Are Limited and Ltd interchangeable in a limited company name?

All limited company names need to end with ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’ (apart from a few exemptions that we’ll look at), but are the two interchangeable? If you register a company with one, can you use the other? Let’s take a look.

The answer is, yes and no

If you form using ‘Limited’, yes, you are free to shorten this to ‘Ltd’ on your website, invoices, stationery, letters, and marketing materials.

On the other hand, if you register a company using ‘Ltd’, no, you can not lengthen your company name to ‘Limited’ on any of the above. 

You are probably not going to run into trouble if you do switch the two around – but for the sake of staying fully compliant – we suggest sticking to how the company was registered. 

So, with that in mind, ‘Ltd’ is more restrictive than ‘Limited’. 

What do Companies House say about ‘Limited’ and ‘Ltd’ in a limited company name?

Here’s where it gets easier to understand. 

Anything that’s filed with Companies House – the UK’s official registrar of companies – such as an AP01 (appointment of a director) or a CS01 (confirmation statement), must include the name as it was incorporated at Companies House.

Any documents that are filed with the wrong suffix will be rejected.

Do I have to include ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’?

Going back to the company formation process, in accordance with section 60 of the Companies Act 2006, some companies can be formed without ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’, provided they are a limited by guarantee company or a registered charity. 

• Does a company name need to include Limited or Ltd?
• What is a trading name?

Also, if you are using a trading name, you should not use ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’. However, there are rules and restrictions in place regarding what trading names you can use, and where the actual company name needs to be displayed.

So there you have it… are ‘Limited’ and ‘Ltd’ interchangeable in a company name? It really does depend. We hope you have found this post helpful. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.