Tennessee Code Title 65. Public Utilities and Carriers § 65-29-105

(a) The name of each cooperative shall include the words “telephone” and “cooperative,” and the abbreviation “Inc.”; provided, that such limitation shall not apply if, in an affidavit made by the president or vice president of a cooperative and filed with the secretary of state, or in an affidavit made by a person signing articles of incorporation, consolidation, merger or conversion and filed, together with such articles, with the secretary of state, it shall appear that the cooperative desires to transact business in another state and is precluded therefrom by reason of its name; and provided further, that any corporation heretofore organized under § 4146 et seq. of the 1932 Tennessee Code, or such sections as from time to time amended, or § 48-1101, et seq., or amendments thereto, as such provisions existed prior to July 1, 1969, which may be converted into a cooperative and become subject to this chapter, as provided in § 65-29-117, or any foreign corporation transacting business in this state pursuant to § 65-29-128, may at its election retain the same corporate name which it has prior to such conversion or transaction of business.

(b) The name of a cooperative shall distinguish it from the name of any other corporation organized under the laws of, or authorized to transact business in, this state. The words “telephone” and “cooperative” shall not both be used in the name of any corporation organized under the laws of, or authorized to transact business in, this state, except a cooperative or corporation transacting business in this state pursuant to this chapter.