Company Name vs Trading Name: Do You Need to Change?

A company name is the legal name registered at Companies House; a trading name is a brand the company uses with customers, and a limited company can trade under one without changing its registered name. If you only want a new brand, a trading name may be enough. If you want the bank, contracts, invoices and the public register to show the new name too, change the company name: it costs £20 at Companies House and keeps the same company number. This guide explains the rules for each and how to decide.

Company Name vs Trading Name: The Difference

Can a Limited Company Use a Trading Name?

Yes. GOV.UK says a company can trade using a different name to its registered name, known as a business name. Business names must not:

• include Limited, Ltd, limited liability partnership, LLP, public limited company or plc
• contain a sensitive word or expression unless you have permission

And if the business name is too similar to another company’s trade mark, you may have to change it if someone complains. Check the words you want to use in our free company name checker, which flags sensitive words as well as existing company names.

What Must Still Show the Registered Name?

Using a trading name does not hide the company behind it. The company must:

• Include its registered name on all company documents, publicity and letters
• Show on business letters, order forms and its website: the registered number, the registered office address, where it is registered (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) and that it is a limited company
• Display a sign with the company name at the registered office and wherever the business operates (not at a home it runs from)
• Follow the separate rules on what invoices must show

In practice that means a website footer such as “Brightline is a trading name of Example Holdings Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 12345678, registered office …”.

When Is a Formal Name Change Better?

A trading name works well for a second brand or a product line. A change of company name is usually the better choice when:

1. The new name is your only brand. Customers will see the registered name on invoices, contracts and the website footer anyway. Two different names look confusing.
2. Your bank account and payments should show it. The bank account is in the registered name, so payments, cards and statements show that name.
3. You sign contracts or tenders. Contracts are with the legal entity. Clients and suppliers search the register for the name they are dealing with.
4. You want to stop another company registering it. A registered company name blocks another company from registering the same name; a trading name does not.
5. The old name no longer fits, for example after a merger, a change of owner or a move into a new market.

How a Company Name Change Works

Most companies change their name by special resolution: shareholders holding at least 75% of the votes agree to it. The change is then filed with Companies House for £20 online, and Companies House issues a new certificate of incorporation. The company number, tax references and bank account stay the same; you update your website, letterheads, signs, bank and contracts with the new name. The full steps are in how to change a company name, and the naming rules in choosing a company name.

CorpAssist handles the whole change for £89.99, including the £20 fee: we check the new name, prepare the special resolution for your shareholders to sign and file it. See our company name change service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official guidance: signs, stationery and promotional material and choosing a company name on GOV.UK.

Rules and fees checked against GOV.UK in October 2026. CorpAssist is an independent commercial service and is not Companies House or GOV.UK.