Naming Your Business in Switzerland: Rules and Best Practices

A good name is memorable and legally available. Swiss rules place real constraints on what you can call your business.

The legal rules

The name must not be misleading about your business’s nature or owner, and a registered company name must be unique within its canton. Legal-form suffixes (GmbH, AG) are mandatory and protected.

The name must accurately reflect the business. Calling yourself something that implies a different activity, ownership or legal form is not allowed.

Legal-form suffixes are mandatory for registered companies and are protected by law. Only a real GmbH may use the GmbH designation.

Certain names, such as those suggesting a public institution or misleading geographic origin, are restricted.

• Must not mislead about the business.
• Registered names must be unique in the canton.
• Legal-form suffix is required and protected.
• Misleading or reserved names are refused.

How to check availability

Search the commercial register and trademark database before you commit. A name that looks free may already be taken by a registered company or trademark.

The central commercial register search (zefix) shows existing registered companies. Check it first for conflicts.

The trademark register (via the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property) shows protected marks that may block your name even if no company uses it.

Also check the domain name and common social handles at the same time. A name you can register but cannot get a domain for is a problem.

• Check the commercial register (zefix).
• Check the trademark register.
• Check the domain and handles.
• Do this before you commit.

Choosing a good name

Pick a name that is easy to spell, say and remember. If clients cannot spell it, they cannot find you or pay you.

Prefer a name that hints at what you do without boxing you in forever. Overly narrow names limit your future growth.

Consider how the name works with a legal-form suffix, since “GmbH” or “AG” will appear everywhere. Some names combine awkwardly.

Avoid names that are hard to pronounce in your market. A name that works in one language may stumble in another, and Switzerland is multilingual.

• Easy to spell and say.
• Hints at what you do.
• Works with the legal suffix.
• Works across languages.

Protecting it early

Once you have a name you love, register it before you invest in branding. Finding out your name is taken after you have printed everything is an expensive lesson.

Registering the company secures the name in the commercial register, but consider a trademark to protect it nationally across categories.

Secure the domain name immediately, even if you are not ready to build a site. Domains are cheap and go fast.