The eight tests, in order.
Run every candidate name through all eight before you spend a penny on a domain. If it fails any of the first six, drop it.
1. The pub test.
Read the name out loud, in a normal pub voice, three times. Can the person opposite you spell it correctly first time, without asking? If not, fail. Most made-up "tech-sounding" names fail this test the moment they leave the spreadsheet.
2. The Google test.
Type the name into Google. If page one is dominated by an existing business, especially in a similar field, drop it. You will spend years fighting for the top spot for your own name.
3. The Companies House test.
Search the name on find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. If something close exists, especially in your sector or county, drop it. You will get post for them, they will get post for you, and one day a customer will pay them by mistake.
4. The trademark test.
Search the name on gov.uk/search-for-trademark. If a registered trademark exists in your class, drop it. Trademark fights are expensive even when you are in the right.
5. The domain test.
The .co.uk should be free. The .com is a bonus, not a requirement. If the .co.uk is parked or for sale at a stupid price, that is a soft fail. Pick a different name unless you really, really love this one.
6. The handles test.
Check Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and (if relevant to your trade) LinkedIn. If the exact handle is taken on more than one major platform, you will end up with a different name on every channel and customers will get confused. A short suffix is fine ("we-do" prefix, "-uk" suffix). Random numbers are not.
7. The "ten years" test.
Read the name out and ask: would I be embarrassed to say this in ten years if the business goes well? Names with current slang, in-jokes, or your kids' nicknames feel charming on day one and look ridiculous the day a corporate buyer wants to put them on a press release.
8. The "what does it do" test.
Optional but worth running. Names that hint at what you do (Sandwich Electrical, Sandwich Hedges, Sandwich Business) are easier to remember and rank for. Pure invented words (Zilo, Plyn, Quavix) take longer to plant in customers' heads. Neither is wrong, but the first kind is cheaper to grow.
What about the .com?
For a UK business serving UK customers, the .co.uk is fine. Most UK customers actually trust it more than a .com for a local business. You do not need to spend £4,000 on the .com unless you genuinely plan to sell internationally and you can afford to.
What if I want my own name?
"Richard Smith Plumbing" is a fine name. "Smith & Co Plumbing" is also fine. But putting your full personal name on the business locks the brand to you, which is a problem if you ever want to take a holiday, hire someone, or sell. Worth thinking through, not a reason to avoid altogether.
Once you have one that passes.
- Buy the .co.uk for ten years, in your own name, at a normal registrar (not GoDaddy)
- Buy the .com if it is under £30/year, otherwise leave it
- Register the social handles, even if you will not post for months
- Open a Companies House registration or set up sole-trader paperwork that matches the name exactly
- Then, and only then, start spending on logo, signs, and printed material