By Nicolas Avila · October 10, 2026

How to choose a store name and check whether it is available

Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia

Choose a name people can say over the phone, spell without asking, and type into a browser correctly the first time. Before printing anything, check four places: the domain at Registro.br, the trademark at INPI, the Instagram username, and the business name at your state’s Junta Comercial. A good name already taken in one of these places will cause problems.

The name is the hardest decision to reverse. Changing it later costs bags, labels, domains, profiles, invoices, and customer recognition. An hour checking today prevents years of “no, it has two s’s.”

What makes a name work?

Put each candidate through these tests:

1. Phone test: say the name aloud and ask someone to write it. If they get it wrong, customers will too on Instagram and your website.
2. Address bar test: does the name fit a short domain without accents or hyphens? “Ateliê Café & Cia” becomes “ateliecafeecia.com.br,” and nobody gets that right.
3. Growth test: does it limit you? “Bolos da Ana” limits you to cakes instead of savory snacks. “Ana Confeitaria” does not.
4. Generic test: “Moda Feminina Store” is a category, not a name. You cannot register or remember it, and Google mixes it with thousands of others.
5. Neighbor test: is there a similar business in the same city or sector? Name confusion sends customers to the wrong place and, at worst, brings a legal notice.

A short name with two or three strong syllables and a word suggesting the sector passes all five. It does not need to be inventive; it needs to be clear.

Where do you check name availability?

Make all four checks on the same day, in this order. If one fails, return to your candidates before continuing.

The domain is the most urgent check because it is easiest to lose: anyone can register it instantly. What a domain is and why it must be in your name is in the domain glossary. If you already registered one but never used it, I paid for a domain but never built the website addresses that.

Is registering a trademark with INPI mandatory?

It is not mandatory to open a store, but it ensures nobody takes the name from you later. Without registration, whoever registers first may demand that you stop using it. Anyone who used the mark in good faith for at least six months has a right of precedence (article 129, paragraph 1, Law 9.279/1996), but must assert it in the proceedings, which costs more than registering beforehand. Apply on INPI’s website; there is a fee per product class, and approval takes months.

The sensible order for a new business: register the domain today, secure Instagram today, open the CNPJ with the chosen name, and apply to INPI as soon as the store shows signs it will continue. Do not wait for the name to become well-known; that is when someone else wants it.

What to do now

List three candidate names, run each through the five tests, and perform the four checks on those remaining. Register the domain the same day. A domain in your name, with automatic renewal and no surprises: avilaops.com/dominio-e-hospedagem. To turn the name into a brand applied consistently on Instagram, your website, and invoices: avilaops.com/identidade-visual or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a name that already exists in another city?

It depends on the sector and registration. If the other business registered the trademark with INPI in your class, registration applies throughout Brazil. Without registration, risk is lower, but confusion remains. Prefer a name that is yours alone.

Must the store name match the CNPJ name?

No. The CNPJ has a legal business name and can have a different trade name. The trade name appears in the store, on signage, and on Instagram. Register it in the CNPJ record for it to appear on invoices.

What if the .com.br domain is taken?

Check whether it is in use or merely registered. If idle, you can try buying it from the owner. If another business uses it, change the name; using .com or .net with an active store’s name creates confusion and trademark problems.