The Nuans Name Search Report is created from the Nuans Name Search System which records all names for companies, business names and trade-marks across Canada. The system compares the name you wish to use against all other names on file across Canada. You are required to submit an Ontario Nuans Name Search with your articles of incorporation when you incorporate in Ontario. The name search report allows the government to determine if the name is actually available.. All conflicts will show on the report.

It is not necessary to provide an Ontario Nuans Name Search Report when registering a partnership, business name (trade name) or an sole proprietorship. The government will allow you to register the exact same name as another partnership, business name or sole proprietorship. You should do a preliminary name search regardless to ensure you are picking a name that is different since you could still have legal problems if you register a name exactly the same as someone else.

It is advisable for you to have a preliminary name search done for the proposed name you wish for your company. If you do not do this and just go straight to ordering an Ontario Nuans Name search report then if there are conflicts on the report you will have to pay again for another search report.

Most reputable search houses will perform a preliminary name search for your proposed name as part of the service when you buy an Ontario Nuans name search from them. The only time there should be a fee for a preliminary name search is in the case where you are registering a trade name, partnership or a sole proprietorship in Ontario and a full search is not required but you still want to determine the availability of the name.

There is no requirement for an Ontario Nuans name search report when you are registering a partnership, sole proprietorship or business name (trade name). However, a preliminary name search should always be done because the onus will be on you to ensure your name is different than other business names registered. A preliminary name search should be purchased in this case or you may be able to find a search house that will do the preliminary name search for free as part of the service when you purchase your registration from them.

If you are registering a corporation, you will be required to have a legal element (explained below) but for other registrations such as sole proprietorships, business names and partnerships this will not be necessary. The information herein explains what to look for when using a name for a corporation however the principles can be applied to Ontario business names, partnerships and sole proprietorships as well with the exception of the legal element.

When deciding on a name for your corporation, you should consider three aspects of the name as follows: (1) the Distinctive Element (2) the Descriptive Element, and (3) the Legal Element.

If the name you decide to register is “Smith Carpentry Inc. , the distinctive element is the word “Smith”, which is distinctive because it is a person’s last name. Another example of a distinctive element in a name might be “Toronto” as in “Toronto Garden Supplies Ltd.” which is distinctive because it describes a location. “Twilight Dental Services Corp.” has the distinctive word “Twilight” in it to make it stand out from other dental service companies. The descriptive element describes the type of business. In “Smith Landscaping Inc.”, the descriptive element is “Landscaping” which describes the nature of business. In “Georgian Garden Supplies Ltd.” the descriptive element is “Garden Supplies” which describes the type of products this business sells. “Dental Services” is the descriptive element for “Starcross Dental Services Corp.”.

The Legal Element is the word “Inc.” which is a mandatory ending which recognizes the name as the name of a company. In Canada you can have the following endings for your company name: “Inc.”, “Incorporated”, “Ltd.”, “Limited”, “Corp.”, “Corporation” and the French equivalents of “Ltee.” “Limitee”, “Inc.” (same in English and French) or “Incorporee”, The Legal Element distinguishes your name as a share corporation rather than a business name, sole proprietorship or non-share corporation.

Resources for Canadian Business Owners performs unlimited preliminary name searches with the purchase of an Ontario Name Search and will pre-check your name for free when you purchase a Register a Small Business

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