Alternative Names

Alternative Names for Legal Entity Identification - Company Information

OpenCorporates' is the largest openly available dataset on legal entity existence sourced directly from government registries. The database aggregates information from official registries and reliable sources, covering over 220 million+ companies across 140+ jurisdictions. It includes records from small local businesses to large multinational corporations, making it a crucial tool for diverse use cases such as compliance, investigations, due diligence, market research, and academic studies.

**Alternative Names in OpenCorporates**

Alternative names refer to any variations or additional names under which a company may operate, be known, or have been recorded in official or public contexts. The dataset includes the following key elements (see data dictionary for all included attributes):

- **Trading Names:** Names used for branding or business operations distinct from the registered name.
- **Foreign-Language Variants:** Translations or transliterations of a company’s name in non-native languages.
- **Historical Names:** Names previously registered but no longer in use.
- **Abbreviations or Acronyms:** Shortened versions of the official company name.

This data ensures comprehensive identification and recognition of companies across diverse contexts and jurisdictions.<br/><br/>

OpenCorporates compiles alternative names from a range of official sources, including company registries, financial records, and filings. These entries are linked directly to their sources, providing verifiability and accuracy for users accessing the data.

**Practical Applications:**

- Businesses can use alternative names to strengthen Know Your Customer (KYC) processes and avoid missing critical records in due diligence checks.
- Researchers and analysts rely on this data to ensure accuracy in tracking corporate activities globally.

For more information on alternative names and how they are structured in OpenCorporates datasets, refer to their[ data dictionary on alternative names](https://knowledge.opencorporates.com/knowledge-base/data-dictionary-alternative-names/).