Choosing a Name

When you apply to incorporate a company under the Canada Business Corporations Act, you may choose to use a word name or have a numbered name assigned to you. Although incorporating under a word name involves additional effort and expense, it may be worth your while. An approved federal corporate name offers an extra degree of protection of your rights to that name. Specifically, federal incorporation allows your business to operate using its corporate name right across Canada, which is important if you decide to expand your business to other provinces or territories.

The steps required to secure a word name as a corporate name include:

1. Reading material found below to familiarize yourself with the policies and the process.
2. Corporations Canada requires a "Canada-biased NUANS® report" before it considers the corporate name you have selected. These reports can be obtained either with NUANS&reg Real-Time System (RTS) or NUANS® Registered Members. Please note that the Province of Quebec does not currently provide data to NUANS&reg. For your own protection if you are doing, or intend to do business in the Province of Quebec, you should search the Quebec corporations database at CIDREQ.
3. Your proposed name must be determined by the Director to meet the requirements of the CBCA name regulations and policies. In order to submit your proposed name along with your application for incorporation or you may ask for a pre-approval of your proposed name. If you choose to submit your name along with your complete application, please be aware that if Corporations Canada rejects your proposed name, the entire application will be refused. A pre-approved name can prevent this situation from happening. There is no fee for this service. Send your application through the Corporations Canada Online Filing Centre.
4. During the incorporation process, you will be asked to attach your NUANS®report. You may also choose to submit a "Corporate Name Information Form" which provides Corporations Canada with additional information about the name of your corporation. This information will often make it easier for the Director to approve your proposed corporate name.
5. How to protect your corporate name?

Allegations of Corporate Name Confusion (CBCA and Not-for-Profit Corporations)
Allegations of Corporate Name Confusion (CBCA and Not-for-Profit) explain how to make an allegation of corporate name confusion - what is the procedure, what steps should be taken, what criteria the Director and staff consider, what the outcome may be.

Choosing a name…
This brochure provides general information on the process of choosing a name for your federally incorporated company.

Corporate Name Information Form
Although use of this form is voluntary, the information provided will assist Corporations Canada and will be used by them for the sole purpose of making a decision regarding your proposed corporate name.

Name Granting Compendium
The Name Granting Compendium provides complete but more technical information with regards to policy requirements in corporate name selection.

Name Granting Guidelines
The Name Granting Guidelines provides complete and user-friendly information with regards to policy requirements in corporate name selection.

Names Likely to Cause Confusion Are Not Acceptable
This document explains, in basic terms, what type of information and consents to file to avoid having your proposed corporate name rejected for being likely to cause confusion with other businesses. It is a summary of one aspect of the name policy which is set out in the Guidelines or the Compendium referred to below.

Requirements of the CBCA Name Regulations
This document explains, in basic terms, the reasons why your proposed corporate name may be prohibited by the regulations. It is an overview of the prohibitions that are discussed in more detail in the name policy which is set out in the Guidelines or the Compendium referred to below.