Check out the meaning of the name of 20 famous brands
Some brands have names that explain the institution's origin or values quite obviously, while in other cases you have to understand historical curiosities or mythology for the name to make any sense.
We have spoken here before about the origin of the name of some famous brands. Below you can check out some more companies that have names with a very interesting or at least curious meaning.
1. Cadillac
Cadillac is a division of General Motors specializing in luxury cars. The name is a tribute to the French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of the city of Detroit, Michigan, in the United States.
2. Durex
The condom maker that recently arrived in Brazil is of British origin, and the name derives from “DUrable Reliable EXcelence, ” or excellence in reliable durability.
3. Etsy
The site's founder was watching Italian movies and ended up misinterpreting it when he heard "eh, si" (ah, yes) as "etsi". He found the word beautiful, modified it a little and ended up using it.
4. Fanta
During a meeting at Coca-Cola's German headquarters to decide on the name of the new product, the team leader asked employees to wear his “fantasie, ” which means imagination in German. The employees weren't that creative when they suggested "Fanta, " but the name stuck.
5. Häagen-Dazs
The American ice cream brand is the case of a story well told with the intention of making ice cream with a more premium face by giving the illusion of being of foreign origin. The name means nothing, but it was invented to sound Danish. Interestingly, no umlaut is used in words that are originally from Denmark.
6. Hyundai
Literally translating from Korean, the word means "modernity." The company was founded in 1947, but the car manufacturing division only started in 1967.
7. Jägermeister
The bottle of this drink brings poems by a hunter and even references to the patron saints of the hunters, St. Humberto and St. Eustatius. This is because Jägermeister in German means "master of hunters".
8. Kodak
In search of a meaningless word, short, easy to write and easy to pronounce, Kodak founder George Eastman invented that name. He also really liked the letter K.
9. Nike
The name came from the Greek goddess who was the embodiment of victory. Very inspiring for athletes, who are the focus of the brand.
10. Nikon
Initially founded as Nippon Kogaru Kogyo, it was renamed only to a more abbreviated form in 1988: Nikon Corporation. The name originally meant something like “Japanese optical lens industry”.
11. Nivea
In Latin, Niveus means “snow white”. The white letters contrasting with a blue background can reflect this well.
12. Pantene
The main ingredient of Pantene's products is pro-vitamin B5, panthenol, so the Swiss company decided to highlight this to differentiate itself in the market, and the ingredient's name eventually became the brand.
13. Reddit
In English, “read it” means “read it”, and the pronunciation is almost identical to the site name. Quite obvious for a forum focused on texts and discussions among users.
14. Samsung
The Korean company has a name that can be translated literally as "three" (sam) and "stars" (sung). However, the ideograms used to write the word can also mean respectively "large, numerous and powerful" and "eternal."
15. Subaru
In Greek mythology, the constellation of the “seven sisters” were the seven daughters of Atlas, the titan of astronomy and navigation. In Japanese, this grouping of stars is known as "subaru".
16. Toyota
Initially the name was Toyoda, named after its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. The change came in 1937 because Toyoda means “fertile rice fields” and doesn't match anything with a car manufacturer.
17. Tresemmé
In French, the phrase “très-aimé” means “much loved”. The slightly different spelling was to pay tribute to a hair care specialist named Edna Emmé.
18. Venus
Gillette branch focused on women, the name Venus is inspired by the Roman goddess of love, sex and fertility.
19. Volkswagen
The company emerged as a popular alternative at a time when cars were accessible only to the rich. The name means “people's car” and is very consistent with the company's initial proposal.
20. Volvo
In its Latin origin, the word literally means "I rotate", conjugated from the verb "volvere". The name was registered in 1911 to be used in a line of automotive bearings.
