Company Names Guidance – Business Names Registration

Use of certain words in your company or business names is not allowed unless you have obtained formal approval from the relevant regulators. It may be a criminal offence if your company uses the sensitive words without official permission from relevant authority.

You may contact Companies House for further advice.

The Companies Act 2006 spelled out words that its use in your company or business names requires formal approval because they are covered by other legislations. The sensitive words are tabulated below. Please note that the words listed below are not exhaustive. It is your responsibility to check your chosen company names does not breach any law.

Regulated Sensitive Words	Relevant Law Applies
Anzac	Use of the word ANZAC in your company name may be rejected because it could be in breach of Section 1 Anzac Act 1916.
Architect	You must get formal approval from the Architects Registration Board if you would like to use the word, ARCHITECT in your business names. Without written consent from the Architects Registration Board, you could be in breach of Section 20 Architects Registration Act 1997. You may write to the following address to get official permission. Architects Registration Board 73 Hallam Street London W1N 6EE
Building Society	You must write to Financial Services Authority (FSA) to get formal approval before you can use the words, Building Society in your company names. Use of these words without permission you could be in breach of the Building Society Act 1986. You may write to FSA at the address below. Financial Services Authority 25 North Colonnade Canary Wharf London E14 5HS
Art Therapist Art Psychotherapist Drama therapist Music therapist Chiropodist, podiatrist Clinical Scientist Dietician Part Biomedical Scientist Occupational Therapist Orthoptist Paramedic Physiotherapist Physical Therapist Prosthetist Orthotist Diagnostistic Radiographer Therapeutic Radiographer Speech and Launguage Therapist Speech therapist Operating department Practitioner	Use of any of these words in your business names may be rejected because it could be in breach of Section 39 Health Professions Order and Schedule 1 of Health Professions (Parts of and Entries in the Register) Order of Council 2003.
Chemist Druggist Pharmaceutical Pharmaceutist Pharmacist Pharmacy	If your company registered office address is situated in england or wales and you want to one of these words in your company names, you are required to get consent from The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Their address is as follows: The director of Legal Services The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain 1 Lambeth High Street London SE1 7JN Without formal permission, you could be in breach of Section 78 of the Medicines Act 1968.
Chiropodist Dietician Medical Laboratory Technician Occupational therapist Orthoptist Physiotherapist Radiographer Remedial Gymnast	If your company registered office is in Scotland and you would like to use one of these words in your company names, you must write to The pharmaceutical society to get official permission before incorporating your company. Without formal authorisation, you could be in breach of section 78 of the medicines act 1968. You may contact the pharmaceutical society at the following address: The pharmaceutical society 36 York Place Edinburg EH1 3HU
Chiropractor	Before you can use this word in your company names you are required to get authorisation from the General Chiropractic Council. without formal permission, you could be in breach of the Chiropractors act 1994. You may write to the General Chiropractic Council at the follwoing address. The Chief Executive General Chiropractic Council 44 Wicklow Street London WC1X 9HL
Credit Union	You are required to write to the FSA to get permission before you can use these words in your business names. This is to avoid in breach of the Credit Union Act 1979. The Public Records Section Financial Services Authority 25 North Colonnade Canary Wharf London E14 5HS
Dentist Dental Surgeon Dental Practioner	You must to The General Dental Council to get permission if you would like to use one of these words in your business names. Without permission, you could be in breach of the Dental Act 1984. You may contact The General Dental Council at the following adddress. The Registrar General Dental Council 37 Wimpole Street London W1M 8DQ
Institute of Laryngology Institute of Otology Institute of Urology Institute of Orthopaedics	If you would like to use one of these phrases in your company names, you must obtain consent from University College London at the following address. Use of these phrases without permission, you could be in breach of the University College London act 1988. University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT
Olympiad Olympiads Olympian Olympians Olympic Olympics Paralympic Paralympics Paralympiad Paralympaids Paralympian Paralympians Translation of these or words so similar to these protected words	Use of one of these words in your company names is rejected because it could be in breach of the Olympic Symbol etc. (Protection) Act 1995 (as amended). Use of such words may infringe the rights of the British Olympic Association/British Paralympic Association. Also protects the Olympic symbols of five interlocking rings; the Olympic motto Citius Altius Fortius (Faster Higher Stronger) the Paralympic motto Spirit in Motion and anything so similar to them. However, you may write to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Limited for further information, their address are as follows: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Limited (LOCOG) 23rd Floor 1 Churchill Place Canary Wharf London E14 5LN
Optician Ophthalmic Optician Dispensing Optician Enrolled Optician Registered Optician Optometrist	if you would like to use one of these words in your company names, you are required to get official support from the General Optical Council. Without formal authorisation, you could be in breach of the Opticians Act 1989. You may contact the General Optical Council at the following address. The Registrar General Optical Council 41 Harley Street London W1N 2DJ
Patent Attorney Patent Agent	If you would like to use one of these phrases in your company names, you must write to the Intellectual Property Office to seek approval. Their address is as follows: Intellectual Property Office Concept House UK Intellectual Property Office Cardiff Road Newport NP10 8QQ Without formal permission, you could be in breach of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Patent Office	You must write to the Intellectual Property Office to get permission if you would like to use these words in your company names. Intellectual Property Office Concept House UK Intellectual Property Office Cardiff Road Newport NP10 8QQ Without permission, you could be in breach of the section 112 of the Patents Act 1977.
Physician Doctor of medicine Licentiate in medicine and surgery Bachelor of medicine Surgeon General practitioner or apothecary	Use of these words in your company names are not allowed because it could be in breach of the section 49 Medical Act 1983. Please contact Companies House for further information.
Red Cross Geneva Cross Red Crescent Red Lion and Sun	Use of these words in your company names are not permitted because it could be in breach of the Geneva Convention Act 1957. Please contact Companies House for further advice.
Registered Pharmacist	Use of these words in your company names are not allowed because it could be in breach of the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Order 2007.
Registered trade mark agent	You can only use these words in your company names if the Intellectual Property Office issued formal approval. Without permission, you could be in breach of the section 84 of the Trade Marks Act 1994. Intellectual Property Office Concept House UK Intellectual Property Office Cardiff Road Newport NP10 8QQ
Solicitor	If you would like to use this word in your company names and your company registered office is situated in either England or Wales or Northern Ireland, you are required to write to the Law Society for permission. The Law Society The Law Society’s Hall 113 Chancery Lane London WC2A 1PL Without permission, your company incorporation may be rejected because it could be in breach of the section 20 and 21 Solicitors act 1974. If your company registered office is situated in Scotland, you must write to The Law Society of Scotland. The Law Society of Scotland 26 Drumsheugh Gardens Edinburg EH3 7YR The legislation governs the use of this word in Scotland is the section 31 of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980.
Veterinary Surgeon Veterinary Vet	If you would like to use one of these words in your company names you must obtain permission from the Registrar Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The Registrar Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons 62-64 Horseferry Road London SW1P 2AF The legislation governs the use of these words are the Section 19/20 Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

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Company Names – Words covered by other legislations