# Would a company based in Scotland include "Inc." in its name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624 "2005-05-26T16:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624/21 "2005-05-27T05:37:00Z")
> [@ticker](#): > > To the best of my knowledge: > > A company listed as Limited/Ltd is one where the owners/directors have no _personal_ liability for the company debts (i.e. Limited Liability). They must be registered with [Companies House](http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/) and submit accounts. That’s correct - formally known as Private Limited Companies. > [@E. Thorp](#): > > In particular I’m curious about the company [BioReliance](http://www.bioreliance.com/flash.html), based in Glasgow but also operating in the USA. In a document I’m editing, the name has to be as correct as possible, and “BioReliance, Inc. (Glasgow, Scotland)” looked wrong to me. [Stirling University](http://www.innovation.stir.ac.uk/tenant_companies.html?tenant=6&PHPSESSID=d3f1daa9fb8179d38df9d804416b0306): > [@](#): > > Bioreliance Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of BioReliance Corporation, of > Maryland, USA ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624/22 "2005-05-27T13:30:16Z")
It wouldn’t be unheard of a company in Scotland to have ‘Inc’ as part of their name. But it would only be part of the name, not as any legal title. ‘Inc’ signifies nothing about the legal status of a company based in Scotland. Generally it would be used just 'cos it sounds impressive, and ‘big’ in an ironic multi-national American kind of way. You wouldn’t use it if you were really multi-national and big. So you could even have a company called “Widgets Inc. plc.” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624/23 "2005-05-27T19:13:00Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > It wouldn’t be unheard of a company in Scotland to have ‘Inc’ as part of their name. But it would only be part of the name, not as any legal title. ‘Inc’ signifies nothing about the legal status of a company based in Scotland. > > Generally it would be used just 'cos it sounds impressive, and ‘big’ in an ironic multi-national American kind of way. You wouldn’t use it if you were really multi-national and big. > > So you could even have a company called “Widgets Inc. plc.” A name (including trading names) for any limited company _is_ a legal title. However, there’d be no contradiction in having ‘Inc.’ within the title, because by definition all limited companies are _incorporated_. However, I’d suspect it would still get rejected by Companies House as potentially misleading. Any use of ‘Inc.’ within a business name of a non-incorporated organisation would, I suspect, be running the risk of some serious questions being asked about whether it was potentially misleading. The complexities of choosing a business name can be found here: [http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gbf2.shtml](http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gbf2.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624/24 "2005-05-27T22:52:13Z")
[Clothes Inc Limited](http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/cdff1431293c8a674580cf6044942196//compdetails) - UK Registered Company No. 04983581 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624/25 "2005-05-27T22:56:11Z")
Actually I’m not sure if that link takes you to the right place, but suffice it to say that Companies House has at least one UK registered company with ‘Inc’ in the name - Clothes Inc Ltd ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624/26 "2005-05-31T15:56:07Z")
Thanks all posters for an interesting discussion, and thanks \*\*GorillaMan \*\* for pointing me to Stirling University. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-company-based-in-scotland-include-inc-in-its-name/305624.md?page=1)