How to choose a company name in Hungary
When you set up a company in Hungary, it will need a name that distinguishes it from other ventures. Learn what the compulsory elements of a company name in Hungary are, and choose the perfect name.
Hungarian company names
A company name in Hungary has the following structure:
keyword + (activity in Hungarian) + full company form in Hungarian
E.g. Helpers Hungary + Szolgáltató + Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság
(meaning: Helpers Hungary + Services + Limited Liability Company)
Please note: the second part with the activity is indicated in brackets because it is optional.
Besides its full name, the Hungarian company can also have an abbreviated name for daily use, e.g. on stamps or in correspondence, which consists only of the keyword and the abbreviated company form.
E.g. Helpers Hungary + KFT
A. Keyword
From a commercial sense, the keyword is the most important part of the Hungarian company name, as this is the section that will distinguish it from your competitors. The keyword can be anything you choose, including your own name, an abbreviation, an acronym, or a word from your mother tongue. However, it has to be spelled with letters of the Hungarian alphabet (e.g. it cannot contain Chinese characters, even if it is a Chinese name).
B. Activity
Including an activity in the name of the company is optional. If you do that, the activity must reflect on something your company actually does (e.g. you cannot call your web development company an “agricultural company”). The activity must be indicated in Hungarian. Some popular designations include:
- ipari (“industrial”)
- kereskedelmi (“commercial”)
- szolgáltató (“service”)
- számítástechnikai (“IT”)
- mezőgazdasági (“agricultural”)
- építőipari (“construction”)
C. Company form
The last section of the company is always a Hungarian description of its legal form. If you are forming an LLC (a “KFT” in Hungarian),
- it must be included in the name of your company;
- you cannot call your company anything else (e.g. you cannot call it “PLC” or a “Holding”).
What to watch out for when choosing a company name in Hungary?
Hungarian company names must be unique, correct, and appropriate. In order to ensure that, here are some quick tips for name selection.
1. Check the company registry for identical names
The company name, and especially the keyword, should be unique in Hungary. When deliberating on the Hungarian company name you want, you can always check the Hungarian company registry, which is available online. The registry court will not accept an application for a company name that already exists – there should be a difference of at least 3 characters, but the rule of thumb is that people should not be able to confuse the new company with an existing one.
We usually suggest that our clients come up with 3 different company names, so in case the registry court rejects your first choice, you do not have to start the application from scratch. This can involve adding an extra word to the keyword to differentiate it from an existing company name, such as Global, Europe, Hungary, or Solutions.
If you think you have come up with the perfect name and you are afraid it might be snatched before you could set up your company, you can reserve the company name in Hungary for up to 60 days. If you do not register your company by then, the name becomes available to anyone again.
2. Make sure your selected name is appropriate
The selected company name is appropriate if it reflects the characteristics of the company. In line with this:
- The type of the company must be indicated correctly in the company name. E.g. if you have an LLC, you must call it an LLC, and cannot call it a PLC or a Holding.
- If you decide to indicate an activity in the name (which is not required), it must reflect the actual activity of the company. E.g. if you have a web development company, you cannot call it an industrial company.
- If you want to name your company after an entity or a person that is not related to your company, you need to ask for a written permission from them – since using their name without explicit consent would violate their rights. If you want to name your company after a historical figure, you need to consult the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and ask them for a written approval.
3. Check if the selected name is legible and correct
While the keyword does not have to be in Hungarian, it must be written in Hungarian letters, and it must be pronounceable (so it cannot be a jumble of numbers and symbols). You are free to choose a name in Chinese or any other language, but it must be transliterated.
Moreover, at least part of the name must be in Hungarian (the activity, if you decide to include it, and the company form). We will be happy to help you make sure it is correct and grammatical.
Get full service from the experts
The name of your company must be unique, appropriate, and correct. If you set up your company with the help of our experienced team, our comprehensive service will of course include help with selecting a proper company name in Hungary, which will meet every requirement – you just need the basic idea for the keyword.
Fill in the form below, and get in touch today to set up your Hungarian company tomorrow.
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