Naming Your Texas Corporation

You need the right name for your Texas corporation. Choosing the right name is vital because it tells your suppliers, customers and employees what your business does. The Texas Secretary of State has several rules and regulations about what you can call your new business. Let’s explore what they are.

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Texas Corporation Name Business Search

Before you can name your TX corporation, you need to make sure there aren’t any other businesses in Texas with that name. That means searching the Texas Secretary of State or Comptroller of Public Accounts websites using their business search tools. You can easily look up TX corporations by name and other details.

If your S Corporation or C Corporation name is already used by any type of business entity in Texas, that means it’s not available and you won’t be able to register it. Try searching for a different TX corporation name instead.

Texas Comptroller taxable entity search tool

Texas SOS Direct corporation name search

Follow These Rules to Name Your Texas Corporation

Once you’ve checked whether another business in TX is using your corporation name and confirmed availability, you’ll need to understand Texas Secretary of State naming rules.

General Rules for Naming Your S Corp or C Corp

The rules below generally apply to all corporations, wherever they are formed.

Your Texas Corporation Name Must Be Unique

The name of your TX corporation needs to be unique and not used by another corporation or business operating in Texas.

The Name of Your Corporation Cannot Be Similar to Other Businesses in Texas

The name of your TX S Corporation or C Corporation cannot be similar to another formal business name in Texas. The following terms can’t be used to say your business name is different from another business name:

• Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.

• Definite articles like “A,” “And,” “An,” “&,” “The,” etc.

• The singular, plural or possessive forms of a word

• Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.

For example, you can’t claim that Purple People Co., Purple People Corporation, Purple People Incorporated, Purple People Corp. or Purple People are different from one another.

Your Texas Corporation Name Must Contain Certain Words

The words “Incorporated,” “Corporation,” “Limited” or their abbreviations generally need to appear in your business name, normally at the end.

Your Texas Corporation Name May Have Other Restrictions

The Texas Secretary of State will not typically allow you to name S Corporations or C Corporations that breach the following rules:

• Are very similar to the name of a federal or TX agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Texas Department of Revenue, Texas Police, Treasury, etc.)

• Suggest affiliation with a federal or TX agency or organization

• Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the Olympic organization

• Imply a purpose that it would be illegal for your Texas corporation to carry out

Specific Rules for Naming Your Texas Corporation

There are additional, specific rules you will need to follow from the Texas Secretary of State for naming your TX S Corporation or C Corporation.

More on Texas Secretary of State business naming rules

Texas Corporation Assumed Names

Some corporations choose to do business under a different name from the name they were formed under. In Texas, doing business under a different name is known as an “Assumed Name.” We can file an Assumed Business Name for your Texas corporation on your behalf.

Incfile’s Assumed Business Name service

Rules on Infringing on Service Marks or Trademarks Inside or Outside Texas

In addition to the rules above, it’s also vital to see if your Texas corporation name might infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. For example, it might not be a good idea to call yourself “General Electric Research Services,” since General Electric is a trademark.

The easiest way to see if your proposed business name infringes is to carry out a trademark search. You can do that via the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or Incfile can help you protect your business with our Trademark Search and Registration service. You should also bear in mind that your Texas corporation name cannot be substantially similar to an existing trademark or service mark.

You’ve Found the Perfect Name, What Next?

Once you’ve found the right name for your business, it’s time to make it a reality. Check out our packages for starting your Texas corporation and form either an S Corporation or a C Corporation today.

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