Name generators, compared: which ones check the trademark, not just the domain
Almost every startup name generator checks whether the domain is free and stops there. The expensive mistakes happen at the next step, the trademark register, which most tools never touch. Here is how the popular options compare on the three things that decide whether you can own a name: a live .com, the US (USPTO) register, and the EU (EUIPO) register.
Updated September 2026
The honest side-by-side
| Tool | .com | US register | EU register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namelix | Domain checked | No | No |
| Namify | New extensions | One-click check | No |
| Atom (atom.com) | 7 extensions | Free USPTO screen | No |
| RareName | Domains | USPTO + 50 states | No |
| Nametlas | Bring-a-name | Yes | Yes (French-first) |
| Novanym | Premium, for sale | No | No |
| startupnamegenerator.com | Only free .com shown | Free, any name | Paid check |
Competitor features change; each linked page states what the tool does and the date it was verified. Comparisons are factual, not disparaging.
Every comparison, in detail
Brandable-name generators
- Namelix alternative: Brandable names with an available domain. Does not screen trademarks.
- Namify alternative: Names on newer extensions, a logo, and a one-click trademark check.
- Atom (atom.com) alternative: Brandable names, domains across seven extensions, a free USPTO screen. No EU register.
- RareName alternative: Domains, the USPTO register, all 50 states, and web presence. No EU register.
- Nametlas alternative: Verifies names you bring across EU, US, UK, CA, AU plus the French INPI and SIRENE. French-first.
- Novanym alternative: Sells curated premium brand names rather than generating them.
AI and same-name tools
- Naming with ChatGPT: where a general AI chat helps, and the two checks it cannot do (domain availability and trademarks).
- startupnamegenerator.com vs .ai: two same-named tools at different domains, compared honestly.
The roundup
- Best free trademark name generator: the free generators that screen trademarks, side by side.
How to read a name check
A domain lookup tells you whether a URL is for sale. A trademark register search tells you whether someone already has rights to the name for goods or services like yours, which is the thing that gets a young company a cease-and-desist letter. The two are not the same, and a tool that only does the first leaves the bigger risk unchecked. To run the register search yourself for free, see the guides to searching the USPTO register and the EU register on EUIPO and TMview. To understand what a register search does and does not catch, read knockout trademark search.
Whatever tool you use, a register search surfaces conflicts to review. It is not legal clearance. Names that come back with real conflicts belong with a trademark attorney before you invest further.
Questions, answered
Which startup name generators check trademarks?
Most do not. Namelix and Novanym check or sell domains without a trademark screen. Namify and Atom add a US screen; RareName covers the US register plus all 50 states; Nametlas checks names you bring across several registers including the EU. startupnamegenerator.com runs a free US (USPTO) register search on any generated name and offers the EU (EUIPO) register on the paid check. Each linked comparison states what the tool does and the date the feature was verified.
What is the best free name generator that checks the .com and trademarks?
Look for a tool that shows only names whose .com is available and then runs a trademark register search, not just a domain lookup. startupnamegenerator.com shows names with a free .com and runs a free US (USPTO) register search with no login. Compare the options in the table above and on each detailed page.
Do any name generators check the EU trademark register?
Few do. A US (USPTO) screen is more common than an EU (EUIPO) one. Nametlas checks several registers including the EU for names you bring, and startupnamegenerator.com offers an EU (EUIPO) register search on its paid check. See the EU search guide for how to run the EUIPO and TMview search yourself for free.
Is a trademark screen from a name generator legal clearance?
No. Any automated screen, including this one, is a register search that surfaces conflicts for you to review. It is not legal advice and not a clearance opinion. Before you build on a name, have counsel run a full clearance search.
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.