLC, your LLC name has to contain the words “Limited Liability Company.” You can use abbreviations in your LLC company name instead, like “L.L.C.” or, the most common, “LLC.”
So, if you wanted to use the business name “Munster Media,” according to LLC name requirements, you’d have to include the words “Limited Liability Company,” or an abbreviation. So, the LLC name would instead be something like “Munster Media LLC” or “Munster Media L.L.C.”
LLC Name Restrictions
Another thing to consider when choosing LLC names is that certain words are prohibited in LLC names.
The first list of prohibited words you should know about as a new business owner includes words that imply the business is a corporation or other sort of business entity besides an LLC. Businesses designated as LLCs must reflect that business structure in their LLC company names. If you're considering a more complex business structure, you might explore whether an LLC holding company suits your needs.
Therefore, LLC names can’t contain words like “Incorporated,” “Corporation,” “Inc.,” or “Corp.”
So, if you choose “Coffee and Crafts” as your LLC business name, you can’t use “Coffee and Crafts Corp.” or “Coffee and Crafts Inc.” as your business name. Instead, you’ll need to choose “Coffee and Crafts LLC” or “Coffee and Crafts L.L.C.” as your LLC company name.
Most states also have a list of restricted words that can’t be used in LLC names, but can be used in other business names. It typically depends on both your business structure and your industry. If you're registering your LLC in North Carolina, conducting an nc business entity search is essential to ensure your desired LLC name isn't already in use.
For instance, you’re typically not allowed to use words like “bank” or “banking,” “insurance,” “police,” or “government” in your business name unless that is your business industry. This is partially because an insurance company can’t gain an LLC designation in most places, and you can’t present your LLC as an insurance company if it isn’t one.
Some states disqualify words entirely from being used in any business names, while other states require you to get approval from state agencies to use the restricted words to name your LLC.
If you use words like “bank” or “insurance” in your name, you’ll have to get approval from the Department of Banking or the Department of Insurance, respectively, before you can use them in the name of your LLC.
LLC Name Distinguishability
One of the most important factors to consider when naming your LLC is that it must be “distinguishable.” This means that another business can’t have the same name as yours, and no two LLC business names can be identical. For instance, if your LLC is based in North Carolina, make sure to conduct a North Carolina company search to avoid similarity issues.
It can’t be too similar to another legal business name in the state, either. I mentioned earlier how to use the business name database to find out if other business names are the same as yours, but now I’ll teach you how to determine whether other LLC business names are similar to the one you want to name your LLC. To confirm your LLC name isn't already taken or similar to another, conduct a business name search following my detailed instructions.
This is important because if another company has already chosen the LLC business name that you want or something too similar, the state won’t approve your LLC formation legal documents.
Corporate Designators
Corporate designations are the suffixes used at the end of business names.
For corporations, examples include “Corp.” and “Inc.” For limited liability companies, these include “L.L.C.” and “LLC.”
Unfortunately, adding a designator that’s different from the designator used in another business name doesn’t make your company name distinguishable.
Let’s say you wanted to name your LLC “$pend Investments LLC,” but you find that there’s already a company using the name “$pend Investments Inc.” This would mean that you’ll need to find a different name for your LLC because this one isn’t available. The two company names are too similar. So, choose something like “Wise $pending LLC.”
Singular, Plural, and Possessive Words
LLC business names with variations of singular, plural, or possessive words aren’t distinguishable, either.
So, if you choose “Cool Beans LLC” as the name for your LLC and you find that there’s another company with an entity name of “Cool Bean LLC,” you can consider this name unavailable because it’s too similar to the other company’s name. Instead, you can call it something like “Cool Coffee Beans LLC.”
“A,” “An,” or “The”
Using “A,” “An,” or “The” doesn’t make LLC business names distinguishable, either.
If you choose “Best Buyers” as your name and find out that there’s another company using the name “The Best Buyers,” you’ll have to go back to the drawing board. You could instead try something like “Brilliant Buyers LLC” or “Buying Solutions LLC.”
“And,” “Or,” and “&”
The use of conjunctions like “and,” “or,” or “&” in LLC names doesn’t create distinguishability.
If you choose to name your salon “Curl Up & Dye,” and you find that another company is using the legal name “Curl Up and Dye,” you’ll need to think of another business name, such as “Cut and Dye LLC.”
Punctuation and Special Characters
Business names that contain punctuation or special characters aren’t distinguishable.
Examples of these characters include:
- Slashes (/) or (\)
- Commas (,)
- Hyphens (-)
- Periods (.)
- Question marks (?)
- Colons (:)
- Exclamation marks (!)
- Other special characters (#, $, %, @)
So, if you choose the name “$mart Money Investments LLC” and discover that another business is operating under the name “Smart Money Investments LLC,” you’ll need to think of another name, such as “Ingenious Investments LLC.”
Numbers or Names of Numbers
The use of numerals (“1,” “2,” “10,” etc.) or the name of a number (“one,” “two,” “ten”) doesn’t make LLC names distinguishable.
If you choose a business name like “7th Heaven” and you learn that another business is using the name “Seventh Heaven,” you’ll have to change your name to something like “Total Bliss LLC.”
Deceptive Similarities
Sometimes you’ll see businesses with names that are deceptively similar to yours. Most states will reject your application if this is the case.
If you choose the name “Freaky Fast Delivery Services LLC” and you find out there’s a company called “Freaking Fast Delivery Services LLC,” you should consider this name unavailable. Instead, you could choose something like “Rapid Dash Delivery LLC.”
Examples of Words You Can Use in Your LLC Name
Here are some words you can use in your business name:
- Consulting
- Advisors
- Group
- Management
- Realty
- Associates
- Company
- Holdings
- Capital
- Development
- Investments
- Media
- Publishing
- Studios
- Ventures
- Management Group
- Partners
- Team
Good LLC Business Names
There are several things you need to consider aside from all the rules, restrictions, and legal guidelines for LLC names.
You should choose a name that is relevant to your business and doesn’t confuse potential customers.
You also should avoid using your personal name in the business name because it’s limiting to your business. Just because “Johnny’s Crafts Store” is a decent name for your small business now doesn’t mean that it’ll be a good idea years later if you want to expand your company to include more LLC members, or sell the company to someone else.
You should also avoid using words that have the potential to stifle your business growth. For instance, if you call your business something like “Bob’s Burgers” it would be difficult to add wings and other entrees to the menu later. Or if you choose a name like “Speedy Bike Deliveries,” you’ll be limited to bicycle deliveries rather than expanding your business to include vehicles in the future.
Here are some things to consider to help you develop a good business name:
Brandable Names
When thinking about business names, you should think about brand names. Your name should be brandable. This means it shouldn’t describe an individual or persona, but instead help you to develop a persona. You shouldn’t think of your business as yourself, but as your brand.
A good branded business name should be catchy and memorable. It should also be something that’s easy to pronounce, write, and spell.
Concise and Easy
In terms of branding, you should use a name that isn’t long, but rolls off the tongue and is easy to spell. You’re looking for a short name that consists of consonants and vowels, or vowel sounds.
Ex: Zara
In that example, it’s not a name that refers to a person. Rather, the business name was used to create a persona.
Your business name should use letters that flow nicely together and it should be easily pronounced.
Keep It Short
Don’t add too many words, or letters if you’re using an acronym. If you use too many words or letters, people won’t remember it. It will also be difficult to fit on your advertisements.
Don’t use overly complicated words. No one is going to remember your business name if they have to look up the words in a dictionary to understand them.
Don’t Use Generic Words
On the other hand, there’s such a thing as too simple. In most instances, generic words won’t tell customers anything about your business. If you run a business that sells clothes, don’t just use the word “Clothes.” Instead, get specific by using words like “Accessories” or “Fashion.”
Use Unique Words
It can be difficult to find short, easy-to-read-and-remember words. But you also need to choose unique words that make your business name stand out. When you use a word that isn’t seen every day, this will make your business name stand out in the minds of your customers. It can also add a bit of pizzazz to your brand name.
Steps to Registering Your LLC Name
Here are the steps you’ll need to take to register your LLC name with a state office or state department in your area.
- Decide what your company name should be.
- Make sure that another company doesn’t have the same name.
- Decide what sort of business you’ll run and the type of LLC you want.
- Check your state’s LLC name requirements.
- Find out the requirements to learn whether small businesses should register their names with the county or state government.
- Follow all the guidelines to register your LLC name, including making a payment for the filing fee.
Fictitious Names
If you aren’t fond of your LLC’s legal name, you can register for what is known in business law as a fictitious name, DBA name (“Doing Business As” name), or trade name.
A DBA name is the business name that you present to the world. You’ll feature this name on your signs, advertisements, websites, and everything else.
Domain Names
Most businesses also apply for a matching domain name when they register their business name. A domain name is the physical address of your website. An example of a domain name would be “www.facebook.com.”
You don’t have to include the words “Limited Liability Company,” or abbreviations like “LLC” or “L.L.C.” in your domain name. You can add them if you choose to, but generally people choose not to add the abbreviations because they don’t look good.
You should use most of the words in your business name in your domain name, however. This creates consistent branding and means that people will be able to find you online and associate one name with your business. Additionally, if you need to verify tax details later on, performing an ein search by company name can help you quickly retrieve the necessary information.
Trademarks
If you want to ensure that no one else can use your business name, it’s a good idea to get your business name trademarked. When you have a trademarked name, other businesses or people can’t use the name without being vulnerable to lawsuits and potential punishments, such as paying fines, changing their business name, or closing their business.
Without a trademark, your business name is reserved in the state your business is located in, but not nationwide. This means that another business in a different state could use the same business name as you and possibly use dubious business tactics, making customers weary of your business. Or, customers could simply be confused by a number of businesses with the same name. Many business owners decide to get their business name trademarked to avoid this.
You can get your LLC name trademarked by filling out applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
LLC Name Changes
If you reach a point where you want to change your LLC name, the good news is that you can do so easily.
All you have to do is file an LLC name amendment. But you should note that this will only change your LLC name with the state, not everywhere.
You’ll also need to change your LLC name with the IRS and change the LLC name on your business bank account. You should also update things on your end, like your website, domain name, advertisement and marketing materials, credit and debit cards, business cards, and anything else that displays your LLC name.
Because it’s such a difficult and tedious process to change your LLC name, I recommend you take your time and choose a good LLC name from the start.
Conclusion
It’s important that you choose a good LLC name so that you have a smooth LLC formation process. The name you choose will set the tone for the future of your business and its success. There are several rules regarding LLC names, such as not using restricted words and making sure that your LLC name is distinguishable from other business names. But if you use the tips in this article, you should have all the information you need to formulate a great LLC name that meets all your needs.
For more information about how to form an LLC, read my article about how to start an LLC.
If you’d like to get through the LLC formation process easily, you should consider hiring an LLC formation service. For more information about what an LLC formation service can do for you, check out my article about the best LLC services.
