diff --git a/.changeset/bright-pigs-deliver.md b/.changeset/bright-pigs-deliver.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e2dd8f01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/bright-pigs-deliver.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"create-eth": patch
+---
+
+validate project name inline with npm name rules
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ef5a95f92..77a49e0f1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     "@types/inquirer": "9.0.3",
     "@types/ncp": "2.0.5",
     "@types/node": "18.16.0",
+    "@types/validate-npm-package-name": "4.0.2",
     "eslint": "^9.15.0",
     "eslint-config-prettier": "^9.1.0",
     "eslint-plugin-prettier": "^5.2.1",
@@ -58,7 +59,8 @@
     "inquirer": "9.2.0",
     "listr2": "^8.2.1",
     "merge-packages": "^0.1.6",
-    "ncp": "2.0.0"
+    "ncp": "2.0.0",
+    "validate-npm-package-name": "6.0.0"
   },
   "packageManager": "yarn@3.5.0"
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/parse-arguments-into-options.ts b/src/utils/parse-arguments-into-options.ts
index aaabaef1d..3d9b631e0 100644
--- a/src/utils/parse-arguments-into-options.ts
+++ b/src/utils/parse-arguments-into-options.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { validateFoundryUp } from "./system-validation";
 import fs from "fs";
 import path from "path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
+import { validateNpmName } from "./validate-name";
 
 const validateExternalExtension = async (
   extensionName: string,
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ export async function parseArgumentsIntoOptions(
       "-h": "--help",
     },
     {
-      argv: rawArgs.slice(2).map(a => a.toLowerCase()),
+      argv: rawArgs.slice(2),
     },
   );
 
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ export async function parseArgumentsIntoOptions(
 
   const help = args["--help"] ?? false;
 
-  const project = args._[0] ?? null;
+  let project: string | null = args._[0] ?? null;
 
   // use the original extension arg
   const extensionName = args["--extension"] && rawArgs.slice(2).find(a => a.toLowerCase() === args["--extension"]);
@@ -101,6 +102,18 @@ export async function parseArgumentsIntoOptions(
     );
   }
 
+  if (project) {
+    const validation = validateNpmName(project);
+    if (!validation.valid) {
+      console.error(
+        `Could not create a project called ${chalk.yellow(`"${project}"`)} because of naming restrictions:`,
+      );
+
+      validation.problems.forEach(p => console.error(`${chalk.red(">>")} Project ${p}`));
+      project = null;
+    }
+  }
+
   let solidityFrameworkChoices = [
     SOLIDITY_FRAMEWORKS.HARDHAT,
     SOLIDITY_FRAMEWORKS.FOUNDRY,
diff --git a/src/utils/prompt-for-missing-options.ts b/src/utils/prompt-for-missing-options.ts
index 18cee780d..7c5242dfa 100644
--- a/src/utils/prompt-for-missing-options.ts
+++ b/src/utils/prompt-for-missing-options.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { Options, RawOptions, SolidityFrameworkChoices } from "../types";
 import inquirer from "inquirer";
 import { SOLIDITY_FRAMEWORKS } from "./consts";
+import { validateNpmName } from "./validate-name";
+import { basename, resolve } from "path";
 
 // default values for unspecified args
 const defaultOptions: RawOptions = {
@@ -23,7 +25,13 @@ export async function promptForMissingOptions(
       name: "project",
       message: "Your project name:",
       default: defaultOptions.project,
-      validate: (value: string) => value.length > 0,
+      validate: (name: string) => {
+        const validation = validateNpmName(basename(resolve(name)));
+        if (validation.valid) {
+          return true;
+        }
+        return "Project " + validation.problems[0];
+      },
     },
     {
       type: "list",
diff --git a/src/utils/validate-name.ts b/src/utils/validate-name.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d88ed40dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/validate-name.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import validateProjectName from "validate-npm-package-name";
+
+type ValidateNpmNameResult =
+  | {
+      valid: true;
+    }
+  | {
+      valid: false;
+      problems: string[];
+    };
+
+export function validateNpmName(name: string): ValidateNpmNameResult {
+  const nameValidation = validateProjectName(name);
+  if (nameValidation.validForNewPackages) {
+    return { valid: true };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    valid: false,
+    problems: [...(nameValidation.errors || []), ...(nameValidation.warnings || [])],
+  };
+}
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 6155ceba7..5f7eadad7 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -668,6 +668,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@types/validate-npm-package-name@npm:4.0.2":
+  version: 4.0.2
+  resolution: "@types/validate-npm-package-name@npm:4.0.2"
+  checksum: 3f35a3cc8ddd919b456843f36d55a4f1df5f03d5d9b6494b4d8f5f3b24e3f24a11c922772d9970a67f1249214da18c157776e9c6d2e72227799459849dfd9c76
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin@npm:8.15.0":
   version: 8.15.0
   resolution: "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin@npm:8.15.0"
@@ -1389,6 +1396,7 @@ __metadata:
     "@types/inquirer": 9.0.3
     "@types/ncp": 2.0.5
     "@types/node": 18.16.0
+    "@types/validate-npm-package-name": 4.0.2
     arg: 5.0.2
     chalk: 5.2.0
     eslint: ^9.15.0
@@ -1406,6 +1414,7 @@ __metadata:
     tslib: 2.5.0
     typescript: ^5.6.3
     typescript-eslint: ^8.15.0
+    validate-npm-package-name: 6.0.0
   bin:
     create-eth: bin/create-dapp-se2.js
   languageName: unknown
@@ -5026,6 +5035,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"validate-npm-package-name@npm:6.0.0":
+  version: 6.0.0
+  resolution: "validate-npm-package-name@npm:6.0.0"
+  checksum: 4d018c4fa07f95534a5fea667adc653b1ef52f08bf56aff066c28394499d0a6949c0b00edbd7077c4dc1e041da9220af7c742ced67d7d2d6a1b07d10cbe91b29
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "wcwidth@npm:^1.0.1":
   version: 1.0.1
   resolution: "wcwidth@npm:1.0.1"