LexFins 360 – Global Private Company Name Endings Guide

At LexFins 360, we help clients understand international corporate structures. Below is a reference of common private company types and their legal name endings across countries, useful for cross-border business, compliance, and incorporation purposes.

Country	Private Company Type	Typical Ending / Abbreviation	Notes
Germany	Private Limited Company	GmbH	Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (“Limited Liability Company”)
Austria	Private Limited Company	GmbH	Same as Germany, limited liability
Switzerland	Private Limited Company	GmbH / Sàrl	Sàrl = Société à responsabilité limitée (French-speaking regions)
France	Private Limited Company	SARL	Société à responsabilité limitée (“Limited Liability Company”)
Italy	Private Limited Company	S.r.l.	Società a responsabilità limitata (“Limited Liability Company”)
Spain	Private Limited Company	S.L. / S.L.U.	Sociedad Limitada / Unipersonal (single-member company)
United Kingdom	Private Limited Company	Ltd	Common in England, Wales, Northern Ireland
Ireland	Private Limited Company	Ltd / Teoranta	Teoranta = Limited in Irish language
India	Private Limited Company	Pvt Ltd	Under Companies Act, 2013
USA	Limited Liability Company	LLC	Limited Liability Company
Canada	Limited Liability Company	Ltd / Inc / Corp / LLC	Depends on province and federal registration
Australia	Proprietary Limited Company	Pty Ltd	Proprietary Limited company
New Zealand	Private Company	Ltd	Similar to UK Ltd
Netherlands	Private Company	B.V.	Besloten Vennootschap (“Closed Company, Limited Liability”)
Belgium	Private Limited Company	BV / SPRL	BV = Besloten Vennootschap, SPRL = Société Privée à Responsabilité Limitée
Sweden	Private Limited Company	AB	Aktiebolag (“Stock Company / Limited Liability”)
Denmark	Private Limited Company	ApS	Anpartsselskab (“Limited Liability Company”)
Norway	Private Limited Company	AS	Aksjeselskap (“Limited Company”)
Finland	Private Limited Company	Oy	Osakeyhtiö (“Limited Company”)
Japan	Private Limited Company	KK	Kabushiki Kaisha (“Joint-Stock Company / Limited Liability”)
China	Private Limited Company	Ltd / 有限公司 (Youxian Gongsi)	Limited liability company
Russia	Private Limited Company	OOO (Общество с ограниченной ответственностью)	Limited liability company
South Korea	Private Limited Company	Ltd / 유한회사 (Yuhan Hoesa)	Limited liability company

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LexFins 360 Insight:

“Understanding local corporate naming conventions is critical for cross-border compliance, legal contracts, and international business expansion. Each country has unique requirements for private companies, often reflected in their official suffix.”