香港有限公司英文名稱 Limite: Official Source Guide

香港有限公司英文名稱必須以 Limited 結尾：核心答案

是的。根據香港《公司條例》第102條，有限公司的英文名稱最後一個字必須為「Limited」。公司註冊處在其「常見問題 — 本地有限公司 — 公司名稱」頁面中直接說明這一點，並同時指出一個容易被忽略的細節：「Ltd」與「Limited」在法律上被視為相同，但這並不代表申請人可以自行選擇以「Ltd」結尾。條文要求的是英文名稱的最後一個字必須為「Limited」，因此擬訂名稱時應以完整拼寫的「Limited」置於末端，而非依賴「Ltd」這個被視為相同的縮寫。

這個規定適用於擬註冊的本地有限公司英文名稱，屬於成立申請前的名稱擬訂階段。公司註冊處的《香港公司名稱註冊指引》及該處關於公司名稱的常見問題，是擬訂名稱時應一併參閱的資料。實務上，這項要求會直接影響名稱的書寫方式：末端字眼、空格、標點與大小寫都會出現在查冊與申請文件之中，因此名稱一經確定，其末端寫法便不應再隨意改動。

本文涵蓋的實際範圍

本文聚焦於英文名稱末端「Limited」這一項法定要求，以及它在成立流程中牽動的幾個實際決定：名稱末端應如何書寫、擬用名稱如何透過公司註冊處電子服務網站的「以全名查冊」模式查閱，以及在名稱獲准註冊後如需更改，須依循甚麼程序。文中亦會說明這項要求與商標註冊的分別，因為公司名稱註冊與商標註冊由不同政府部門管理、受不同法例規管，兩者不應混為一談。

本文不處理中文名稱的末端字眼問題，也不涵蓋非香港公司註冊或擔保有限公司的個別安排。若你的情況涉及這些範圍，應另行查閱公司註冊處的相關指引及常見問題。

誰應在擬訂名稱前先處理這個問題

首次在香港成立有限公司的創辦人，以及為客戶擬訂名稱的專業服務提供者，都應在交付成立申請前確認英文名稱末端符合規定。若擬用名稱曾在其他司法管轄區使用，或創辦人習慣以「Ltd」書寫，更應及早核對，避免在提交法團成立表格時才發現名稱需要調整。

如你希望按部就班核對名稱末端寫法、查冊方式及後續更改程序，可參閱我們為香港公司註冊整理的資源頁面，作為擬訂名稱前的實務參考。

Who Should Treat the “Limited” Ending as a Live Planning Issue

Not every founder needs to dwell on this point, but several common situations make it worth resolving before any incorporation documents are prepared. If you are registering a local company with a share capital and intend to use an English name, the ending is a drafting decision you will carry into the incorporation form and the articles of association. If you are weighing a bilingual name, the English half still has to satisfy the requirement on its own. If you expect to open bank accounts, sign contracts or hold a business registration certificate, the name that appears on those documents will be the registered one, so the ending should be settled early rather than corrected later.

Decision one: settle the exact spelling before you search

The Companies Registry’s guidance on choosing a company name and its FAQ on local company incorporation both point applicants to the Hong Kong Company Name Registration Guidelines and the name-related FAQs before drafting. Because the full-name search mode on the registry’s electronic services website requires the complete proposed name to be entered, an unresolved ending will produce an unreliable search result. Decide the final spelling first, then search.

Decision two: treat the name as part of the incorporation package

The name is not a standalone step. The registry describes incorporation as choosing the company type and name, then delivering the incorporation form, the articles of association and the business registration notification together with the correct fee. A name that fails the ending requirement can therefore hold up the whole submission, not just the name itself.

Decision three: align the name with how you will deliver the application

Electronic and printed delivery routes exist, and the registry notes that electronic certificates for private companies with share capital are generally issued within about one hour, while printed certificates generally take about four working days. Whichever route you choose, the name on the certificate is the one you registered, so the ending should be correct at the point of delivery.

Preparing to Draft an English Name That Ends in “Limited”: What to Gather First

Before you type a proposed name into any form, assemble the raw materials that the name decision depends on. The Companies Registry’s guidance on 成立本地有限公司 frames incorporation as a sequence: choose the company category and name, then deliver the application, then collect the certificate. The name step therefore comes first, and it is where preparation pays off.

Decide the company category before the name

The same Registry page distinguishes a company limited by shares — where members’ liability is limited to any unpaid amount on their shares under the articles of association — from a company limited by guarantee, which has no share capital and is common for non-profit organisations. The category affects the incorporation form you will use (Form NNC1 for a company limited by shares, or Form NNC1G otherwise), so settle it before finalising the English name.

Gather the exact proposed name in its final written form

Write out the complete English name as you intend it to appear, including the closing word “Limited”, with the spacing, punctuation and capitalisation you want. The Registry’s electronic search requires the “full name search” mode and the complete proposed name as input; for Chinese names, traditional characters must be used. A name that is identical to one already in the Registrar’s index of company names will not be approved, so the version you search must match the version you intend to register.

Check the name against two separate registers

The Registry’s page notes that applicants should also check the trade marks register kept by the Intellectual Property Department, because adopting a name that infringes another party’s intellectual property rights may attract criminal or civil sanctions in Hong Kong or elsewhere. Treat the company name search and the trade mark search as two distinct checks with different purposes.

Prepare the supporting documents and fee

For the application itself, the Registry lists the incorporation form, a copy of the articles of association (a sample is available on the electronic services website), and the notice to the Business Registration Office (IRBR1), delivered electronically or in printed form with the correct fee. If a founder member signing the incorporation form is also a director, that person must sign the consent to act as director on the form; other directors may sign there or file Form NNC3 within 15 days after incorporation.

Collecting these items first means the name you settle on can move straight into the application without a rewrite.

Where the “Limited” Ending Sits in the Incorporation Sequence

Once the name has been drafted and checked, the ending becomes part of a defined delivery process rather than a standalone wording choice. The Companies Registry’s guidance on 成立本地有限公司 describes incorporation as a sequence: choose the company category and name, deliver the application, then collect the certificate. The “Limited” ending is settled at the first step and then carried unchanged into the application.

Step 1: Fix the ending before the form is prepared

Because the name is chosen before the application is delivered, the ending should be finalised at that point. Changing it later would mean the name on the form no longer matches the name that was checked, so the practical rule is to treat the ending as locked once the name search has been run.

Step 2: Deliver the application through the chosen channel

The Registry’s incorporation guidance sets out the delivery step without prescribing a single channel. What matters for the name is consistency: the spelling used in the application should be the spelling that was searched, including the final word “Limited”.

Step 3: Collect the certificate and verify the recorded name

After delivery, the certificate is collected. The recorded name, including its ending, is what appears on the certificate and in the public register. This is why the ending is worth treating as a data-entry item, not a stylistic one.

How this differs from registering a non-Hong Kong company

Founders sometimes confuse local incorporation with registration of a non-Hong Kong company. The Companies Registry’s 常見問題 — 註冊非香港公司 — 註冊 explains that a non-Hong Kong company must apply for registration as a 註冊非香港公司 within one month of establishing a place of business in Hong Kong, delivering Form NN1 together with certified copies of its constitutional documents and other specified documents. That route registers an existing overseas name; it does not create a new local name ending in “Limited”. The local ending requirement therefore belongs to the incorporation path, not the non-Hong Kong company registration path.

Where the resource fits

If you are still at the drafting stage, the Registry’s guidance on company names and the incorporation sequence are the two documents to read together. Our company registration resource page collects the steps in order so the name decision, the application and the certificate are handled as one flow.

Document and Evidence Checklist for the “Limited” Ending: What to Keep on File

Once the English name ending in “Limited” has been fixed and carried into the incorporation application, the practical question shifts from drafting to record-keeping. A short, disciplined file of documents makes it easier to confirm later that the name was written consistently, and to answer questions from banks, counterparties or advisers without reconstructing the history. The checklist below groups the evidence by purpose rather than by form number, because each category answers a different question.

Category 1: The name decision itself

Keep a dated note recording the proposed English name exactly as it will appear, including the final word “Limited”, together with any alternative names considered and the reason the chosen one was preferred. This matters because the ending is a drafting decision made before the application is delivered, and a written record prevents later drift between the name on the certificate and the name used on signage, invoices or bank mandates.

Category 2: The name availability check

Retain the output of the Companies Registry’s full-name search on its electronic services website. This is the evidence that the proposed name was checked before submission, and it supports any later explanation of why the name was selected. Store it alongside the date of the check, since search results reflect a point in time.

Category 3: The incorporation delivery record

Keep a copy of the delivered application and the acknowledgement or receipt showing when it was submitted. The Companies Registry’s guidance on 成立本地有限公司 describes incorporation as a sequence — choose the category and name, deliver the application, then collect the certificate — so the delivery record is the link between the name decision and the issued certificate.

Category 4: Business registration correspondence

Where business registration matters are handled separately, keep the relevant correspondence and, if a counter visit is involved, the appointment confirmation. The Inland Revenue Department’s 商業登記署櫃位服務最新安排 page notes that visitors with appointments should attend the specified floor at the date and time shown on the confirmation, and that online booking covers the same day and the next five working days. It also encourages use of the government’s one-stop business registration electronic services. Filing these items together keeps the company name and the business registration record aligned.

Why these categories, and not more

Each category corresponds to a stage where the name could be transcribed differently: the decision, the check, the delivery, and the registration follow-up. Keeping evidence at those four points is usually enough to show that the “Limited” ending was treated as a fixed requirement rather than a formatting preference. For a fuller walkthrough of the registration process itself, see our Hong Kong company registration resource page.

What Happens When the “Limited” Ending Is Wrong or Needs to Change Later

Even a carefully drafted name can later need correction or replacement. The Companies Registry’s FAQ on local company names explains that a company may change its name after incorporation by special resolution. The company must deliver a completed Form NNC2, “Notification of Change of Company Name,” within 15 days after the special resolution is passed, either electronically through the Registry’s e-Services website or in printed form to the collection office at 14/F, Queensway Government Offices. The date the “Certificate of Change of Company Name” is issued is the date the change takes effect. The Registry also notes that the special resolution and any amended articles of association (where only the name is changed) need not be delivered.

Scenario: the ending was written inconsistently

If an earlier draft used “Ltd” at the end while the incorporation documents show “Limited,” the registered name is what governs. Because the Registry treats “Ltd” and “Limited” as the same for comparison purposes, the practical fix is to align internal records, bank mandates and letterhead with the registered spelling rather than assume the shorter form is interchangeable on official documents.

Scenario: the name itself must change

A change of name is a distinct step from incorporation and carries its own 15-day delivery window after the special resolution. Planning the new name means repeating the same discipline: confirm the English ending is the full word “Limited,” then check the proposed name before delivery.

Scenario: a name that is “too similar” to another

The Registry’s FAQ states that if another company registers a name “too similar” to yours after your incorporation, you may object to the Registrar, setting out reasons and evidence of confusion. If the Registrar agrees, an direction to change name may be given under section 108(3) of the Companies Ordinance within 12 months after the date the name was registered. Objections should therefore be sent early, ideally at least a month before that statutory period ends, so the Registrar can investigate in time.

For founders who want a structured reference on name drafting, delivery and post-incorporation changes, our Hong Kong company registration resource collects the relevant steps in one place.

Common Mistakes, Risk Controls and Practical Next Steps for the “Limited” Ending

Most problems with the 香港有限公司英文名稱 Limited 結尾規定 arise not from the rule itself but from how founders apply it. The Companies Registry FAQ on local company names states plainly that under section 102 of the Companies Ordinance, the last word of a limited company’s English name must be “Limited,” and that although “Ltd” and “Limited” are treated as the same, this does not license a free choice of ending. Treat the following as a short risk-control list rather than a set of formalities.

Mistake one: drafting the ending as “Ltd”

Because the two forms are regarded as identical for some purposes, founders sometimes assume either is acceptable on the incorporation form. The requirement is directed at the last word of the name, so the safer drafting habit is to write “Limited” in full at the end and keep it there consistently across every document.

Mistake two: treating the name decision as reversible at no cost

A change of name after incorporation is possible by special resolution, but it is a separate filing exercise. The Registry’s FAQ explains that a company must deliver Form NNC2, “Notification of Change of Company Name,” within 15 days after the special resolution is passed, electronically through the e-Services website or in printed form to the collection office, and that the change takes effect on the date the Certificate of Change of Name is issued. Building the ending correctly at the outset avoids this later step.

Mistake three: searching a shortened version of the name

The Registry advises using the “full name search” mode and entering the entire proposed name, including all spaces, punctuation and the ending (for example “Company Limited” or “Limited”). A partial entry can produce a misleading “no match” result and lead to a false sense of availability.

Practical next steps

Fix the ending as “Limited” before preparing the incorporation form; run a full name search on the complete proposed name; and keep the name wording identical in the incorporation documents, the articles and your internal records. If the name later needs to change, plan for the special resolution and the 15-day NNC2 delivery window. For a structured walkthrough of the incorporation sequence, see our Hong Kong company registration resource.

Closing: Turning the “Limited” Ending into a Routine Check

The requirement that a Hong Kong limited company’s English name end with “Limited” is narrow, but it sits at the start of the incorporation sequence, so it is worth treating as a fixed checkpoint rather than a wording preference. The Companies Registry FAQ on local company names states that under section 102 of the Companies Ordinance the last word of the English name must be “Limited,” and that although “Ltd” and “Limited” are regarded as the same, that equivalence does not remove the drafting requirement. The practical discipline is simple: write the full word at the end, search the complete proposed name using the “full name search” mode on the Registry’s e-Services website, and keep the ending unchanged once it appears in the incorporation form and articles of association.

Because the name step precedes delivery of the application, errors are cheapest to fix before submission. If a name later has to change, the Registry FAQ explains that a company may change its name by special resolution, delivering Form NNC2 within 15 days after the resolution is passed, with the change taking effect on the date the Certificate of Change of Name is issued. That route exists, but it is a correction path, not a planning tool.

For founders who want to work through the name, category and delivery decisions in order, our Hong Kong company registration resource sets out the sequence and the documents involved.

FAQs on the “Limited” Ending

Can I use “Ltd” instead of “Limited” at the end of my English name?

The Companies Registry FAQ states that although “Ltd” and “Limited” are regarded as the same, section 102 requires the last word of the English name to be “Limited.” Draft the full word at the end rather than relying on the abbreviation.

Does the “Limited” ending apply to a bilingual company name?

The requirement applies to the English name. If you register both a Chinese and an English name, the English half must still satisfy the ending requirement on its own.

How should I check a proposed name ending in “Limited”?

Use the “full name search” mode on the Companies Registry e-Services website and enter the complete proposed name, including spaces, punctuation and the ending, since the search returns only exact character matches.

What if the ending is wrong after incorporation?

A company may change its name by special resolution. The Registry FAQ notes that Form NNC2 must be delivered within 15 days after the resolution is passed, and the change takes effect on the date the Certificate of Change of Name is issued.

Does registering the name give me trademark rights?

No. The Registry FAQ explains that company registration and trademark registration are separate, governed by different legislation and administered by different departments, so a registered company name does not by itself secure a trademark registration.