The little-known truth about how Uniqlo REALLY got its name – after years of customer conspiracy theories

Japanese fashion house Uniqlo got its unique name after the staff in charge of registering the business back in 1988 made a typo.

According to the brand, the clothing store was supposed to be named Uniclo – short for Unique Clothing Warehouse which was its original name.

But when it came to filling out the paperwork staff misread the C , popping a Q on the form instead.

‘The name stuck and now we’re known globally as UNIQLO,’ the retailer revealed. 

Fans were thrilled with the explanation after coming up with weird and wonderful theories for years.

‘I thought it was short for “you need clothes” – that’s what I’ve been telling myself when I shop there,’ one admitted.

‘Yes, me too. When you go in they say hi welcome to Uniqlo it sounds like hi, welcome. You need clothes,’ another added.

Others pointed out the name is read differently in many countries, adding to the confusion.

‘In Germany everyone is at first confused about the name, when hearing it (not reading) because it sounds like I’m saying I got it from the University toilet (Klo is the colloquial word for toilet in Germany),’ one woman explained.

Some said the ‘sounds also don’t make sense’ for Italian and Spanish customers.

‘My friend mistakenly reads it as ‘uniculo’, one woman said of her Italian friend.

‘It translates to one a*s in Spanish,’ another said. 

Even Japanese people have a different way of pronouncing it – despite the brand starting there.

‘I think the Japanese pronounce it like ‘unicuro’, because their language doesn’t have the L sound. Their R is very soft, but doesn’t sound like an L,’ one said.

Others wondered what happened to the staff who made the mistake.

‘Did they get fired or get a raise?’ one woman queried.

But many agreed the error was a blessing in disguise and said the typo was a much better name.

“Uniqlo is far more iconic than Uniclo,’ one said.

‘Uniclo sounds cheap, Uniqlo sounds cool,’ said another.

‘What a happy little accident,’ echoed a third.