Name due diligence
How to check a name before using it for a project
Finding an available domain is not the same as clearing a name. This workflow helps you spot obvious collisions before you spend money on a logo, launch page, app listing, or packaging. It is a screening process, not legal advice.
Reviewed 2026-07-12
Define what the name will identify
Write one sentence describing the product, audience, and countries where you expect to operate. Name conflicts are evaluated in context. The same word may coexist in unrelated industries while two different spellings can still confuse customers in the same category.
List the channels that matter at launch: website, iOS or Android app, marketplace, social profile, music service, physical product, or registered company. You do not need every handle on earth; you need a coherent path through the places customers will actually search.
Run searches from narrow to broad
Start with the exact phrase in quotation marks. Then search it without spacing, with common misspellings, and with the category word. Search app stores, domain records, major social platforms, business registers, and marketplaces relevant to your product. Capture links and screenshots for serious candidates instead of relying on memory.
Pay attention to abandoned products with reviews or press coverage. Even if the owner is inactive, their search results and customer associations can make your launch harder.
- Exact phrase and common spelling searches are clean enough.
- No same-category app or product dominates the name.
- A credible domain and social pattern are available.
- Local company registers show no obvious collision.
Use official trademark databases
Search the official trademark database in every market that materially matters. In the United States that is the USPTO; the European Union uses EUIPO; many countries also maintain national registers. Search the words, close spellings, and relevant goods or service categories.
A clean search is useful evidence, not a legal opinion. Trademark analysis includes similarity, category, geography, reputation, and actual use. If the name will carry meaningful revenue or investment, ask a qualified professional before launch.
Choose the lowest-friction survivor
Compare the final three on five dimensions: spoken clarity, spelling, search collision, infrastructure, and legal risk. Record pass, concern, or fail for each. Do not let a beautiful logo compensate for a name that repeatedly fails the search and spoken tests.
Keep the search notes with the project. Names evolve, and a documented check makes future rechecks faster. Run the search again immediately before a public launch because availability and registrations can change.