What must the corporate name include?

• A. The corporate name must include a trade or fictitious name.
• B. The corporate name must include the word 'corporation', 'company', 'incorporated', or an abbreviation.
• C. The corporate name may use any word without requirement.
• D. The corporate name must include the owner's surname.

Answer: (B)

In Florida, a corporation’s name must clearly signal its legal status. The required designator helps the public and regulators identify the business form, preventing confusion with other types of entities. Because of this, the name must include indicators of corporate status such as “Corporation,” “Company,” “Incorporated,” or their common abbreviations (Corp., Co., Inc.). The other options don’t fit because a trade or fictitious name isn’t required, the owner’s surname isn’t mandated, and there is a specific designator requirement rather than an unconstrained choice of words.