Are there words I can't use in a Massachusetts business name?

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Massachusetts that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Olympic. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in Massachusetts each year?

The Census Bureau counted 85,334 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +11.4% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

Does a Massachusetts registration protect my name in other states?

No. It protects the name inside Massachusetts's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Massachusetts lookup.

What does a Massachusetts LLC name have to end with?

One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.

Can I reserve a business name in Massachusetts before I file?

Yes. The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth charges $30 to reserve a name for 60 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

How much does it cost to register a business name in Massachusetts?

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $500 for an LLC and $275 for a corporation, then annual report, $500 (llc) / $125 (corp), due by the anniversary date (llc) or 2.5 months after fiscal year end (corp).

Massachusetts Secretary of State business search — LLC name check, trademark & domain lookup

Massachusetts is the most expensive state in the country to run an LLC: $500 to form and $500 every year after. That pushes many small businesses toward a corporation ($275 and $125) or a sole proprietorship with a DBA filed at the city clerk — where the name is checked against a different list entirely.

Is it taken in Massachusetts? — Enter the name exactly as you'd file it; the Massachusetts registry, USPTO and domain registrars are checked together.

Check this name →

How to check a business name in Massachusetts

Check the name as you'd file it. With the designator (LLC) attached — Massachusetts compares the whole string.
Verify at the source. The official Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth search is the record that counts; registrations change daily.
Don't stop at the state line. A clear Massachusetts result says nothing about federal trademarks or the domain; the checker covers both in the same run.

How busy is Massachusetts right now?

Businesses in Massachusetts filed 85,334 new business applications in the twelve months to August 2026 — +11.4% on the year before, the 22nd-highest total of any state and 12.0 per 1,000 residents (ranked 47th per person). April was the busiest month with 9,331 applications, and Massachusetts accounts for 1.4% of all U.S. filings.

Each application is a competitor for the same short, natural-sounding names, so the more active the state, the less a week-old search result is worth.

Where America starts businesses — all 50 states ranked →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 57,264 applications in calendar 2019.

Massachusetts naming rules: what the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will and won't accept

Every Massachusetts filing is screened for a single thing before anything else: the name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The examiner ignores punctuation, spacing, capitalization and the suffix when comparing, so two names that look different on paper can still collide. An LLC name must end in LLC, L.L.C., L.C. and Limited Liability Company; a corporation uses Corporation, Corp., Incorporated and Inc., among others.

Certain words trigger a review. In Massachusetts that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Olympic — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.

On cost: forming an LLC costs $500, a corporation $275 and a name reservation is $30 and holds the name for 60 days. Online filings usually 1-2 business days.

The ongoing obligation: Annual report, $500 (LLC) / $125 (corp), due by the anniversary date (LLC) or 2.5 months after fiscal year end (corp). An entity that stops filing loses good standing, and with it the exclusive claim to its name.

Per the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, (617) 727-9640 — fee schedule. Fees change; confirm before filing.

How Massachusetts decides whether a name is taken

Three things the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth looks at, and one it doesn't:

Status. Only entities in an active status hold their names. Dissolved, revoked and withdrawn registrations release the name — with the caveat that a very recent lapse can still be reinstated, which our result notes when it applies.
Distinguishability. Your name must differ from every active Massachusetts name by more than punctuation, spacing, capitalisation or the entity designator. Two names that read the same aloud are usually treated as the same name.
Designator. The recorded name of an LLC ends in an LLC designator and a corporation's in Inc., Corp. or an accepted equivalent; leave it off and the filing is returned.
Not trademarks. The registry never checks the USPTO. A name can be free in Massachusetts and still infringe a federal mark, so run both — the checker on this page does.

Naming rules, fees and reservation windows come from Massachusetts statute and change; treat the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's current guidance as final before you file. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth

The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth maintains Massachusetts's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Massachusetts business names. Useful official resources:

Official Massachusetts business entity search — the state's own lookup.
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.

Before you file in Massachusetts: a two-minute double check

Run the name through the checker above — registry, USPTO and domain in one pass.
Repeat the search on the official Massachusetts lookup, spelling the name exactly as it will be filed, with the designator.
For every match returned, note the status. Active blocks; dissolved or revoked usually doesn't; a recent lapse deserves a second look.
Compare spellings, not just exact hits — Massachusetts treats near-identical names as the same name.
Clear on both? Reserve or file straight away. Names are first-come, first-served.

Frequently asked questions

Are there words I can't use in a Massachusetts business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Massachusetts that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Olympic. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Massachusetts each year?: The Census Bureau counted 85,334 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +11.4% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
Does a Massachusetts registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Massachusetts's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Massachusetts lookup.
What does a Massachusetts LLC name have to end with?: One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.
Can I reserve a business name in Massachusetts before I file?: Yes. The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth charges $30 to reserve a name for 60 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
How much does it cost to register a business name in Massachusetts?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $500 for an LLC and $275 for a corporation, then annual report, $500 (llc) / $125 (corp), due by the anniversary date (llc) or 2.5 months after fiscal year end (corp).

Still choosing a name? Try the Massachusetts business name generator — every idea checked against the same registry.

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