Entity name changes and successors: how the records work

A new name is not a new entity

Section 81 of the UK Companies Act 2006 sets the rule. A change of a company's name has effect from the date on which the new certificate of incorporation is issued ¹. The change does not affect any rights or obligations of the company, and it does not make legal proceedings by or against it defective ¹. Proceedings that could have been brought against it under its former name may be continued or started under its new name ¹.

For a profile, this means the earlier and later names describe the same legal person. Link them with the registered number and with the date of the certificate ¹.

Why the number is the anchor

UK law makes the registrar give every company a registered number ². Section 81 on the effect of a change of name says nothing about the number ¹. Section 1066 provides for a change of number when the registrar adopts a new form of number, and the old or new number can be used for disclosure for three years from the date the company is told ².

Other systems work the same way. Brazil's Receita Federal says companies already registered keep a valid CNPJ when the alphanumeric format starts for new registrations in July 2026 ⁶.

Where previous names show up

Tracing a successor entity

A successor is a different entity that takes over from an earlier one, for example after a merger or a transfer of functions. It has its own number. Treat the old and new entities as two records and look for the official document that links them.

In the LEI system, every LEI is unique and can only ever represent one entity ⁴. So a successor has its own LEI. Compare the Level 1 records of both entities, with their official names, registered addresses and last update dates ⁵, and use Level 2 data to see parent links ⁴.

• Start from the identifier of the entity you know ².
• List each previous name with its effective date ^1,3.
• Find the filed document that records any transfer or merger in the national register ³.
• Look up the successor by its own number and LEI ⁴.
• Record each check with the date the register showed it ⁵.

Common errors

Two entities can share a name at different times, so a name match alone does not prove they are the same body. The registered number and the LEI are tied to one entity ^2,4. A renamed company keeps its obligations under its new name ¹, so filings under the old name stay part of its record.