The Wonderful World of Brand Names Origins

Ever wondered how your favorite snack, store, or sneaker ended up with its now-iconic name? Sometimes it’s the result of marketing genius. Other times it’s a literary nod, a comic book character, or even just someone being a little too frugal with adhesive. Welcome to the wonderful world of the origin of famous brand names—where “meaningful” meets “mildly ridiculous.”

Starbucks: Grounds for a Literary Lawsuit?

The founders of Starbucks originally wanted to name their coffee empire after the ship in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, the Pequod. Thankfully, they realized “Hey, let’s go grab a venti at Pequod’s” didn’t roll off the tongue. Instead, they settled on the first mate’s name, Starbuck. He didn’t drink lattes (as far as we know), but he did help fuel one of the most recognizable brands on the planet.

Consider what our coffee culture might look like if they had passed over the first mate and gone with the names of other characters in the classic novel:

• Fedallah — The mysterious and ominous Zoroastrian who serves as the captain’s personal harpooner and personal advisor;
• Dagoo — A harpooner from Africa;
• Tashtego — A Native American harpooner;
• Stubb — The second mate;
• Queequeg — The narrator’s friend and bunkmate; or
• Yojo — A small wooden figure idolized by Queequeg.

Google: Because No One Thought to Google How to Spell Googol

The world’s largest search engine was originally named Backrub. Can you imagine the workplace harassment lawsuits if they hadn’t changed their name? “Yes, I asked for a backrub, but all I meant by it was that I wanted some research done. Honest!”

Google’s name is a misspelling. During a brainstorming session to come up with a new name, someone suggested the mathematical expression for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, claiming that it reflected the founders’ mission “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” That number is googol. It was misspelled as “Google.”

So yes, the search engine you likely use to verify spelling is, itself, misspelled. But at least it isn’t a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen.

Yahoo: The Internet Yelled, and This Was the Echo

Back when the internet was a digital Wild West filled with dial-up tones and dancing baby GIFs, two Stanford grad students needed a name for their new web directory. They settled on “Yahoo,” which stood for “Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle.” Because nothing says “future tech juggernaut” like a name that sounds like a candidate for our next installment of Worst Comic Book Characters of All Time. They also liked the literary reference to the uncivilized creatures from Gulliver’s Travels, which—while not exactly flattering—did set a realistic tone for comment sections everywhere.

Pepsi: Now with Extra Digestive Enzymes

In the 1890s, pharmacist Caleb Bradham mixed up a soda he claimed would aid digestion and named it after the enzyme pepsin. Thus, Pepsi was born—an aspirational name for a drink that would one day pair more commonly with pizza than with stomach health. There’s no actual pepsin in Pepsi, but there is enough fizz to convince your digestive system to sit up and pay attention.

Just be glad Bradham wasn’t inspired by another invaluable digestive juice or the Cola Wars would have Coca-Cola competing against Bile Soda.

Häagen-Dazs: Made-Up Words, Real Calories

If you’ve ever assumed Häagen-Dazs was Danish for “heaven in a pint,” we regret to inform you that it’s total nonsense. The founders invented the name in the 1960s to sound vaguely European and sophisticated. It’s not Danish. It’s not anything. It’s a marketing fever dream topped with an unnecessary umlaut. But hey, when your ice cream tastes like pure bliss, you can call it whatever you want.

LEGO: Play Well, Market Better

Founded in Denmark in 1932, LEGO took its name from the Danish phrase “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” That’s adorably wholesome. By pure coincidence—unless the founders were secretly Latin scholars—“lego” also means “I put together” in Latin. Either way, the company managed to build an empire out of colorful plastic bricks and the collective pain of barefoot parents everywhere.

It also happens to be the top-selling tire producer in the world — a fact that will probably only be helpful to you if your commuting vehicle of choice can fit in your pocket.

Spotify: Brought to You by Misheard Shouting

When the founders of Spotify were spitballing names for their new music platform, one of them misheard a suggestion shouted from across the room. That person checked the business name registry, saw that “Spotify” was available, and they ran with it. Later, they reverse-engineered an explanation: it’s a mashup of “spot” and “identify.” Which is the most creative case of “we’ll fix it in post” you’ll hear outside of a Marvel movie reshoot.

Canon: From Goddess to Gadget

The company now known for cameras and printers started out as “Kwanon,” named after the Buddhist goddess of mercy and sounds as if Elmer Fudd was the company’s spokesman. The founders even used a multi-armed deity logo, which probably didn’t help with their target demo of Western engineers. Eventually, they rebranded to “Canon,” dropping the religious iconography in favor of something that wouldn’t make customers wonder if their office copier came with spiritual enlightenment or trigger a boycott reminiscent of the Procter and Gamble/satanic worship rumors of the 20th century.

IKEA: Acronym Assembly Required

IKEA isn’t just the reason your bookshelf leans slightly to the left. It’s also an acronym—because even the name requires some assembly. The letters stand for founder Ingvar Kamprad, his family farm Elmtaryd, and his hometown Agunnaryd. So yes, your end table was named after a Swedish man’s childhood memories. Throw in a hex key and three extra screws you’ll never use, and you’ve got yourself a brand.

Reebok: Run Like an Antelope

In a 1928 South African dictionary, the word “rhebok” described a type of antelope known for speed and agility. When a British athletic shoe company was looking for a name, they latched onto it like a marketing intern chasing a gazelle. They changed the spelling to “Reebok,” which sounds sporty, mysterious, and just exotic enough to make you forget how often you skip leg day.

Adobe: Birthplace of the PDF and Also a Creek

Tech giant Adobe gets its name from Adobe Creek, a small stream behind co-founder John Warnock’s home in California. That’s it. That’s the story. There’s something beautifully anti-corporate about a company worth billions being named after a ditch. It’s like naming your startup “The Suspicious Creek That Flows From the Backyard Septic Tank” and watching it take over the world.

Skype: From Sky-Peer-to-Peer to Call Me, Maybe

Skype began life as “Sky Peer-to-Peer,” which, when you say it fast, sounds like the sound effects of a space-based video game. This was quickly shortened to “Skyper,” but when that domain was taken (probably by someone who thought it sounded like a cool name for a rap artist), they dropped the ‘r’ and landed on Skype. And thus began the era of awkward video calls, pixelated eye contact, and everyone shouting “Can you hear me now?” into the void.

M&M’s: The Sweet Taste of War Profiteering

During the Spanish Civil War, Forrest Mars Sr. saw soldiers snacking on chocolate pellets coated in a candy shell to prevent melting. He thought, “That’s a billion-dollar idea.” Back in the U.S., he teamed up with Bruce Murrie (son of a Hershey exec) to form a company. Since there was already a candy called Smarties, they named their version after themselves: Mars & Murrie = M&M. Tastes like victory (and changes the color of honey in some parts of the world).

GAP: Fashion for the Existential Crisis Years

Don and Doris Fisher opened their first store in 1969, targeting people too old for pigtails and too young for cardigans. They called it “The GAP” to represent the “generation gap”—those awkward, bell-bottomed, disco-infused years between childhood and adulthood. It was either that or “Pants R Us.”

Aspirin: A Name with Chemistry Street Cred

In 1899, Bayer named its wonder drug by combining “acetyl” (from the acetyl group), “spir” (from the Spiraea plant), and the suffix “-in,” which was the 19th-century version of slapping “-ify” on every startup. Aspirin was born and has been fighting headaches and hangovers ever since.

Aspirin also has an interesting — and somewhat disturbing — connection with heroin. You can learn about that fun fact in this article.

Nike: Just… Do Greek Mythology

In 1971, a small Oregon shoe company was in desperate need of a name. Designer Jeff Johnson had a dream (literally) where the Greek goddess of victory—Nike—told him, “Hey, use my name.” And so they did. Ironically, no one in the dream mentioned the swoosh.

Fortunately, it was Nike who visited Johnson in dreamland. Imagine what race day would look like if he drew his inspiration from some of Nike’s colleagues:

• Thanatos: personification of peaceful death;
• Zagreus: deity associated with rebirth;
• Momus: god of satire, mockery, and blame;
• Geras: god of old age; or
• Moros: personification of doom or impending fate.

As for the origin of Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It,” that inspiration disturbingly came from Death Row.

Jeep: Thanks, Popeye

The name “Jeep” may have come from Eugene the Jeep, a magical dog-like creature from a 1936 Popeye comic who could teleport, climb walls, and defy physics. When soldiers got a new all-terrain vehicle in the 1940s, they thought it was just as versatile. And probably better at parallel parking.

For more fun facts about Popeye, check out this article.

Scotch Tape: Stick It to the Man (Literally)

Around 1925, Richard Drew was testing his innovation for masking tape. A body shop painter became frustrated with what he had been given and exclaimed, “Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!”

No one appreciates insults better than the Scots (who famously have at least 20 words or phrases for the word “idiot”). Rather than be offended, the company leaned into the critique. The company, 3M, improved the adhesive and kept the name. And thus, Scotch Tape was born from yet one more misguided attempt to injure the Scots. Freedom!

Rubik’s Cube: A Puzzle Named After a Hungarian Who Laughed at Your Frustration

In 1974, Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik created a simple cube to explain 3D geometry. What he didn’t plan for was spawning a global frustration machine that would drive millions to the brink of madness. Named after himself, the Rubik’s Cube exploded in popularity in the 1980s. To date, it has sold over 100 million units and apparently can only be solved by cheeky teenage boys.

You can read more fun facts about the Rubik’s Cube in this article.

Concluding Thoughts

There you have it: the origins of some of the brand names that seem as if they have been part of our culture forever. So the next time you reach for a cup of coffee, lace up your sneakers, or stare helplessly at a multicolored cube, just remember: there’s often a weird, whimsical, or wildly accidental story behind even the most iconic brand names. And thank goodness no one went with “Great Gastric Juice” for your favorite caffeine pick-me-up.

Curious about any other brand names? Let us know in the comments below. While we’re on the subject, you might want to take a look at this article that addresses the all-consuming question: “Did Pepsi Promise to Raise the Dead or Did Coca-Cola Invite China to Bite the Wax Tadpole?” Check out our deep dive into the facts and fiction behind famous brand names translation misadventures.

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