Surelock Homes and Spruce Springclean among 'wittiest' shop names in UK, poll claims
Many claim they are more likely to recommend a business with a witty name
![The Chopfather barbers also ranked high](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2020/02/25/15/chopfather.jpg)
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Surelock Homes, Planet of the Grapes and Spruce Springclean have been found to be some of the "wittiest" names for businesses in Britain, according to a poll.
A poll of 2,000 adults asked people to nominate their favourite pun-based company names, with results including a barbers named The Chopfather and a coffee shop titled Deja Brew.
An earlier survey found that 79 per cent of those polled said a business name helps express its personality and branding.
In the same poll, 43 per cent claimed they are more likely to recommend a business with a witty name, compared to one with a more traditional moniker.
Lisa Jacobs, UK managing director at SME lending platform Funding Circle, which commissioned the research said: “It’s great how small businesses bring their characters and personalities through with these imaginative names whilst also brightening up our days with a laugh or chuckle.
“Business doesn’t have to be all serious. A play on words allows businesses to stand out from the crowd, attract customers and convey a bit of their sense of humour.”
Alan Collins, owner of Spruce Springclean, a carpet cleaner in Cornwall, said: “The name came about in the Eighties when I bought my first van.
“I thought I should come up with a name for my business and I was on my way to a friend's house to discuss it with him.
“On the way I heard a record on the radio and the disc jockey said it was by Bruce Springsteen, but I misheard him and thought he said Spruce Springclean.
“I mentioned it to my friend and he loved it, so it kind of stuck.
“I'm semi-retired now but most of my business still comes from the name, it brings a lot of laughs to people.”
The research also found that 48 per cent of people in Britain believe a witty or memorable business name is more likely to make them use that company over a similar one.
Paul Tribouillard, owner of Surelock Homes, said: “We've been around for a while now but we still get comments about our name.
“It was my friend who came up with it, he used to own the company. I don't know how he came up with it, just made it up I suppose.
“We were on the radio on a show about the best business names, we came runner up.
“I'm glad that people enjoy it, we get a lot of laughs about it.”
Other memorable shop names in the UK that featured in the poll include a solicitors from Leamington Spa with the fortuitous name Wright-Hassall and Bonnie Tiler, a female-fronted tiling and plumbing company based in Gateshead in the northwest.
More than half of those polled via OnePoll said they would prefer to see more businesses embrace a quirky name.
SWNS
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