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Company Names in Canada

In the world of Canadian business, company names hold substantial importance beyond labels. Effective names encapsulate a brand's core amidst linguistic, cultural, and legal intricacies. This article delves into the practical aspects of selecting a company name in Canada.

What is a Company Name?​

A company name can refer to the corporate (legal) name, the trade name, the trademark or even a domain name.

Corporate Name​

A corporate name is the legal name of a corporation. It can be either a word name or a numbered name. This is the name that is required to be on all legal agreements and invoices.

Required Ending for Corporate Name​

Whether numbered or named each corporation must select from one of the following endings (only English shown):

  • Corporation
  • Corp.
  • Incorporated
  • Inc.
  • Limited
  • Ltd.

Stuck on which ending to choose. Read our blog post on trendy legal endings for Canadian Corporations.

Numbered Corporation​

A numbered corporation is a type of corporation in which the company's legal name is assigned by the relevant business registry in the format of a series of numbers. For example 12345678 Canada Inc. This numbered name is listed on the company's articles of incorporation.

Named Corporation​

A named corporation is a type of corporation in which the company's legal name is composed of words. For example Canada Apple Distributors Inc. This word name is listed on the company's articles of incorporation.

Requirements​

A corporate word name must:

When considering whether to incorporate provincially or federally the level of corporate name protection should be considered. With federal incorporation a legal name is protected across the entire country while in provincial incorporations the legal name is only protected within that province.

NUANS Name Search Report​

Each named corporation requires a NUANS Name Search Report before the corporation can be incorporated. The NUANS search can be obtained through Corporations Canada's Online Filing Centre and costs $13.80.

The report checks for existing corporate names, business names and trademarks that are similar to the one being proposed.

The NUANS report can be used to pre-approve a corporate name before a request to incorporate is submitted.

Trade Name (Operating Name)​

A trade name, also known as an operating name, is a name that a business or company uses to identify itself and conduct its operations. It is the name under which a business operates and is known to the public, customers, and suppliers. A trade name can be different from the legal name of the business entity, such as a corporation or a sole proprietorship.

For example, "Apple" is the trade name of the company that produces various electronic devices, while the legal name of the company is "Apple Inc." Similarly, "Coca-Cola" is a famous trade name for a beverage company, while the legal name of the company is "The Coca-Cola Company."

In Canada Operating names are a provincial responsibility.

Note, Newfoundland & Labrador does not require entities to register Trade Names.

Read more about Business Operating Names here:

CRA Notification​

Changes to operating names must be reported to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Change a Business Operating Name - Canada Revenue Agency

Ribbon can help​

Corporate and trade names can be confusing, Ribbon help guide users through the process of setting up their corporation with the correct naming structure.