The WHOIS domain database is a master list of all registered domains on the internet. For legal reasons, the WHOIS records are updated frequently and well maintained, so it’s the best source of information on who owns a domain and how the domain owner can be reached. WHOIS verification can be used to identify infringement on registered trademarks, combat spam or fraud and in some cases negotiate for a domain purchase from one party to another. WHOIS records are managed by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and annual updates are requested by the domain registrar that the owner purchased the domain from.

The WHOIS lookup results will provide the domain name registration records, which contain key information like when the domain was registered, who it is registered to (and their associated IP addresses), and when it expires, from the WHOIS database.

Yes, the WHOIS lookup and domain registration lookup are just different names for the same function. The WHOIS is the technical name for the domain registration database, and it stands for “Who is responsible for this domain name,” for short, rather than it being an acronym.