Hong Kong Company Name Rules: English and Chinese Names

Format

• English name, Chinese name, or one of each. A single name combining English letters and Chinese characters is refused.
• An English name must end with "Limited"; "Ltd" is not accepted. A Chinese name must end with 有限公司.
• Chinese names use traditional characters found in the Kang Xi or Ci Hai dictionary and in the ISO 10646 standard.

What will be refused

• A name identical to one in the Registry's index of company names. Case, spaces, punctuation and accent marks are ignored, and some variants count as the same (for example "and" and "&", or "Hong Kong" and "HK").
• A name the Registrar considers offensive or whose use would be an offence.
• A name previously subject to a change-of-name direction, unless approved.

Words needing prior approval Words such as "trust" and "chamber of commerce" under the Companies (Words and Expressions in Company Names) Order, and anything suggesting a government link, usually need approval or are not approved.

Watch out for

• At registration the Registrar generally does not test whether the name is "too like" another. The Registrar can order a change later after a complaint.
• Trademark conflicts are your own risk; search the Trademark Register.