2020 Georgia Code
Title 14 - Corporations, Partnerships, and Associations
Chapter 2 - Business Corporations
Article 4 - Name
§ 14-2-401. Corporate Name

1. A corporate name:
   1. Must contain the word "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language;
   2. May not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for a purpose other than that permitted by Code Section 14-2-301 and its articles of incorporation;
   3. May not contain anything which, in the reasonable judgment of the Secretary of State, is obscene; and
   4. Shall not in any instance exceed 80 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
2. Except as authorized by subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section, a corporate name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from:
   1. The corporate name of a corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state;
   2. A corporate name reserved under Code Section 14-2-402;
   3. The fictitious name adopted by a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state because its real name is unavailable;
   4. The corporate name of a nonprofit corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state;
   5. The name of a limited partnership or professional association filed with the Secretary of State; and
   6. The name of a limited liability company formed or authorized to transact business in this state.
3. A corporation may apply to the Secretary of State for authorization to use a name that is not distinguishable upon his records from one or more of the names described in subsection (b) of this Code section. The Secretary of State shall authorize use of the name applied for if the other corporation consents to the use in writing and files with the Secretary of State articles of amendment to its articles of incorporation changing its name to a name that is distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from the name of the applying corporation.
4. A corporation may use the name (including the fictitious name) of another domestic or foreign corporation that is used in this state if the other corporation is incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state and:
   1. The proposed user corporation has merged with the other corporation;
   2. The proposed user corporation has been formed by reorganization of the other corporation; or
   3. The other domestic or foreign corporation has taken the steps required by this chapter to change its name to a name that is distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from the name of the foreign corporation applying to use its former name.
5. This chapter does not control the use of fictitious or trade names. Issuance of a name under this chapter means that the name is distinguishable for filing purposes on the records of the Secretary of State pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section. Issuance of a corporate name does not affect the commercial availability of the name.

(Code 1981, §14-2-401, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1070, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 946, § 12; Ga. L. 1995, p. 482, § 2; Ga. L. 2006, p. 825, § 3/SB 469.)

- Permissible corporate names for financial institutions, § 7-1-130. Registration of trade name used by corporation in lieu of corporate name, § 10-1-490 et seq.

Source: Model Act, § 4.01, former § 14-2-40.

Section 14-2-401 deals with two basic name requirements: (1) the name must indicate "corporateness," and (2) the name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State.

Subsections (a)(1) and (2) parallel former Sections14-2-40(a)(1) and (2). Subsections (a)(3) and (4) were taken directly from former § 14-2-40(a)(2)(C) and (a)(4), respectively. The space limit on corporate names is required to facilitate computerization of the Secretary of State's records.

Subsection (b)(3) lists classes of "official names" that are not available. The Secretary of State becomes involved with fictitious or assumed names only in the situation where a foreign corporation, planning to transact business in a state, discovers that its name is not available in that state. To qualify it must adopt an assumed or fictitious name as its "official name" in the state, see Section 14-2-1506. Such a fictitious or assumed name is thereafter an "official" name and is unavailable to the same extent as any other "official name" in use is unavailable.

Subsection (c) varies considerably from the Model Act. The purpose of the revisions is to make certain that only one corporation is listed under a single name at any one time.

Certain restrictions on corporate names do not appear in the Code. Section 14-2-40(a)(2)(A) formerly provided that the corporate name shall not contain any word or phrase that implies the corporation is organized for any purpose other than those stated in its articles of incorporation. The modern practice of permitting incorporation for any lawful business purpose renders this obsolete. Perhaps more important is elimination of § 40(a)(2)(B), which provided that the corporate name shall not contain any word or phrase which implied that the corporation was "organized by, affiliated with, or sponsored by any fraternal, veterans', service, religious, charitable, or professional organization, unless that fact is certified in writing in a manner satisfactory to the Secretary of State by the organization with which affiliation or sponsorship is claimed." The Code views the duties of the Secretary of State as primarily ministerial; if the name is distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from other entities the names of which are on file, that is enough.

Note to 1989 Amendment The 1989 amendment added the last two sentences to subsection (e). This amendment reinforced the limited ministerial role of the Secretary of State - that a decision that a corporate name is available is based only on an inspection of the records of the Secretary of State, and has no broader commercial or legal implications.

Cross-References "Deliver" includes mail, see § 14-2-140. Effective time and date of filing, see § 14-2-123. Filing fees, see § 14-2-122. Filing requirements, see § 14-2-120. Foreign corporations, see Article 15. Professional corporations, see Georgia Professional Corporation Act. Reserved name, see § 14-2-402. Statement of name in articles, see § 14-2-202. Trade name, see § 10-1-490 et seq.

Note to 2006 Amendment Subsection (b)(2) of Code Section 14-2-401 was amended for purposes of deleting references to "or registered" and "or 14-2-403." Code Section 14-2-403, which was repealed in 2002, provided a means by which a foreign corporation, not qualified to transact business in Georgia, could preserve the right to use its unique real name if it subsequently elected to qualify in Georgia.

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Editor's notes.

- In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, decisions under former Code 1933, § 22-202 and former Code Section 14-2-401, which were repealed by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1070, § 1, effective July 1, 1989, are included in the annotations for this Code section.

- A motion to revoke and set aside an order of incorporation, on the grounds that movant had acquired a prior use to the name used by the corporation, that the use of the name by the corporation would cause confusion in the minds of the public and a cloud on the title of petitioners' property, and that the order of incorporation had been improvidently granted because movant had not been given notice before the order of incorporation, and praying that the order of incorporation be set aside insofar as the use of the name claimed by movant was concerned, is not an equity case within the meaning used in Ga. Const. 1976, Art. VI, Sec. II, Para. IV (see Ga. Const. 1983, Art. VI, Sec. VI, Para. III), defining the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The grounds of the motion are not such as are relievable only in equity. On the contrary, the motion is one to set aside an order of the court on an alleged legal ground. A court of law has jurisdiction to entertain such a motion in a proper proceeding by petition, with rule nisi or process, and to grant the relief prayed. Methodist Episcopal Church S., Inc. v. Decell, 60 Ga. App. 843, 5 S.E.2d 66 (1939) (decided under former Code 1933, § 22-202).

Cited in Dundon v. Forehand, 152 Ga. App. 749, 263 S.E.2d 687 (1979); Dorfman v. Briah Assocs., 160 Ga. App. 359, 287 S.E.2d 75 (1981).

OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

Editor's notes.

- In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, opinions under former Code 1933, § 22-301 and former Code Section 14-2-40, which were repealed by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1070, § 1, effective July 1, 1989, are included in the annotations for this Code section.

- The State Board of Examiners in Optometry (now the State Board of Optometry) has the authority to require optometrists who incorporate under the Professional Corporation Act to use only their personal names in naming the professional corporation. 1971 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 71-180 (decided under former Code 1933, § 22-301).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

Am. Jur. 2d.

- 18A Am. Jur. 2d, Corporations, § 222 et seq.

18A Am. Jur. Pleading and Practice Forms, Name, § 47.

- 18 C.J.S., Corporations, § 132 et seq.

- Right to enjoin use of name of defunct corporation, 27 A.L.R. 1024.

Corporation doing business and making contracts under assumed name, 56 A.L.R. 450.

Validity and construction of constitutional or statutory provisions which prohibit the use by a corporation or partnership, as a part of its name, of certain described words giving the impression that it is subject to governmental control, 63 A.L.R. 1049.

Rights and remedies as between originator of uncopyrighted advertising plan or slogan, or his assignee, and another who uses or infringes the same, 157 A.L.R. 1436.

Right, in absence of self-imposed restraint, to use one's own name for business purposes to detriment of another using the same or a similar name, 44 A.L.R.2d 1156; 72 A.L.R.3d 8.

Right to protection of corporate name, as between domestic corporation and foreign corporation not qualified to do business in state, 26 A.L.R.3d 994.

Incorporation of company under particular name as creating exclusive right to such name, 68 A.L.R.3d 1168.

Use of "family name" by corporation as unfair competition, 72 A.L.R.3d 8.