An entity name can protect the name of your business at a state level. Depending on your business structure and location, the state may require you to register a legal entity name. Your entity name is how the state identifies your business. Each state may have different rules about what your entity name can be and usage of company suffixes.

A “legal name” is the name that appears on the formation document of a corporation, LLC, LP or other statutory business entity. The name appearing at the time of formation is its original legal name. A business entity may change its legal name as often as it desires during the course of its existence.

The legal name of a business is the official name of the person or entity that owns a business. If you're the only owner of your business (a sole proprietor), then its legal name is simply your full name.

A legal business name is the official name of a company, as registered on government forms and legal documents. When you register your business entity, the name that you use for all legal contracts like filing for your Employer Identification Number (EIN) and financial documents like loan documents is your business legal name.

The LLC name, or legal name, is the official name of the entity that is used to sign documents, file tax returns, file lawsuits, or to submit a loan application with a bank. On the other hand, a business name, or trade name, is the name the public uses to identify your business.