Search the Companies Registry by name or CR number, or check whether a company name is available before you incorporate. We check it against Hong Kong's naming rules and the register. Free, no login.
Hong Kong's naming rules sit in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and are applied by the Companies Registry when you incorporate. Every later step, from your business bank account to your business registration certificate, chains off the approved name.
An English company name must end with the word Limited; a Chinese name must end with the characters 有限公司. You can register an English name, a Chinese name, or both, but a single name cannot mix English words and Chinese characters.
The name cannot be the same as one already on the Registry’s Index of Company Names. When comparing, the Registry disregards "The" at the start, the ending words and their abbreviations, case, spacing, and punctuation, and treats "Hong Kong", "Hongkong", and "HK" as the same.
A short list of words needs the Registrar’s prior approval, including Trust, Trustee, Savings, Chamber of Commerce, and Kaifong. Words implying a government connection, such as Government, Bureau, or Council, and Bank under the Banking Ordinance, need consent too.
An English name uses the Latin alphabet. A Chinese name must use traditional characters found in the Kang Xi or Ci Hai dictionary and in the ISO 10646 coding standard; simplified characters are not accepted.
A name that is offensive, otherwise contrary to the public interest, or whose use would constitute a criminal offence, will not be registered.
From the names we incorporate in Hong Kong for clients. Each one is easy to spot once you know the pattern.
ABC Company Limited, ABC Limited, and ABC Co., Limited are treated as one name, because the Registry disregards the ending words and their abbreviations when comparing.
Adding or changing "Hong Kong" to "Hongkong" or "HK" does not make a name distinct — the Registry treats all three as the same.
Trust, Savings, Chamber of Commerce, or a government-connection word such as Bureau or Council needs prior approval, which adds time; Bank needs the Monetary Authority’s consent.
A single name that combines English words and Chinese characters is not allowed. Register a separate English name and Chinese name instead.
Even when a name passes at registration, the Registry can direct a change within 12 months if it is "too like" another name — for example sharing a distinctive coined word with only a weak qualifier like International or Group.
Hong Kong's company register is maintained by the Companies Registry. Every incorporated company has a Company Registration (CR) number, and its record, including directors and the registered office, is on the public register.
This tool searches that register. Type a company name, or part of one, or a CR number, and it returns matching companies with their CR number, status, and details. The same search checks a brand-new name against the rules above, so you can run a company name check and an entity search in one place. Once your name clears, our company registration in Hong Kong service handles the incorporation and corporate secretary.
Checking a name is free. For due diligence or an acquisition, our Hong Kong team can obtain a company's official Companies Registry documents, including the annual return and particulars of directors and shareholders.
Looking to buy or check a Hong Kong company? Our team can pull its official Companies Registry documents and walk you through what they mean. Talk to our team.
Registered English and Chinese names and any former names, the CR number, incorporation date, company type, status, and registered office address.
The directors and the company secretary with their appointment details, drawn from the annual return and change filings.
Registered charges where applicable, and the filing history that shows annual returns and other documents lodged with the Registry.
What the ending tells you about a company you find on the register.
| Ending | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Limited | Private company limited by shares | The most common form for foreign investors; the English name must end with the full word Limited |
| 有限公司 | Company with a Chinese name | A Chinese name ends with 有限公司 and uses traditional characters; it can stand alone or alongside an English name |
| Public / listed company | Public company limited by shares | Can offer shares to the public or list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; still ends with Limited |
| No "Limited" | Licensed to omit Limited | Certain non-profit companies may apply under section 103 for a licence to omit Limited from the name |
Search the register by name or CR number, or check whether a new company name is available in the same step.
Sets the rules for company names and the "Limited" ending, and the bar on names that are the same as an existing one or otherwise unacceptable.
The Companies Registry's guideline on acceptable names, the disregarded words in the same-as comparison, and the words that need prior approval.
The order listing the specific words that require the Registrar’s prior approval before a company name can use them.
What people ask before checking a name or ordering a report.
Yes. Checking whether a company name is available is free. Obtaining a company's official Companies Registry documents is a paid service handled by our team.
Yes. An English name must end with the full word Limited, and a Chinese name must end with 有限公司. You can register an English name, a Chinese name, or both, but a single name cannot mix the two scripts.
Type a company name, part of a name, or a CR number into the tool. It searches the Hong Kong register and returns matching companies with their CR number, status, and details.
Yes. You can look up a company by name or by its CR number, the Company Registration number the Registry assigns at incorporation.
The Registry disregards "The", the ending words and their abbreviations, case, spacing, and punctuation, and treats "Hong Kong", "Hongkong", and "HK" as the same. Two names that differ only by those are treated as identical.
Yes. Many companies register both. The English name ends with Limited and the Chinese name ends with 有限公司; each must stand on its own, without mixing scripts.
Hong Kong registers a name if it is not the same as an existing one, but the Registry can still direct a change of name within 12 months if it is considered too like another company’s name.
No. A company name is registered with the Companies Registry, while a trademark is protected separately through the Intellectual Property Department.
Reviewed by Emerhub's Hong Kong team. Last updated July 2026. Through our TCSP-licensed Hong Kong entity, we incorporate companies and act as corporate secretary for clients regularly.
Found the name you want, or a company you need documents on? Through our TCSP-licensed Hong Kong entity, our team can incorporate a company under an available name, or obtain a company's official Companies Registry documents for your due diligence.