General Rules:

  • A company’s formal name should appear at least once in an article.

  • To look up a publicly traded company’s formal name, consult the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq.
  • Even if it’s included in the formal name, do not use a comma after Ltd. or Inc.


Spelling and Capitalization


Rule: Follow the official spelling and capitalization for company names.

  • Example: eBay, not Ebay


Exception: If the name starts a sentence, capitalize the first letter regardless of the official spelling.

  • Example: EBay is an easy way to sell things you no longer want but that still have value.


Rule: Only use all caps for company names when each letter is pronounced individually.

  • Example: BMW
  • Example: Ikea
  • Example: USA Today


Company Names With Symbols


Rule: Omit symbols from company names to avoid distracting readers.

  • Example: Yahoo, not Yahoo!
  • Example: Google Plus, not Google+
  • Example: E-Trade, not E*Trade
  • Example: Toys R Us, not Toys “R” Us


Company Names With Ampersands


Rule: Include the ampersand only if it is part of a company's official name; do not replace the word "and" in a company name.

Company Names With "the"


Rule: Capitalize "the" only if it is part of a company's official name; otherwise leave lowercase.