Front page / Features
Checking name availability
A great name you cannot use is just a good idea. Here is the full availability check — domains, trademarks, handles — in the right order.
The availability gauntlet
Naming feels creative; availability is procedural. Before you print business cards, buy ads, or tell anyone the name, run every candidate through three checks: domains (can you own the web address?), trademarks (can you legally use it?), and handles (can you be found under it?). A name that fails any of the three is a name you will eventually have to abandon — and renaming later costs far more than checking now.
Run the checks in that order. Domains are quick and free to check; trademarks take judgment; handles are the tiebreaker. Check all three before you get attached.
Check 1: domain names
- Start with the exact .com. It remains the default people type from memory. If it is taken, note who holds it — an active business in your space is a red flag; a parked page is a negotiation.
- Check the obvious alternatives only if the .com is truly unavailable: the .co, .io, or a country TLD relevant to your market, plus common variants like get{name}.com or {name}hq.com.
- Search the name as a phrase. Type it into a search engine with and without spaces. If page one is dominated by an established brand, your SEO life will be painful even with a decent domain.
- Say it and spell it. Read the domain aloud as it would sound on a call: "visit minimoniker dot com." If you have to spell it twice, keep looking.
Do not buy anything yet — checking is free, and you want the full picture before spending. When you do buy, register the .com plus the one or two variants you actually plan to use; defensive portfolios of twenty domains are a tax on indecision.
Check 2: trademarks
This is the check people skip and the one that bites hardest. A trademark conflict can force a rename after you have launched — the most expensive possible moment.
- Search your country's trademark database. In the US that is the USPTO's search system; most countries have a free online equivalent. Search the exact name and close variants.
- Look beyond identical matches. Trademark conflicts hinge on likelihood of confusion: a similar name in a related industry can be a problem even if the spelling differs.
- Check common-law use. Unregistered but actively used brand names still carry rights in many jurisdictions. The search-engine check from step 1 doubles as this.
- Consider the classes. Trademarks are granted per category of goods and services. The same word can be fine for software and blocked for clothing — but adjacent categories get murky fast.
Note: this is a practical checklist, not legal advice. If the name matters to a real business, a trademark attorney's clearance search is money well spent.
Check 3: social handles
- Check the platforms you will actually use — for most brands that means Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube and LinkedIn. Identical handles everywhere is the goal.
- Decide your fallback pattern now if the exact handle is taken: @{name}hq, @get{name}, @try{name}, or @{name}.co. Pick one pattern and use it consistently rather than a different variant per platform.
- Check the holder. An inactive account from 2014 might be claimable through the platform's trademark or impersonation process; an active user is not moving.
What to do when your name is taken
Most first-choice names are taken somewhere. That is normal — here is the decision tree:
| Situation | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Domain parked, no trademark, handles free | Often workable: try buying the domain or use a get-/hq- variant |
| Active business in a different industry, no trademark conflict | Proceed cautiously: check trademark classes and search competition |
| Registered trademark in your category | Walk away — no variant is worth the legal risk |
| Same name, same industry, different country | Walk away if you ever plan to expand; the internet has no borders |
| Everything taken except a weird TLD | Treat as taken — obscure TLDs confuse customers and leak traffic to the .com |
When in doubt, generate more candidates. It is cheaper to brainstorm fifty names with our short name generator than to rescue one conflicted name later.
Documenting your search
Keep a simple log for each finalist: date checked, domain status, trademark search results, handle availability, and your verdict. If a dispute ever arises, a dated record of diligent searching is worth more than your memory. It also stops you from re-checking the same names six months later.
Frequently asked questions
Should I check trademarks for a side project?
Yes — the cost of checking is near zero and the cost of a forced rename is high regardless of project size. The smaller the project, the less you can afford the fight.
Is the .com still necessary?
It is still the safest default: people guess it, email clients trust it, and it leaks the least traffic. Alternatives work when the .com is genuinely unobtainable, but treat them as plan B.
What if someone owns the domain but is not using it?
Check whether it is listed for sale, and decide your maximum price before contacting the owner. Never reveal how much you want it — and always have a backup name ready so you can walk away.
Can I use a name similar to a big brand?
Similarity in sound, spelling or meaning to an established brand in a related space is exactly what trademark law targets. Clever misspellings of famous names are the riskiest names of all.
How many names should I check?
Generate a long list, shortlist five to ten on creative merit, then run the full gauntlet on each. Expect most to fail at least one check — that is the process working.