Free tool · Structure
Is your business name taken?
Type a proposed name and get a first-pass report: Ontario naming rules, existing businesses and trademarks, similar names, competitors and whether the .ca and .com domains are registered. Run it before you pay for a NUANS search.
An illustration of the steps from a proposed business name to registration, not a result for your name.
Visual labels: Check the name; Order a NUANS report; Register or incorporate.Your report appears here
It takes about half a minute. Each report looks at:
- Whether other businesses or trademarks already use the name
- Similar names a registry reviewer or a customer could confuse with it
- Competitors in your line of business, and who owns the search results
- Whether the .ca and .com domains are registered
- Restricted words, and the distinctive, descriptive and legal parts of the name
The background
What a name check can and cannot tell you.
A good business name is one you can register, own online and grow into. The registry looks at the first of those; customers and competitors decide the rest.
What this check is for
It is a first pass you can run for free before you spend money on a NUANS search or on branding. It tells you where a name looks crowded or restricted, so you can change course early.
Three parts of a corporate name
A name that incorporates cleanly usually has a distinctive part (a coined word, a surname), a descriptive part (what you do) and a legal ending such as Inc. or Ltd. The check breaks your name into those parts and flags words that need consent.
Restricted words
Words that suggest a bank, a trust company, the Crown, a university or a licensed profession are limited. Using one can mean written consent, a professional corporation or a refused name.
A name is not a trademark
Incorporating under a name does not give you the exclusive right to use it in the market. Someone with an earlier trademark or a long-standing business can still object, so the check also looks for brands that share your distinctive words.
Domains and search results
A name you cannot use online costs you customers even if the registry approves it. The check probes the .ca and .com domains and asks whether another business already owns what people see when they search the name.
What comes after
If the result looks workable, order a NUANS report, then register the name or incorporate. If it looks crowded, try the alternatives it suggests or a more distinctive word, and run the check again.
Questions
Is this a NUANS report?
No. A NUANS report is a formal search of a federal database, and it is what a registry expects to see when you incorporate with a name. This tool scans public sources and applies naming rules. It can miss records and it can misread a listing, so treat it as a screen, not a clearance.
Does a clear result mean I can use the name?
No. A clear result means this scan found nothing that stood out. The registry, a trademark owner or a customer can still object. Confirm with a NUANS report before you incorporate, order signage or print anything.
What does the check actually look at?
Four things: the structure of the name and any restricted words, whether the .ca and .com domains are registered, AI-assisted research of public web sources for existing businesses, similar names and trademarks, and who dominates search results for the name.
What if the AI research is unavailable?
You still get the name-structure review and the domain check, and the report says plainly that research did not run. Existing businesses, similar names and trademarks are not covered in that case.
Should I include Inc. or Ltd.?
You can leave it off. The check reviews the name without its legal ending, since that is what makes a name distinctive. You will need a legal ending when you incorporate, but not for a sole proprietorship’s registered business name.
Is the name I type stored or sent to Sora?
The name is sent to the checker so it can run, and to the AI service used for the research when that step runs. It is not added to your file and nobody at Sora is notified. If you would like help, you can start a conversation separately.
Does the result change how I should incorporate?
It can. A crowded or restricted name sometimes pushes people toward a numbered company while they decide, or toward a sole proprietorship or partnership first. Whether incorporating makes sense at all depends on your income and plans, which is a separate question.