Legal Name vs Trading Name vs Display As


When you add a Client (or Contact) you will come across different types of names. Let's explore what they are and how they are used:

  • Legal Name is the name your Client uses to enter into contracts
  • Trading Name is the name by which your Client is known to its customers
  • Display As is the name by which your Client will be known in onkho e.g. in your Client list


You won't always be presented with all of the above names, as it depends on the type of client that you're adding. Let's take a look at some specific examples.


A contact's "Display As" or display name is set automatically by onkho but you can overwrite it if you want.


Let's take a look at a few examples:


Example 1 -  A Person


When you add a Person as a Client, they will have a First Name and a Last Name and their display name will be their full name.


So for example, if you consider George Handel, you would set his First Name to be "George" and his Last Name to be "Handel". Display As would become "George Handel".


A Person doesn't have a Legal Name or Trading Name because a Person isn't a business!


Example 2 - A sole trader with a trading name


Let's take Joe Swanson who is a plumber whose customers know him as Swanson Plumbers.

  • Joe's Legal Name will be his own name of course, so "Joe Swanson"
  • Joe's Trading Name will be "Swanson Plumbers"
  • Joe's Display Name will be Joe "Swanson t/a Swanson Plumbers"


Example 3 - A sole trader without a trading name


Laura Yates is an independent PR consultant whose customers know her by name.

  • Laura's Legal Name will be her own name of course, so "Laura Yates"
  • There won't be a Trading Name
  • Laura's Display Name will be set to "Laura Yates (Sole Trader)"


Example 4 - A limited company with a trading name


"Hemingways" is a high street cafe that is incorporated as a Limited Liability Company with the name "Willard Johnson Ltd".

  • Hemingway's Legal Name will be "Willard Johnson Ltd"
  • Hemingway's Trading Name will be "Hemingways"
  • Hemingway's Display Name will be set to "Willard Johnson Ltd t/a Hemingways"


Example 5 - Limited liability partnership without a trading name


"James Legal" is a firm of solicitors that is incorporated as a limited liability partnership with the name "James Legal LLP".

  • Their Legal Name will be "James Legal LLP"
  • There won't be a Trading Name
  • Their Display Name will be set to "James Legal LLP"


Example 6 - A general partnership


"The Draper Jackson Partnership" is a firm of solicitors with 2 partners Joanne Draper and Carl Jackson.

  • Their Legal Name will be "The Draper Jackson Partnership"
  • There won't be a Trading Name
  • Their Display Name will be set to "The Draper Jackson Partnership"