Shoppers are only just cottoning on to the origin of the name Aldi, one of the country's most popular supermarkets.

The German chain first launched in the UK in 1990 and has just over 1,000 stores dotted around on our shores. Over the years, it has built itself up to become a staple for many British families as millions do their weekly food shop in the budget supermarket.

However, while cheap prices are likely to spring to mind when anyone thinks of Aldi, the name of the shop itself is less likely to leave anyone in a quandary. What exactly does Aldi mean, you might now wonder?

Unlike the ice-cream brand Häagen-Dazs, for example, Aldi is not a made-up word with no meaning behind it. In fact, the name has plenty of history to it, as people are just beginning to find out.

It goes back to more than 100 years ago when Aldi opened its first store in Essen, Germany in 1913. It began with humble origins as a small supermarket and was owned and operated by Anna Albrecht.

Anna's two sons, Karl and Theo, went off to fight in World War II. After both surviving, they returned home and took over the store from their mum.

The two brothers were then able to expand it to more than 100 stores across Germany come 1955. Their success came from being able to keep prices low as they did not spend anything on advertising, which was an advantage in the post-war economy.