Pun: What is the funniest brand name in the UK?

If you're a fan of a bag of potato chips, you've probably visited a chip shop with a pun-derived name.

From the relatively straightforward The Codfather in London to A Fish Called Rhondda in Pentre, the more elaborately named Rhondda Cynon Taf, chip shop owners can't resist a play on words.

Others involved in the action include London barbers Barber Streisand, Sunderland wine shop Amy Winehouse, and pottery café Kilning Me Softly in Milton Keynes.

Florist Rachel Allen owns the brilliantly named Dark Side of the Bloom outside Bangor in Gwynedd, North Wales.

Naming her business after the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon turned out to be a shredded business decision, she said.

“It just took off, and we got so much feedback, it's unbelievable,” she said.

“I wanted something that reflected a little bit of an alternative florist rather than just a factory run because we do a lot of alternative weddings.

“The dark side represents the color black and funerary action and it was clear that the flower was flowers.”

Although she doesn't consider herself a Pink Floyd fan, the name seems to appeal to people who are fans.

“I have a lot of bikers and I've done a lot of biker funerals and weddings too I guess [the name] “It attracted them, so it's really good,” she said.

Rachel's business has been shortlisted for a competition aiming to find the name of the shop that makes the best – or worst, depending on your preference – use of the pun.

The list of funny and other ear-piercing names was compiled by language learning platform Babbel, which analyzed TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook to find the 120 most popular names.

A public poll will determine the overall winner who will be named in the new year.

North Wales business owner Catherine Robson was also shortlisted with her boutique called Damsel In This Dress.

“The store at the time was next to a castle, and the building the store was in was an armory, so we wanted it to have something to do with women and castles,” she explained.

But she doesn't attribute the success of her store in Harlech, Gwynedd, to the memorable name.

“It's fun to have a fun name… but I'm not sure it's going to make a difference in our business other than employees and locals finding it fun,” she said.

In fact, she changed the name of the business's Facebook page to Wool & Gifts Harlech after finding that people searching online were more likely to use the store's location rather than the name.

What's it about shopkeepers and puns?

Noel Wolfe, a linguistic and cultural expert at Babylon, said: “It is undeniable that puns have a special place in the hearts of Britons.”

“The beauty of puns lies in their ability to exploit the diverse vocabulary and multiplicity of meanings of the English language – and the spread of puns in Britain is testament to the flexibility and richness of the English language.”