What’s in a (punny) name? The best small business puns revealed

Including a pun in your business name is guaranteed to make your customers laugh—or cringe—but it could also be one strategy to make sure customers keep on talking about your business.

UK small business rewards provider Nector recently asked 2000 consumers to nominate the funniest names for small businesses as part of its annual business awards.

As well as producing a list of 10 puntastic business names, the Independent reports the research also found 44% of people would strike up a conversation about a business if that business had a pun in its name, compared to 19% for less witty business names.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Jaywant Singh, professor of marketing at Kingston University, said a quirky business name can be an important part of a business’ identity.

“Quirky or idiosyncratic brand names are highly suggestive and are capable of leaving strong memory traces,” Singh said.

“Customer associations with such brand names are often instrumental in generating recommendations.”

The top 10 funniest business names, according to the Nector survey, are:

1. The Cod Father – fish and chip shop
2. Curl Up & Dye – hairdresser
3. Back To The Fuchsia – florist
4. Arnie’s Sarnies—You’ll Be Back – sandwich shop
5. A Fish Called Rhondda – fish and chip shop
6. Florist Gump – a florist
7. Doggy Style – dog groomer
8. Bits & PCs – computer repair shop
9. Barber Black Sheep – hairdresser
10. Jack The Clipper – hairdresser

And here is SmartCompany’s list of the best Australian pun-tastic business names:

1. Lord of the Fries – fast food chain in Melbourne and Sydney
2. Lentil as Anything – Melbourne restaurant
3. Silk Thai – Melbourne restaurant
4. Wok Around the Clock – Cairns restaurant
5. Cup and Gino – café in Warragul, Victoria
6. Thaitanic – restaurant chain in Western Sydney
7. All Cisterns Go – plumber in Queensland
8. The Daily Grind – coffee producer in Gerringong, New South Wales
9. N’Thai Sing – restaurant in Terrigul, New South Wales
10. Hairway to Heaven – hair salon in Mill Park, Victoria

Let us know the best pun business names you’ve come across in the comments below or via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.