You've come up with a brand name. Before you print business cards, build a website, or file for a company, you need to know if it's already taken — and in the startup world, “taken” means four different things.
A name can be taken as a domain, as a social handle, as a trademark, or as a registered company name. Each of these is checked in a different place, with different consequences if you skip it. This guide walks through each one.
Step 1: Check domain availability (start here)
Your domain is the most urgent check. Domains are registered on a first-come, first-served basis and can be registered by anyone globally. A name that's available today may be gone tomorrow — especially if you mention it publicly before registering.
Do this first: Use Checkname to check .com, .io, .ai, .app, .net, .de, and .co simultaneously. It queries RDAP — the authoritative DNS lookup protocol — for each TLD in parallel.
What to do if .com is taken: Don't panic. Many successful companies operate on .io, .co, or .app. What matters is that you control your primary domain and that the handle you use on social media is consistent. However, if someone is actively using .com as a competing business, you have a branding problem — see Step 4 (trademarks).
Priority order for domains: .com > .io > .ai > .app > .co > .de > .net. For consumer products, .com dominance matters more. For developer tools, .io is widely accepted as a first-class domain.
Step 2: Check social media handles
Social handles are just as important as domains — sometimes more so, depending on your audience. The key platforms to check are:
For consumer products, Instagram is often where customers first encounter your brand. A taken username here is a significant problem.
For developer tools, open source, or any technical product, your GitHub handle is part of your identity. Developers will look for you here.
Even if you don't plan to post immediately, reserving your channel name costs nothing and prevents squatters.
Growing in importance for consumer brands. Cannot be automatically checked — must be verified manually.
Still relevant for B2B and tech. Handles are 15 chars max and often unavailable for common words.
Important for e-commerce, fashion, food, and lifestyle brands.
Less critical for startups, but important if you're targeting an older demographic or local businesses.
Fastest approach: Checkname checks Instagram, GitHub, YouTube, and Pinterest automatically. TikTok and Facebook require manual verification — we give you direct links to each.
Step 3: Check for trademark conflicts
A domain being available does not mean you're legally free to use the name. Trademarks are the most legally significant form of name ownership, and using a name that's trademarked in your industry — even if the domain and social handles are free — can result in cease-and-desist letters, forced rebranding, and litigation costs.
You don't need a lawyer for an initial check. These free databases let you search existing trademarks:
Search all registered and pending US trademarks. Look for exact matches and similar names in your product category (identified by International Class).
EUIPO eSearch (EU trademarks) ↗
European Union trademark database. Essential if you're launching in Europe or plan to expand there.
Searches trademark databases from 70+ countries simultaneously. Good for a broad international scan.
Important: Trademark conflicts are class-specific. “Apple” is trademarked by Apple Inc. for technology, but Apple Records held the “Apple” trademark in the music industry for decades. If another company uses your name in a completely different industry, it's not necessarily a problem — but this is where a trademark attorney's guidance becomes valuable.
Step 4: Check company registration databases
If you're registering a company (LLC, Ltd, GmbH, etc.), your business name must be unique within your jurisdiction. This is separate from trademarks — it's simply a legal requirement for company formation. Availability here doesn't give you trademark rights, but unavailability blocks company registration.
Search all registered UK companies. Required before forming a Ltd company in the UK.
Delaware Division of Corporations (US) ↗
Most US startups incorporate in Delaware. Check here first if you're forming a C-Corp or LLC.
Official German commercial register. Required for GmbH or AG registration in Germany.
Note: Company registration databases check exact matches and similar names. A registered “Acme Solutions GmbH” might block your “Acme Solutions Ltd” in some jurisdictions. When in doubt, consult a local company formation service.
The complete brand name availability checklist
Use this checklist every time you evaluate a new brand name:
What happens if the name is taken?
It depends on how it's taken:
Domain is taken but social handles are free
This is very common. Options: (1) Register a variant domain (.io, .co, .app) and use consistent social handles. (2) Try to buy the domain from its current owner — many registered domains sit unused and owners will sell for a reasonable price. (3) Use a prefix/suffix strategy: getname.com, tryname.com, namehq.com.
Social handles are taken but domain is free
Check whether the accounts are active. Inactive, empty accounts on social platforms can sometimes be reclaimed through their appeals process — but this is slow and not guaranteed. If the handles are actively used, consider a consistent variant across all platforms (e.g. @nameapp or @namehq).
Trademark conflict exists
This is the most serious scenario. If another company has a registered trademark for your exact name in your industry category, you should not use that name — even if the domain and social handles are available. The cost of rebranding later is far higher than finding a new name now. Consult a trademark attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a brand name is taken for free?
Use Checkname to check domain and social media availability for free. For trademarks, use the free USPTO TESS or EUIPO eSearch databases. Company registration databases are also free to search in most jurisdictions.
Does checking domain availability confirm trademark rights?
No. A domain being available means no one has registered that domain — it says nothing about trademark status. You must check trademark databases separately.
Can I use a brand name if the .com domain is taken?
In most cases, yes. Many successful companies use .io, .co, or .app as their primary domain. The key concern is whether the .com owner is a direct competitor in your industry — if so, it creates confusion and potentially legal issues. If the .com is parked (unused), that's less of a problem.
How long does it take to check brand name availability?
With Checkname, domain and social media checks take 2–4 seconds. Trademark database searches take 5–15 minutes depending on how thorough you want to be. Company register searches are usually instant.
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