UK company name changes: checks, special resolution or articles-based procedure, Companies House filings (NM01–NM04), fees, effective date and practical steps

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate expert

Practice notes

This brief ‘how to’ outlines the steps for altering a company’s name. For detailed, practical coverage of the legislation, case law and procedure on changing a company’s name, see:

Practice Note: Company names and business names
Practice Note: Changing a company's name
Flowchart: Changing a company's name—flowchart

Check permissibility of name

Before taking any formal steps to change a company’s name, confirm it is allowable under the relevant legislation and note the restrictions on company names, including:

The company’s name must conclude with the correct words or abbreviations (ie plc or public limited company, or ltd or limited, or the Welsh equivalents)
The name must not be ‘the same as’ or ‘too like’ that of another company already on the register
The name must not be offensive, constitute a criminal offence, or be intended to facilitate fraud
The name cannot include words or expressions that suggest a connection with central or local government without prior consent
The name must not consist of or include computer code...

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Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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