Just as there are regulations on what you can and can't name a baby, so too are there rules about what you can and can't name your business.
(NEXSTAR) — Sometimes, the hardest part of any project — whether it be creative or professional — can be deciding on a name for it. Just as there are regulations on what you can and can't name a baby, so, too, are there rules about what you can and can't name your business.
In order to even name a business, an entrepreneur's choice must be approved by the Texas Secretary of State's Office, which provided much of the below information, except where noted. Potential business owners can even search name filings on the Texas Secretary of State's website — though each search will cost a minimum of $1.
But for starters, here are a few pointers for naming a company or business in the Lone Star State.
"Restricted words"
- Certain words that may give the impression that a business or entity is educational, including: "college," "university," "health science center," and "medical school"
- Words that may give the impression that a business or entity is a financial institution, including: "bank," "trust," and "trust company"
- Words that may give the impression that a business or entity is related or deals with war veterans and their families, including "veteran," "legion," "foreign," and "disabled"
- Words like "engineers" or "engineering" may only be used if the services performed are related to engineering performed by a licensed Texas engineer, as explained by Dallas-based attorney Zachary Copp, Esq., founder of The Copp Law Firm, PC
- Words like "Olympic," "olympian," and "Olympus" may give the impression that the business is affiliated with the United States Olympic Committee, which must authorize any use of these terms for business use
- Words that might imply affiliation with local, state or federal government. For instance, a new apartment building likely couldn't call itself "State of Texas Tower"
This list is by no means exhaustive and there are/can be exceptions made at the discretion of the SOS' office.
You might not think you can use these, but you can
- Symbols that can be reproduced on a standard English keyboard. For example, !, $, %, ( ), *, ?, #, =, @, [], +, and &
- Words in a different language, even if the English word is already in use by another company — with exceptions, obviously. For example, "Casa Blanca Productions" would be considered different from "White House Productions," the SOS explains, so long as the Spanish words remain in Spanish
In all naming regulations, there is also consideration given to whether businesses would be operating in the same industry or in close location of each other.
For further information on starting a business in Texas, visit the Texas Economic Development and Tourism section at the Office of the Texas Governor site or the general information section for new and existing Texas businesses by the Texas Secretary of State.
