Free tools · Planning a website
Name ideas, and whether the domain is taken
Enter a word that describes what you do. You get names built several different ways, because the right one is rarely the first pattern you try. Every result links straight to a domain search, since a name nobody can register is not a name.
One word works best. Try the thing you sell, or the feeling you want.
Before you commit
- Say it out loud, then spell it to someone over the phone.
- Check the domain is free, and buy it the same day.
- Search the Companies Office register and IPONZ for trade marks. A registered company name is not a trade mark, which catches people out.
Business name generator · FAQ
Common questions about business name generators
How do I choose a business name in New Zealand?
Say it out loud, spell it to someone over the phone, and search it before you fall in love with it. Then check three things: the domain is available, the name is not already registered at the Companies Office, and nobody holds a trade mark on it. A name that fails any of those is a name you will have to change later, expensively.
Should I buy the .co.nz or the .com?
If you sell mainly to New Zealanders, .co.nz is the stronger signal and is usually still available. Buy both if the .com is cheap, because the gap between $20 and a rebrand is not close. Do not pay four figures for a .com you do not need.
Does my business name affect my Google ranking?
Barely, and not in the way people hope. Stuffing a keyword into the name (Auckland Plumbing Services Limited) does almost nothing on its own, and it dates badly the moment you expand. A distinctive name is easier to rank for, because nobody else is competing for it.
Do I have to register the name before I can use it?
You only register a company name at the Companies Office if you are forming a company. A sole trader can simply trade under a name. Either way, registering a company name is not a trade mark and does not stop someone else using something similar, which catches people out regularly.
Rather have someone do it for you?
We build websites for New Zealand businesses at a fixed price from $2,500, live in four weeks.
Get a fixed-price quote