About NameHound

NameHound is a free tool for one job: finding out, before you commit, whether a name is already in use as a domain, a handle or a trademark.

Why it's built this way

Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and several other platforms forbid automated lookups in their terms, so a checker has to choose between ignoring that and being less automatic. We chose the second, and built NameHound around two rules:

1. Only ask where asking is allowed. Automatic checks go through official APIs and open standards. Everything else is a link you open yourself. How it works lists each platform and the terms behind the choice.
2. Show the working. Every result names its source, and the Brand Name Score shows each part, its weight and the reason for it.

What it is not

It's not a law firm and not legal advice. A clean result here doesn't mean a name is free to trademark. For that, use the free USPTO search as a first look and then talk to a trademark attorney.

Who runs it

NameHound is an independent site. It is not affiliated with any of the platforms it links to, or with KnowEm. How it plans to pay for itself is on the disclosure page.

A contact address will be listed here before the site is promoted.