Can an Israeli company register with an English name only, or is a Hebrew name required?

Every Israeli company must have a name, and the Companies Law sets the ground rules for what that name may be. The Registrar of Companies (Rasham HaChavarot) accepts names in foreign letters, so a purely English name is registrable and is common for start-ups and foreign-owned subsidiaries that trade under a global brand. The screening the Registrar applies is about distinctiveness and honesty rather than language: a name will be refused if it is identical or confusingly similar to a company already on the register, if it could mislead the public about the company's business, or if it is contrary to public policy or to a registered trademark whose owner objects. A limited company's name must also end with the abbreviation for limited liability, written as "Ltd." in English or Be'am in Hebrew.

The practical reason most companies register a Hebrew form alongside the English one is administrative rather than legal. Israeli banks, the Tax Authority, and government portals operate primarily in Hebrew, so a matching Hebrew name, usually a transliteration, smooths account opening and filings. Before committing to a name it is worth running an availability search against the register and a trademark check, because adopting a name that clashes with an existing mark can force a later change. The chosen name appears on the certificate of incorporation issued when the company is formed, and changing it afterwards requires a special (usually 75%) shareholders' resolution and a filing with the Registrar. Founders abroad can complete the entire registration, name included, through an Israeli lawyer without travelling to Israel.

From the full guide: Company Formation in Israel: A Complete Guide

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