Hong Kong Company Naming Rules & Name Search Practical Guide

1. Statutory Format Rules: English Names, Traditional Chinese Characters & Suffixes (Cap. 622 ss. 100–102)

Before running a name search on 86hc.com's Company Name Check & Generator Tool, verify that your proposed name satisfies the baseline formatting rules in the Companies Registry's Guideline on Registration of Company Names for Hong Kong Companies (Ref 3):

• Mandatory Suffix for Limited Companies (Section 102): Every limited company's English name must end with the full word Limited (case-insensitive on the register, typically upper-cased as LIMITED). Abbreviations such as Ltd, Co., Ltd. (where Ltd is abbreviated at the very end), or foreign suffixes like Corp., Inc., GmbH, or Pte. Ltd. cannot serve as the final statutory word. Every Chinese name must end with the four Traditional Chinese characters 有限公司.
• No Mixing of English Letters into the Chinese Name: A company's Chinese name cannot contain Latin letters (for example, "香港AI科技有限公司" or "VIP貿易有限公司" will be rejected immediately). However, Arabic numerals (0–9) and full-width brackets （） are permitted in Chinese names—for instance, aircraft leasing SPV Haitong UT HK 2 Limited (海通恒信香港2號有限公司), CR No. 2733670, legally uses the numeral 2 in its Chinese name.
• English Name Character Set: English names may contain the 26 Latin letters (A–Z), Arabic numerals (0–9), ampersands (&), brackets (), periods (.), commas (,), hyphens (-), and apostrophes (').
• Relationship Between English and Chinese Names: Hong Kong law does not require the Chinese name to be a literal word-for-word translation of the English name. You may use phonetic transliteration, semantic translation, or a distinct brand name—for example, Xtransfer Limited (CR 2547407) is registered in Chinese as 信匯寶有限公司, while Wo Transfer (HK) Limited (CR 2740931) operates under the brand PandaRemit.

2. How the Companies Registry Tests "Identical Names" Under Section 103

Many DIY applicants fail on CR e-Services because they only perform a naive substring search and assume that adding "The", "(HK)", or "Company" makes a name unique. In reality, Section 103 of Cap. 622 prescribes a strict normalization algorithm when comparing your proposed name against the 3.94M+ names on the Registrar's Index of Company Names:

3. Three Tiers of Words: Freely Allowed ("Group / Holdings") vs. Restricted (Cap. 622A) vs. Bank KYC Triggers

One of the most frequent questions from cross-border founders is: "Which grand-sounding words can I freely use in Hong Kong, and which words require a government licence or trigger bank rejection?" You can browse real corporate examples across 58 naming categories in our Hong Kong Special Naming Directory, or consult the three-tier matrix below:

4. Post-Incorporation Name Traps: Shadow Companies, Section 108 Directions (Form NNC2) & Voluntary Name Change (Form NM1)

Passing the Companies Registry's automated Section 103 check at incorporation does not mean your company name is immune from legal challenge. Under Sections 108 and 109 of Cap. 622, the Registrar of Companies is empowered to issue a formal written direction (recorded on the public register as Form NNC2 — Registrar's Direction to Change Company Name) requiring a company to change its name within a specified period if:

1. Excessive Similarity / Misleading Indication (Section 108(1)): Within 12 months of registration, the Registrar determines that the name is "too like" an existing company name on the index, or gives so misleading an indication of the nature of its activities as to be likely to cause harm to the public (for example, Precision Spec Surgery and Endoscopy Centre Limited, CR No. 2618844, was subject to a 2024 Form NNC2 statutory direction).
2. Court Order for Trademark Infringement / Passing Off (Section 108(2)): If a "shadow company" incorporates using a famous brand's name (read our Hong Kong Trademark Registration & Shadow Company Defense Guide), the trademark owner can obtain a High Court injunction at any time (even after 12 months) compelling a name change.
3. Section 110 Default Mechanism (Replacement with Numerical CR Name): If a company fails to comply with a Section 108 direction, the company and its officers face a HK$ 100,000 fine plus HK$ 2,000 daily default fine, and under Section 110, the Registrar will forcibly strip the company's name and replace it on the register with its raw numeric registration number (e.g., "Company Registration Number XXXXXXX Limited")!

If you later wish to rebrand voluntarily, you can pass a 75% shareholders' Special Resolution and file Form NM1 (Notice of Change of Company Name) (electronic fee HK$ 295) to obtain a Certificate of Change of Name within 1 working day.

5. Official Statutory References

1. Hong Kong Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), Part 3 Division 3 (Company Name, ss. 100–111): Governs permissible characters, mandatory "Limited / 有限公司" suffixes, Section 103 identical-name normalization, and Section 108–110 Registrar directions to change names. Hong Kong e-Legislation (Cap. 622).
2. Companies (Words and Expressions in Company Names) Order (Cap. 622A): Specifies words and expressions (such as "Chamber of Commerce", "Kaifong", "Levy", "Trust", "Tourist Association") that require prior approval of the Registrar. Hong Kong e-Legislation (Cap. 622A).
3. Companies Registry — Guideline on Registration of Company Names for Hong Kong Companies: Official administrative rules on Chinese character dictionaries, offensive/government-impersonating names, and trademark objection procedures. Companies Registry Official PDF.