A company in Hong Kong may have a name in English only, in Chinese only, or both English and Chinese names.
The name of limited liability companies must end with “Limited.”
A company may not use a name that is identical to an already existing company.
When selecting a company name, it is recommended to check that such name is not already registered as a trademark).
Businesses can choose descriptive, geographic, or abstract names.
If you have a company name in mind, you can contact us and we will help you confirm if it is available.
There are many steps to address when starting a business.
The first one is to select the right company name for your Hong Kong company.
Many entrepreneurs may first look at their desired business name from a marketing perspective only.
However, there are many other legal and administrative aspects to consider to ensure that your proposed name will not be rejected or challenged after registration (which would cost time and money).
Key Requirements for a Hong Kong Company Name
The following are the requirements for a Hong Kong company name:
- The name of the company can be Chinese or English
- If written in Chinese, the company name must end with 有限公司, while an English company name must end with "Limited" ("Ltd" is not accepted)
- Traditional Chinese characters found in the Ci Hai or Kang Xi dictionaries as well as the ISO 10646 international coding standard must be used in the Chinese company name. Names with simplified Chinese characters are not accepted.
Company Name Restrictions
A company name cannot be registered if:
- It matches a name with one listed in the Registrar of Companies' Index of Company Names.
- A company incorporated by an ordinance has an identical name.
- The Registrar considers its use to constitute a criminal offence.
- The Registrar consider it is offensive or not in the public interest.
- Chinese characters and English letters cannot be combined to form a name.
- A name that implies the company has ties to:
- The Central People’s Government
- The government of Hong Kong
- The Central People's Government or the Hong Kong government's departments or agencies
While registering a company name with the Companies Registry must be done for legal recognition, the name or its parts do not immediately grant trademark rights or other intellectual property protections.
But it's important to stay away from choosing a name that could infringe on existing brand names or trademarks. The chosen name should be sufficiently distinct from other registered company names and trademarks to prevent potential legal disputes.
How Do I Know If My Company Name Is Available?
The proposed name for a Hong Kong company must be distinctive and not confusingly similar to any other company name already in use. Companies with the same name cannot be incorporated under the Companies Ordinance. Also, even if a proposed name is not identical, the Registrar of Companies has the power to require a name change if it is deemed too similar to a company that has already been registered.
The first priority is to do a Hong Kong company name search to check if the proposed name that you have in mind is available for registration.
You can do this by visiting the website of the Hong Kong Companies Registry's Cyber Search Centre or Company Search Mobile Service.
This company name search tool is completely free.
If you already have a company name in mind, you can contact our experts, who will check for you if it is available for registration.
At the same time, your company secretary can assist you with this process and advise on other legal aspects to consider when choosing a new company name.
Tips for choosing a company name
| Element | Description | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Uniqueness | Name must be distinct from other registered names. | Check the Companies Registry database for similar names. |
| Language | Names can be registered in English, Chinese, or both. | Use Traditional Chinese for local appeal. |
| Restricted Words | Words like "Government," "Bank," "Insurance" require approval due to regulatory restrictions. | Avoid using restricted words without proper authorization. |
| Trademark Compliance | Name should not infringe on any trademarks. | Conduct a trademark search to prevent legal issues. |
| Legal Structure Indicator | Limited companies must end with "Limited" or "有限公司" (in Chinese) to denote limited liability. | Helps clarify the legal structure for clients and partners. |
| Domain Name Availability | Ensure the desired company name’s domain is available for online branding. | Secure a domain for consistency in digital presence. |
| Descriptiveness | Names can be descriptive (industry-specific), geographic, or abstract. | Balance descriptiveness with brand distinctiveness. |
Can My Company Name Be in Chinese?
Your Hong Kong company can have an English name format, a Chinese name format, or both.
However, a combination of Chinese and English characters in the same name is prohibited.
If you select a Chinese company name format, please note that it shall be registered in traditional Chinese characters (simplified Chinese characters are not currently accepted for registration).
Extension
When registering a Hong Kong company, you'll choose a company structure and company type.
The proposed name for a limited liability company will finish with “Limited” in English or “有限公司” in Chinese.
It is not possible to use a contraction such as “Ltd.”
Distinctiveness
Your registered company name should be sufficiently unique and distinctive.
You will not be able to register a certain name for your company if it is a duplicate of a name already used by another company.
The problem will be the same if your proposed company name is too similar to that of an existing company.
In this respect, you should pay attention to symbols and abbreviations that you may use in your company name.
For example, the following will be considered the same:
- “&”, “and”
- “Hong Kong”, “HK”, “Hong Kong”
- “FE”, “Far East”
- “ABC”, “the ABC”
Government Names
Pay attention to not selecting a company name format that may be seen as too close to that of government agencies.
Avoid company names including words such as “Government” (政府), “Department” (部 門), “Bureau” (局), “Authority” (委員會), “Council” (議會), or “Commission” (公署) in their title.
This may cause lengthy questions and lead to the rejection of your company name proposal.
Names Subject to Pre-approval
A pre-approval will be required if your company name format includes references to “chamber of commerce,” “kaifong,” “levy,” “trust,” or “trustee.”
Correctness
Your proposed company name cannot be offensive or otherwise contrary to the public interest.
Do I Need to Register My Company Name as a Trademark?
Avoid using a company name that has already been registered as a trademark by one of your competitors.
You do not want to start your company, open a bank account, start doing business, or receive a warning letter or a court order requesting that you change your company name.
At the time of registering your company name, the Companies Registry will not check if it is identical or similar to existing trademarks.
Please also note that the above-mentioned Hong Kong Company Registry's Cyber Search Centre or Company Search Mobile Service name search tools do not check for trademarks.
Verifying that your company name does not violate a trademark can be checked on the public Online Search System of the Intellectual Property Department of Hong Kong
After registering your company name, it is a good idea to register it as a trademark.
We can assist you with trademark availability search and registration in Hong Kong and Mainland China if you need to.
Changing of Company Name
At any time during the life of your business, you may want to change the company name.
A company name change may be made by passing a special resolution of the general meeting and submitting to the HK Companies Registry a Form NNC2.
Upon completion of the name change procedures, the Companies will receive a Certificate of Name Change issued by the Companies Registry, which will indicate the company's original name as well as its new corporate name.
The company will also receive a new Business Registration Certificate.
Once the name change is effective, the company shall notify its bank and other business partners of its name change.
Have a name in mind? Register it today with Air Corporate!
With Air Corporate, focus on your business while we take care of the rest.
