Understanding Domain Names

In this article we’ll demystify domain extensions and walk you through the basics of where to find available domain names and where you can get the best domain names for your company.

In short, the right-most label in a domain name (e.g. the .com in www.brandings.com) is referred to as its "top-level domain" (TLD).

TLDs with two letters have been established for over 240 countries and external territories and are referred to as "country-code" TLDs or "ccTLDs." (e.g. www.brandings.us)

TLDs with three or more characters are referred to as "generic" TLDs, or "gTLDs" (e.g www.brandings.info).

Without question the most popular extension is .com. The .com extension is used by virtually every mid-size and large U.S. business.

The .com suffix is the default setting on almost every browser. If a prospective client types in only part of a web address, they will likely be directed to the site that ends in .com. Google, Yahoo and all the other major search engines prioritize .com domains before non-.com extensions.

And the .com extension is globally recognized. While each country has their own country code TLD, .com has emerged as the global standard … and the extension is increasingly the extension of choice for the fastest growing countries. These country code TLDs are significantly more affordable domain names, but limited in application.

Check out some of the recent domain names just added. Each company name includes the exact-match .com domain:

What are the Best Domain Name Extensions?

We advise all our clients (with very rare exception) to always secure the .com TLD. The best domain names for business are .com domain extensions. If a firm cannot secure the .com extension, we strongly advise that the firm move on to adopting another name. Just think about it, if your register the dot.net, dot.org or any of the other available TLDs and your competition owns the .com – you’ll likely send a lot of business to your competitor.

In short, the .com extension is the blue-chip standard and required of growth-driven firms. After securing the .com, we advise securing select extensions and have them redirected to your .com site.

We’ve identified the major gTLDs and ccTLDs and their primary uses:

Generic Top Level Domains (gTLD)

.aero - For use primarily in the air-transport industry.

.asia - For use by companies, organizations, and individuals based in the region of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific.

.biz - A little used extension for business.

.cat - A little used extension for web sites in the Catalan language or related to Catalan culture.

.com - The global standard for commercial use.

.coop – Used by cooperatives.

.edu – For use by accredited postsecondary institutions.

.gov - Limited to U.S. governmental entities and agencies.

.info - A little used extension for information.

.int - A little used extension limited to organizations, offices, and programs which are endorsed by a treaty between two or more nations.

.jobs - Designed to be added after the names of established companies with jobs to advertise.

.mil - Limited to use by the U.S. military.

.mobi – Used for mobile-compatible sites.

.museum – For use by verified museums.

.name – Primarily used for individual names.

.net – Originally developed for networks, now open for general registration.

.org – Primarily used for non-profit organizations, but can be used by any person or entity.

.pro - A little used extension reserved for licensed or certified lawyers, accountants, physicians and engineers in France, Canada, UK and the U.S.

.tel - A little used extension used by internet communication services.

.travel – For use by verified travel-related entities.

Country Code Top Level Domain Name Extensions (ccTLD)

.ac Ascension Island

.ad Andorra

.ae United Arab Emirates

.af Afghanistan

.ag Antigua and Barbuda

.ai Anguilla

.al Albania

.am Armenia

.an Netherlands Antilles

.ao Angola

.aq Antarctica

.ar Argentina

.as American Samoa

.at Austria

.au Australia

.aw Aruba

.ax Åland

.az Azerbaijan

.ba Bosnia and Herzegovina

.bb Barbados

.bd Bangladesh

.be Belgium

.bf Burkina Faso

.bg Bulgaria

.bh Bahrain

.bi Burundi

.bj Benin

.bm Bermuda

.bn Brunei Darussalam

.bo Bolivia

.br Brazil

.bs Bahamas

.bt Bhutan

.bv Bouvet Island

.bw Botswana

.by Belarus

.bz Belize

.ca Canada

.cc Cocos

.cd Democratic Republic of the Congo

.cf Central African Republic

.cg Republic of the Congo

.ch Switzerland

.ci Côte dIvoire

.ck Cook Islands

.cl Chile

.cm Cameroon

.cn Peoples Republic of China

.co Colombia

.cr Costa Rica

.cu Cuba

.cv Cape Verde

.cx Christmas Island

.cy Cyprus

.cz Czech Republic

.de Germany (Deutschland)

.dj Djibouti

.dk Denmark

.dm Dominica

.do Dominican Republic

.dz Algeria (Dzayer)

.ec Ecuador

.ee Estonia

.eg Egypt

.er Eritrea

.es Spain (España)

.et Ethiopia

.eu European Union

.fi Finland

.fj Fiji

.fk Falkland Islands

.fm Federated States of Micronesia

.fo Faroe Islands

.fr France

.ga Gabon

.gb United Kingdom (rarely used)

.gd Grenada

.ge Georgia (country)

.gf French Guiana

.gg Guernsey

.gh Ghana

.gi Gibraltar

.gl Greenland

.gm The Gambia

.gn Guinea

.gp Guadeloupe

.gq Equatorial Guinea

.gr Greece

.gs South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

.gt Guatemala

.gu Guam

.gw Guinea-Bissau

.gy Guyana

.hk Hong Kong

.hm Heard Island and McDonald Islands

.hn Honduras

.hr Croatia (Hrvatska)

.ht Haiti

.hu Hungary

.id Indonesia

.ie Republic of Ireland

.il Israel

.im Isle of Man

.in India

.io British Indian Ocean Territory

.iq Iraq

.ir Iran

.is Iceland

.it Italy

.je Jersey

.jm Jamaica

.jo Jordan

.jp Japan

.ke Kenya

.kg Kyrgyzstan

.kh Cambodia

.ki Kiribati

.km Comoros

.kn Saint Kitts and Nevis

.kp Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea

.kr Republic of Korea

.kw Kuwait

.ky Cayman Islands

.kz Kazakhstan

.la Laos

.lb Lebanon

.lc Saint Lucia

.li Liechtenstein

.lk Sri Lanka

.lr Liberia

.ls Lesotho

.lt Lithuania

.lu Luxembourg

.lv Latvia

.ly Libya

.ma Morocco

.mc Monaco

.md Moldova

.me Montenegro

.mg Madagascar

.mh Marshall Islands

.mk Republic of Macedonia

.ml Mali

.mm Myanmar

.mn Mongolia

.mo Macau

.mp Northern Mariana Islands

.mq Martinique

.mr Mauritania

.ms Montserrat

.mt Malta

.mu Mauritius

.mv Maldives

.mw Malawi

.mx Mexico

.my Malaysia

.mz Mozambique

.na Namibia

.nc New Caledonia

.ne Niger

.nf Norfolk Island

.ng Nigeria

.ni Nicaragua

.nl Netherlands

.no Norway

.np Nepal

.nr Nauru

.nu Niue

.nz New Zealand

.om Oman

.pa Panama

.pe Peru

.pf French Polynesia

.pg Papua New Guinea

.ph Philippines

.pk Pakistan

.pl Poland

.pm Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

.pn Pitcairn Islands

.pr Puerto Rico

.ps Palestinian Territories

.pt Portugal

.pw Palau

.py Paraguay

.qa Qatar

.re Réunion

.ro Romania

.rs Serbia

.ru Russia

.rw Rwanda

.sa Saudi Arabia

.sb Solomon Islands

.sc Seychelles

.sd Sudan

.se Sweden

.sg Singapore

.sh Saint Helena

.si Slovenia

.sj Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

.sk Slovakia

.sl Sierra Leone

.sm San Marino

.sn Senegal

.so Somalia

.sr Suriname

.st São Tomé and Príncipe

.su former Soviet Union (rarely used)

.sv El Salvador

.sy Syria

.sz Swaziland

.tc Turks and Caicos Islands

.td Chad

.tf French Southern and Antarctic Lands

.tg Togo

.th Thailand

.tj Tajikistan

.tk Tokelau

.tl East Timor

.tm Turkmenistan

.tn Tunisia

.to Tonga

.tp East Timor

.tr Turkey

.tt Trinidad and Tobago

.tv Tuvalu (also marketed to television broadcasters)

.tw Republic of China (Taiwan)

.tz Tanzania

.ua Ukraine

.ug Uganda

.uk United Kingdom

.us United States of America

.uy Uruguay

.uz Uzbekistan

.va Vatican City

.vc Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

.ve Venezuela

.vg British Virgin Islands

.vi U.S. Virgin Islands

.vn Vietnam

.vu Vanuatu

.wf Wallis and Futuna

.ws Samoa Formerly Western Samoa

.ye Yemen

.yt Mayotte

.yu Serbia and Montenegro

.za South Africa

.zm Zambia

.zw Zimbabwe

Where To Find the Best Domain Names

We are here to assist you in securing a great name with the right TLD extension … and we are just a call or click away. You can also find a great domain name with this easy search tool. You can search by KEYWORD or CATEGORY.

Just check-out the category list in the column to the left and pick a business category that fits. You can also find domain names that contain a keyword (or partial word) important in your business. Use the NAME SEARCH function -- located at the top of this page. Simply enter any word or word fragment ... then click “GO!”

Whatever your new business needs, we are here to help. Call Brandings Client Service Team today at 1-800-852-8900 (Toll Free USA) +1-310-246-5100 (Worldwide) or simply click here to contact our office via e-mail: info@brandings.com

Click here to return to Brandings main page: How to Name a Business

Check Out These New Domain Names -- Just Acquired:

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