There is more to sign names than you think.

We Britons are well known for our quirky sense of humour and love of a good pun, and that’s something which is reflected in the choice of names many of us give our shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Choosing a witty name for your business can be a great marketing tool, and everyone remembers those shop signs which make use of a good play on words.

Whether it’s the takeaway round the corner or your favourite hairdressing salon, a funny name is a memorable one. Here’s a roundup of some of the best (and worst) High Street names from around the country…

What’s in a name?

Well, the answer is ‘a lot’, as the following business owners were clearly all too aware.

A Hair Off the Dog – Hawick, Roxburghshire. A doggy grooming parlour, as the name would suggest.

Curl Up and Dye – Bedworth, Warwickshire. On to human grooming, this salon doesn’t have the most welcoming of names, but it’s certainly one which sticks in the memory!

Mother Clucker Burger Bar – Birmingham, West Midlands. This one edges into dangerous territory, but it’s certainly a name which grabs attention.

Top Bun – Darlington, County Durham. A great little shop selling sarnies, snacks and salads, and their creative shop signs even play with the Top Gun logo.

Bapman – York, North Yorkshire. No doubt the hero of many a lunch hour, this shop’s signs feature the man himself.

Planet of the Grapes – Holborn, London. A poplar London wine shop, which is out of this world.

The Vinyl Frontier – Croydon, London. Second-hand records with a sense of humour.

Balti Towers – Banknock, Falkirk. A nod to the TV classic, this little takeaway serves curry, and fish and chips as well.

New Cod on the Block – Sheffield, South Yorkshire. There are more than 10,500 fish and chip shops around the UK, and the British are said to spend around £1.2billion a year on the nation’s favourite takeaway. They’re also well known for some very imaginative names.

The Fishcotheque – Lambeth, London. One of London’s oldest chippies, this quirky little takeaway has been going since the end of the Second World War.

Codrophenia – Sheffield, South Yorkshire. More fish and chips. Who could resist?

The Batter of Bosworth – Market Bosworth, Leicestershire. Yet more fish and chips, but they do seem to be particularly good at coming up with witty names to stick on their signs!

Back to the Fuchsia – Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Film titles do seem to be a recurring theme, but it’s worked for this florist.

Only Food and Sauces – Erdington, West Midlands. A little café serving breakfasts and brunches, with a good dollop of humour thrown in.

Singhbury’s Local – Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. You have to do a double take when you see their signs, and last year, two brothers were celebrated for taking on the supermarket giant, with this tongue in cheek play on their name. They even used the same colours and a similar font.

Sign of the times

Names which give us all a reason to chuckle are a great way of promoting your business. Word play, puns and creative uses of the English language are incredibly memorable, meaning your shop, café or restaurant’s name becomes firmly lodged in the minds of those who pass by. People are more likely to cross the threshold of a place which seems to have a good sense of humour, and that comedy is much needed in these straitened economic times.

Since the crash of 2007 and the economic downturn which has followed, many in the retail and hospitality industries have been struggling, and some big names such as Woolworths and BHS have fallen victim to the crunch. With competition on the High Street fiercer than it’s ever been, taking steps to stay ahead of your rivals and win over customers has never been so important.

Research has shown that businesses that choose interesting and funny names were far more likely to have weathered the recession, because people were more likely to remember them. It’s a sign of the times that so many people are choosing outlandish names for their shops and cafes.

A quirky name can really help pull in the trade, and can lead to some of the most creative signage out there. Really bold, attention grabbing shop signs make a huge impact on passersby, particularly when they showcase your sense of humour and make good use of your company’s logo and colour scheme. Bespoke, high-quality signage sticks with people and is one of the most powerful marketing tools your business can have, whether you’re a chippie with a funny name or a florist making use of some flowery language in your shop signs.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we know the power of an interesting name and we enjoy the funny side of shop signage. With more than two decades’ experience in this field, we’ve seen some great names and crafted some great signage to do them proud – some are laugh out loud funny, others make you groan and some are just so bad, they’re good. With a highly skilled team of designers and fitters, we can create signs which are as unique as your company and your name.

Whatever the name and whatever goods or services you sell, you can trust The Sussex Sign Company to create the very highest quality bespoke signs for your business. For more information on how we can help you get the best signage solutions for your company, simply get in touch with our expert team today.