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Massachusetts business name search

Check name availability against the Massachusetts Secretary of State database

81,918
Business applications, last 12 months
Census BFS via FRED, trailing 12 months
24,078
Filed Q2 2026
Census BFS via FRED, Q2 2026
+7.4%
Year-over-year growth
FRED, trailing 12 months vs prior 12
325
Filings per business day
Derived from TTM applications, FRED
Massachusetts seal
Websitewww.sec.state.ma.us
Phone(617) 727-9640
Address1 Ashburton Pl, 17th Floor, Boston, MA 02108
Hours8:45 AM – 5:00 PM, Mon-Fri

Massachusetts business formation by the numbers

State-level data from official sources on business formation activity in Massachusetts.

#22
Massachusetts ranks 22nd in U.S. business formations
Ranking is based on total business applications filed in the trailing twelve months across all 50 states and D.C.
Census BFS via FRED, TTM rank
+43.1%
Formation activity since 2019
Comparison of trailing-twelve-month business applications to the 2019 calendar year total. Captures the post-pandemic formation surge.
FRED / BABATOTALNSAMA
+23.7%
Quarter-over-quarter change
Current quarter applications compared to the prior quarter. A useful read on whether momentum is building or fading.
FRED, latest 3 months vs prior 3
$500
LLC filing fee and processing time
Standard processing: 5-10 business days.
Massachusetts Secretary of State, verified Mar 2026
7,640
Federal trademark applications from Massachusetts businesses
Filed with the USPTO in 2023 by applicants with a Massachusetts address, the 13th highest total of any state. Trademarks are federal, so this is separate from registering a business name with the Massachusetts Secretary of State.
USPTO Trademark Case Files, 2023 vintage
-8%
Trademark filing change since 2015
Massachusetts filings went from 8,334 in 2015 to 7,640 in 2023, down 8%.
USPTO Trademark Case Files, 2023 vintage

What the filing data shows about Massachusetts

Applicants with a Massachusetts address filed 7,640 federal trademark applications in 2023. What stands out is the mix rather than the total: the leading category is science and technology services including software design, which is unusual. Most states are led by business services or entertainment.

Adjusted for population that is about 108 filings per 100,000 residents, the 10th highest rate in the country.

A trademark and a Massachusetts registration are different things

Registering an entity with the Massachusetts Secretary of State establishes that name for that entity within Massachusetts. A federal trademark is granted by the USPTO, applies nationally, and covers only the goods or services it is registered under.

The two records are separate, which is why a name can clear a Massachusetts entity search and still overlap an existing federal mark, and why a federal mark can exist for a name no Massachusetts entity has registered.

Trademark figures on this page come from the USPTO Trademark Case Files dataset, which covers applications through March 2024. Counts are applications filed by applicants with a Massachusetts mailing address, and reflect filings rather than registrations granted.