Here in Hawaii, you can file a trade name online. It takes about a week and costs about $50 (I believe). Renewal every 5 years and the name is good state wide. If your only concern is someone else taking the name, under common law you are perfectly fine. Might be kind of a headache to prove you used it openly first (in the event of a dispute) but it's already yours as far as the law is concerned. Registering it officially with your state (or county, depending on where you are) will only serve to prevent headaches later on down the road.
Filing an LLC protects your personal assets and if you don't mind paying taxes and doing a little more paperwork, that is the route you want to go. Even if its only a hobby. If you get into a car accident while on a haul, your LLC will protect your personal assets (like your home, wages, etc.).
But in terms of being a legitimate business, you can operate under whatever name you want (under common law). But, honestly, how you conduct yourself projects greater legitimacy than a name.
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