Choose the name of your business entity carefully. For some business ventures, a name can portray the lasting image you want for your corporation.

The name you select must not be deceptively similar to any existing corporation in the state of incorporation. For example: if a corporation named Web Corp. exists in Delaware, you would not be permitted to name your business Web Corporation. It is possible the name you select will not be distinguishable. Therefore, when you submit your choice for corporate name, we suggest you give us a second and possibly third choice due to the fact that there are close to a million Delaware business entities.

The company name must be such as to distinguish it upon the records in the office of the Secretary of State from the name on such records of any corporation, partnership, limited partnership, statutory trust or limited liability company reserved, registered, formed or organized under the laws of the State of Delaware or qualified to do business or registered as a foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, foreign statutory trust, foreign partnership, or foreign limited liability company in the State of Delaware.

Delaware Corporation Name Requirements

In Delaware, the name of your corporation must include one of the following words:

• Association
• Company
• Corporation
• Club
• Foundation
• Fund
• Incorporated
• Institute
• Limited
• Society
• Syndicate
• Union

These can abbreviated with or without punctuation. For example: Co., Corp., CORP, Inc., INC, or Ltd.

Delaware LLC Naming Rules

For a Limited Liability Company, one of these words or abbreviations must be included in the company name:

• Limited Liability Company
• L.L.C.
• LLC

The name may also contain the name of a member or manager of the company, or one of the corporation words (excluding “incorporated”).