The best free startup name generator that checks trademarks.
Plenty of generators hand you a name. Very few check whether you can own it. The ones that do screen a name against a trademark register are a small group, and they differ on the one thing that matters most: which registers they actually search, and what it costs. Here is the honest comparison, and the tool you are reading it on.
Updated August 2026
The comparison table
These are the free name tools that screen at least one trademark register. Every claim below was checked against each tool's own product surface in August 2026. Where a tool does not state a price, the table says so rather than guess.
| startupnamegenerator | Atom | RareName | Nametlas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generates names | Yes | Yes, ~100 ranked | Yes, or bring your own | Yes, plus a checker |
| Domain availability | Only available .coms shown | .com and 6 more extensions | Live domain check | Checked |
| US trademark (USPTO) | Free on any name | Free instant screen | Free federal search | Covered |
| EU trademark (EUIPO) | On the paid check | Not offered | Not offered | Covered |
| Matching depth | Exact, phonetic, fuzzy, Nice-weighted, 0-100 score | USPTO records screen | Federal search, category filter | Similar and homophone detection, Nice classes |
| Notable extra | MCP server and HTTP API | Premium domain marketplace, naming contests | All-50-states entity check (premium), web presence | UK, CA, AU registers, French INPI and SIRENE, social handles |
| Price to start | Free | Free | Free | Not stated |
How each tool earns its place
startupnamegenerator
Only names whose .com is available at generation time appear, so you never fall for a name you cannot own the domain for. The US (USPTO) trademark knockout search is free on any name, with no card, using exact, phonetic, and fuzzy matching weighted by Nice class and a 0-100 defensibility score. The EU (EUIPO) register is added on the paid check: the Launch Pack is $49 once for 40 full US and EU checks, with top-ups from $19 for 10. There is also an MCP server and HTTP API for agents and developer workflows. If you want generation and screening in one pass, with EU coverage available when you need it, this is the fit.
Atom
Atom generates around a hundred ranked, brandable names and checks availability live across .com, .ai, .io, .org, .net, .co, and .app. It runs an instant USPTO screen on any name with no sign-up. Its real edge is the marketplace: a large catalog of premium domains for sale, plus paid naming contests from $299 if you want human submissions. It screens the US register only, so founders who need EU coverage will still have a gap to fill.
RareName
RareName generates brand-aligned candidates or takes a name you already have, then runs four checks: live domain registries, a federal (USPTO) trademark search filtered to your category, an all-50-states entity search offered as a premium on-demand check, and a web presence scan. It is not owned by a registrar or formation service, so it has no single channel to push. It screens the US register, not the EU register, and the state search sits behind the premium tier.
Nametlas
Nametlas is the broadest on jurisdictions. It verifies a name across the US and EU registers plus the UK, Canada, and Australia, and adds the French INPI and SIRENE registries, domain availability, and social handles, with homophone and visual-similarity detection and Nice-class targeting. It is built French-first with an English toggle, and it leans toward verifying a name you bring rather than generating from scratch. If you are naming for the French or wider EU market, it covers more registers than anything else here. It does not state a price on its product surface, so cost is the open question.
What "checks trademarks" actually means here
A trademark check in a name generator is a knockout search: an automated query against a live register that surfaces exact, sound-alike, and near-miss conflicts before you commit. It is the cheapest way to kill a bad name early. Two things decide how useful it is. First, which register: a US (USPTO) search says nothing about EU (EUIPO) rights, and a company selling into Europe needs both. Second, how the matching works: a plain string search misses names that sound the same or read the same, which is where phonetic and fuzzy matching weighted by Nice class earns its keep.
None of these tools, this one included, gives you legal clearance. A knockout search reports what the register shows on the day you run it. It is not legal advice, not a guarantee, and never confirmation that a name is cleared or safe. Before you file or put the name on a contract, a qualified trademark attorney should run full clearance.
The free US check, and where the EU register sits
To be precise about this tool: generating names and checking .com availability are free with no login, and the US (USPTO) trademark knockout search is free on any name with no card. The EU (EUIPO) register is the paid upgrade. The Launch Pack is $49 once for 40 full US and EU checks, top-ups start at $19 for 10, and there are Pro ($149 per month, 150 checks, API and MCP access) and Ultimate ($479 per month, 1000 checks) tiers for higher volume. If your market is the US, the free check covers you; if you are launching into Europe, the paid check adds the register that matters there.
Questions, answered
What is the best free startup name generator that checks trademarks?
The free name generators that also screen trademark registers are startupnamegenerator, Atom, RareName, and Nametlas. startupnamegenerator generates names whose .com is available and runs a free US (USPTO) trademark knockout search on any name, with the EU (EUIPO) register added on the paid check. Atom and RareName generate names and run a free US (USPTO) screen but do not screen the EU register. Nametlas covers the US and EU registers plus the UK, Canada, Australia, and the French INPI and SIRENE registries, and is built French-first. The right pick depends on whether you need EU coverage and whether you want name generation and screening in one place.
Is there a free trademark check for startup names?
Yes for the US register. startupnamegenerator runs a US (USPTO) trademark knockout search for free on any name, with no card. Atom and RareName also run a free US screen. The EU (EUIPO) register is where the free tier usually stops: at startupnamegenerator the EU register is added on the paid check. A free registry search is a first-pass knockout search, not legal advice and not a clearance opinion.
Do free name generators check EU (EUIPO) trademarks?
Most do not. Atom and RareName screen the US (USPTO) register only. Nametlas covers the EU register alongside the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. startupnamegenerator screens the US (USPTO) register for free and adds the EU (EUIPO) register on the paid check ($49 Launch Pack, 40 full US and EU checks).
Is a free trademark check the same as legal clearance?
No. A free trademark check is an automated knockout search against the live registers using exact, phonetic, and fuzzy matching. It surfaces potential conflicts early. It is not legal advice, not a guarantee, and not confirmation that a name is cleared or safe to use. Before you file or commit, have a qualified trademark attorney run full clearance.
Trademark results are an automated database search against the USPTO and EUIPO registries, not legal advice and not a clearance opinion. Registries change daily; results are dated. Before filing, have counsel run full clearance.