I trademarked a name back in 1995, or should I say, I applied for registered trademark status in 1995, and it was finally granted many years later. Just because you apply, it doesn't mean you will be granted trademark status. There are many factors involved, including whether the name is too generic, whether it conflicts with someone else's name in a similar business, whether it gets challenged by someone, and other factors. It is not a simple or short process. If you decide to do it, get a lawyer familiar with trademark and copyright law, or you will end up wasting money in the long run.