Maine business name generator — every idea checked against Secretary of State records
Maine still processes most formation filings on paper, with a $175 LLC fee that is among New England's highest, and its annual report costs $85 every June. Its online search covers active and inactive records back decades, which matters because Maine treats a name as taken while the old entity is still within its reinstatement window.
Is it taken in Maine? — Enter the name exactly as you'd file it; the Maine registry, USPTO and domain registrars are checked together.
Help me name my business →How to land a name that's actually available in Maine
- Check the name as you'd file it. With the designator (LLC) attached — Maine compares the whole string.
- Verify at the source. The official Maine Secretary of State search is the record that counts; registrations change daily.
- Don't stop at the state line. A clear Maine result says nothing about federal trademarks or the domain; the checker covers both in the same run.
Already have a name in mind?
You don't have to start from ideas — the same checker verifies a specific name. Enter the exact name you're considering and it's searched against the Maine registry, federal trademark filings, and domain registrars in one pass.
Maine naming rules: what the Maine Secretary of State will and won't accept
Every Maine filing is screened for a single thing before anything else: the name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State. Swapping 'Inc.' for 'LLC', adding 'The', or changing a comma does not make a name distinguishable here. For an LLC the accepted endings are LLC, L.L.C., L.C. and Limited Liability Company; corporations take Corporation, Corp. and Incorporated.
Some words need permission first. In Maine that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Credit Union — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.
The fees are straightforward: forming an LLC costs $175, a corporation $145 and a name reservation is $20 and holds the name for 120 days. Paper-heavy: 5-10 business days standard; 24-hour expedited for $50.
Keeping it: Annual report, $85, due June 1. Skip it and the state eventually dissolves the entity, releasing the name back into the pool.
Per the Maine Secretary of State, (207) 624-7752 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.
Name ideas that fit Maine — and clear its registry
The generator starts from what your business does and who it serves, then checks each idea against the Maine registry, the federal trademark register and domain availability before it shows it to you.
When an idea clears, Maine lets you hold it: a name reservation costs $20 and lasts 120 days — enough time to finish the paperwork without watching the name every morning.
Remember the suffix: a Maine LLC name has to end in LLC, L.L.C. and L.C., and the generator appends it before checking so what you see is what you'd file.
How busy is Maine right now?
Businesses in Maine filed 15,435 new business applications in the twelve months to August 2026 — +9.0% on the year before, the 46th-highest total of any state and 11.0 per 1,000 residents (ranked 50th per person). April was the busiest month with 1,722 applications, and Maine accounts for 0.2% of all U.S. filings.
That's the crowd your name has to stand apart from — the generator scores ideas against what's already registered, not against a blank slate.
What America names its businesses — 26 million registered names decoded →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 9,987 applications in calendar 2019.
What makes a name available in Maine?
- It must be distinguishable from names already on the Maine registry — usually more than a difference in punctuation, spacing, or an entity suffix.
- Only active registrations block a name. A dissolved or revoked entity with the same name typically doesn't stop you — though a recently inactive one can carry a reinstatement risk worth knowing about (our checker flags exactly that case).
- Entity suffixes are required, not decorative. An LLC's legal name must carry an LLC designator; a corporation needs Inc., Corp., or an equivalent accepted in Maine.
- Registry clearance is not trademark clearance. The Maine Secretary of State checks its own records only — it will register a name that infringes a federal trademark. Check both.
About the Maine Secretary of State
The Maine Secretary of State maintains Maine's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Maine business names. Useful official resources:
- Official Maine business entity search — the state's own lookup.
- Maine Secretary of State — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.
Using the official Maine search
- Search here first. The checker above covers the Maine registry plus federal trademarks and domains in one pass — most dead-end names are eliminated in seconds.
- Open the official Maine entity search and look up your shortlisted name exactly as you plan to file it, including the entity suffix.
- Review matching records — check each match's status (active registrations block a name; dissolved ones usually don't) and how close the spelling is to yours.
- File or reserve promptly. Availability is first-come-first-served; a name that's clear today can be registered by someone else tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a Maine registration protect my name in other states?
- No. It protects the name inside Maine's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Maine lookup.
- What does a Maine LLC name have to end with?
- One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.
- Can I reserve a business name in Maine before I file?
- Yes. The Maine Secretary of State charges $20 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
- How much does it cost to register a business name in Maine?
- The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $175 for an LLC and $145 for a corporation, then annual report, $85, due june 1.
- Are there words I can't use in a Maine business name?
- Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Maine that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Credit Union. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
- How many new businesses start in Maine each year?
- The Census Bureau counted 15,435 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +9.0% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
Already have a name? Run the Maine Secretary of State business search to see if it's taken.
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