Whether or not you intend to register you name as a trademark with any government entity, you can mark your name with the trademark symbol ™ to signal that you view this name as “yours’ and that you intend to defend it. 

The service mark symbol ℠ is sometimes used for services rather than goods, though this is less common as the ™ symbol is increasingly used for services as well. 

These symbols serve as powerful “hands off” notices to anyone considering use of your name for similar goods or services.