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Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority

Step 3.1: Choosing a business name

Learn how to check and choose a business name after you decide on your business structure.

Apply for new business entity name (opens in new tab)
Last updated 31 July 2026

Note: You must apply for a business name (opens in new tab) before you can run a business in Singapore.

Thumbnail for Explainer for choosing a company or business name

Rules and guidelines

Avoid names which are:

  • Identical to an existing business or reserved name.

  • Undesirable, such as those containing vulgar, obscene, or offensive terms.

  • Similar to government bodies or names protected by legislation, such as Temasek.

Note: Some names require approval by referral authorities. For example, if your proposed name contains the word “school”, it may be referred to the Ministry of Education. This can add 14 to 60 days to your processing time.

If you plan to apply for charity status, check the naming rules for charities (opens in new tab).

Checking for identical or reserved names

Once you have decided on a name for your business or company, you should check if it is available.

Ways to check name availability

To check

Follow these steps

  • Existing business names

  • Domain names for websites

  • Social media usernames

  • Trade marks to avoid

  1. Visit the e-Adviser for Starting a Business. (opens in new tab)

  2. Search your proposed business name.

  • Reserved business names

  1. Visit Bizfile. (opens in new tab)

  2. Under "Search for business information", select Reserved name.

  3. Search your desired business name to confirm that there are no results.

Note: If you choose a name that already exists, your registration will likely be rejected. Registration fees are non-refundable.

Choosing a unique business name

If your name is identical or too similar to one that's already been registered or reserved:

  • Consider using a different name.

  • Add clear, meaningful words so it stands out.

Disregarded words

Some words don’t count as differences. For example, adding “The,” “Pte Ltd,” or “Singapore” does not make the name unique.

If you only change these, your registration will be rejected.

Examples

Disregarded words

Examples

The (at start of name)

  • The Morning Caffeine Pte Ltd

Geographical or regional words, such as: Asia, Asia Pacific, South Asia, South East Asia, Singapore, and Worldwide

  • Morning Caffeine Asia Pte Ltd

  • Morning Caffeine Singapore Pte Ltd

  • Morning Caffeine Worldwide Pte Ltd

Business descriptors, such as: Company, And Company, Corporation, Group, Associates, Holdings, Incorporated, International, Trading, Partners, and Partnership

  • Morning Caffeine Company Pte Ltd

  • Morning Caffeine International Pte Ltd

  • Morning Caffeine Partnership Pte Ltd

Entity type variants, such as: Pte, Ltd, LLP, LP, PAC, Berhad, Bhd, Sdn, Private, Limited, Sendirian, Public Accounting Corporation, Limited Liability Partnership, and Limited Partnership

  • Morning Caffeine LLP

  • Morning Caffeine Sdn Bhd

  • Morning Caffeine PAC

Domain suffixes, such as: .co, .com, .edu, .gov, .net, .org, and .sg

  • Morning Caffeine .com

  • Morning Caffeine .sg

  • Morning Caffeine .org

For more information, read our policy statement on business names and name complaints (opens in new tab).