diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index ec97c73..d94e857 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1669,6 +1669,11 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/builtin-modules/-/builtin-modules-1.1.1.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-Jw8HbFpywC9bZaR9+Uxf46J4iS8="
     },
+    "builtins": {
+      "version": "1.0.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/builtins/-/builtins-1.0.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-y5T662HIaWRR2zZTThQi+U8K7og="
+    },
     "cache-base": {
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cache-base/-/cache-base-1.0.1.tgz",
@@ -12786,6 +12791,14 @@
         "spdx-expression-parse": "1.0.4"
       }
     },
+    "validate-npm-package-name": {
+      "version": "3.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/validate-npm-package-name/-/validate-npm-package-name-3.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-X6kS2B630MdK/BQN5zF/DKffQ34=",
+      "requires": {
+        "builtins": "1.0.3"
+      }
+    },
     "verror": {
       "version": "1.10.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/verror/-/verror-1.10.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e7feee5..5024b74 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@
     "project-version": "^1.0.0",
     "replace-in-file": "^3.1.1",
     "sha.js": "^2.4.10",
-    "update-notifier": "^2.3.0"
+    "update-notifier": "^2.3.0",
+    "validate-npm-package-name": "^3.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/del": "^3.0.0",
diff --git a/src/cli/tests/cli.unit.spec.ts b/src/cli/tests/cli.unit.spec.ts
index 9163390..5a719f7 100644
--- a/src/cli/tests/cli.unit.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cli/tests/cli.unit.spec.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
   install,
   Placeholders
 } from '../tasks';
-import { getIntro, Runner } from '../utils';
+import { getIntro, Runner, validateName } from '../utils';
 
 test('errors if outdated', async t => {
   nock.disableNetConnect();
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ test('checkArgs always returns { install } (so --no-install works in interactive
   t.deepEqual(opts, { install: true });
 });
 
+test('only accepts valid package names', async t => {
+  t.true(validateName('package-name'));
+  t.true(validateName('package-name-2'));
+  t.true(validateName('@example/package-name-2'));
+});
+
 test('ascii art shows if stdout has 85+ columns', async t => {
   const jumbo = getIntro(100);
   const snippet = `| __| | | | '_ \\ / _ \\/ __|/ __| '__| | '_ \\|`;
diff --git a/src/cli/utils.ts b/src/cli/utils.ts
index 254b112..558cf8f 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils.ts
+++ b/src/cli/utils.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import chalk from 'chalk';
 import { existsSync } from 'fs';
 import gradient from 'gradient-string';
+import validateNpmPackageName from 'validate-npm-package-name';
 export enum Runner {
   Npm = 'npm',
   Yarn = 'yarn'
@@ -31,8 +32,8 @@ export interface TypescriptStarterOptions
     TypescriptStarterInferredOptions {}
 
 export function validateName(input: string): true | string {
-  return !/^\s*[a-zA-Z0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9]+)*\s*$/.test(input)
-    ? 'Name should be in-kebab-case'
+  return !validateNpmPackageName(input).validForNewPackages
+    ? 'Name should be in-kebab-case (for npm)'
     : existsSync(input)
       ? `The "${input}" path already exists in this directory.`
       : true;
diff --git a/src/types/cli.d.ts b/src/types/cli.d.ts
index 4ee13d7..4f5ec80 100644
--- a/src/types/cli.d.ts
+++ b/src/types/cli.d.ts
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ declare module 'github-username';
 declare module 'gradient-string';
 declare module 'md5-file';
 declare module 'replace-in-file';
+declare module 'validate-npm-package-name';