Brand Names:
Bet You Didn't Know ...
Previous-
AP/AOL
Popular Companies
Named After People
Arby's, Taco Bell, adidas -- sure, you've heard of them, but did you know how they got their names originally?
AOL Editors combed through well-known company Web sites looking for the stories behind the names. In particular, we looked for those that were named after real people.
Click through our gallery as we round up our favorite finds.
First Slide: Johnnie Walker Story -
Johnnie Walker
The Johnnie Walker Name
(Excerpt from: www.johnniewalker.com)
In 1805, John Walker was born and not long after, the recipe for the world's favorite Scotch Whisky brand was created. Walker's story began in Kilmarnock, Scotland. As a young man, Walker left the family farm to follow his entrepreneurial spirit. He became a grocer, trading a wide variety of goods; tea was his specialty. It was his skill at blending tea leaves that gave Walker the idea for blending grain and malt whiskies to create a smoother drink and more consistent quality.
Next: The Arby's Story -
Tim Boyle, Getty Images
How Arby's Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.arbys.com)
When foodservice veterans Leroy and Forrest Raffel opened the first Arby’s in Boardman, Ohio on July 23, 1964, customers enjoyed roast beef sandwiches, potato chips, and Texas-sized iced teas. To name their new venture, the brothers decided on Arby’s, which stands for R.B., the initials of the Raffel Brothers -- although many suspect the R.B. stands for roast beef.
Next: The Taco Bell Story -
AP
How Taco Bell Got Its Name
(Source: www.tacobell.com)
Glen Bell was 23 when he left the Marine Corps. in 1946 and came home to San Bernardino, Calif. He would own a hot dog stand, three Taco Tia stands and several El Tacos restaurants, before building the first Taco Bell in Downey, Calif. in 1962.
Next: The Baskin-Robbins Story -
Baskin-Robbins
The Baskin-Robbins Name
(Source: www.baskinrobbins.com)
As a teen, Irvine Robbins worked in his father's ice cream store. During World War II, Burton Baskin, was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and produced ice cream for his fellow troops. When the war was over, they started out in separate ventures and by 1948, they had six store between them. In 1953, their combined ice cream chain dropped their separate identities and became Baskin-Robbins.
Next: The Tupperware Story -
Tupperware
The Tupperware Name
(Source: www.tupperware.com)
In 1946, Earl Tupper introduced plastic storage ware with legendary airtight seals patterned after the inverted rim on a can of paint which prevented food from drying out, wilting or losing its flavor. Despite their breakthrough nature, the products didn't sell well in retail outlets, primarily because consumers needed demonstrations in order to see how they worked. In response, the first Tupperware Home Party was held in 1948. This proved a dramatically effective way of communicating the benefits of the seal. Next: The Wendy's Story -
AP
How Wendy's Got Its Name
(Source: www.wendys.com/dave/flash.html)
When he was eight years old, Dave Thomas dreamed he'd run the best restaurant in the world. Starting at age 12, he immersed himself in the restaurant business. In 1969, his dream came true and he opened the first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers. After trying all five of his children's names for the restaurant, Dave decided on his daughter Melinda's nickname -- Wendy.
Next: The Folgers Story -
Procter & Gamble
How Folgers Got Its Name
(Source: www.folgers.com)
In 1850, an entrepreneur was looking for a carpenter to build his first mill in San Francisco, which he called The Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills. James A. Folger, only 16-years-old, but skilled in the trade of carpentry, was hired. In 1865, James became a full partner of The Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills. In 1872, James bought out the other partners, renaming the company J. A. Folger & Co.
Next: The Converse Story -
How Converse Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Converse )
In 1908, while in his late 30s, Marquis M. Converse fell down a flight of steps in Malden, Massachusetts. The incident gave him the idea of rubber soled shoes, to prevent one from slipping. A year later, Marquis founded Converse and began producing rubbed-soled footwear for men, women, and children.
Next: The adidas Story -
AP
How adidas Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.press.adidas.com)
Adolf "Adi" Dassler was the man who gave adidas its name. Inspired by a single idea when he made his first shoes in 1920, at the age of just 20. His vision was to provide every athlete with the best footwear for his respective discipline. In 1948 he introduced adidas as the company name, a combination of his own first and last name. One year later he registered the ... unmistakable Three Stripes.
Next: The Welch's Story -
AP
How Welch's Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: http://www.welchs.com)
In 1869, Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch, a physician and dentist by profession, successfully pasteurized Concord grape juice to produce an "unfermented sacramental wine" for fellow parishioners at his church in Vineland, N.J., where he was communion steward. His achievement marked the beginning of the processed fruit juice industry. In 1893, a new label was adopted, omitting the "Dr." before the name Welch's.
Next: The Heineken Story -
Heineken
How Heineken Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.heinekeninternational.com)
Gerard Adriaan Heineken was only 22 in 1864 when he bought the largest regional brewery, "The Haystack." His innovation was to change from traditional top fermentation to bottom fermentation, producing a clearer, purer brew. He changed the name to Heineken in 1873. But it wasn't until 1971 that Alfred "Freddy" Heineken inherited the company and took the Dutch market leader international, soon becoming one of the world's best-known brands of beer.
Next: The MAX Factor Story -
Procter and Gamble
The MAX Factor Name
(Excerpt from: www.pg.com)
MAX Factor & Co. was founded by Max Factor, Sr., who began as a makeup man for the Royal Ballet in Czarist Russia. As a young man in 1904, he emigrated from his native country to New York. Later that same year, he moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he opened a small perfume, makeup and hair goods concession at the St. Louis World's Fair. Four years later, the family moved to Los Angeles, Calif., where Max Factor opened his first store in the center of the city's theatrical district.
Next: The Crabtree & Evelyn Story -
Crabtree & Evelyn
The Crabtree & Evelyn Name
(Excerpt from: www.crabtree-evelyn.com)
The name was inspired by the renaissance Englishman, John Evelyn, who lived in the 17th century. Evelyn is most famous for 'Sylva,' the first important work on conservation. His great estate was planted with large expanses of elm trees, and the magnificent gardens he created were a wonder of the age. The Crabtree is native to Britain and the ancestor of all cultivated apple trees. It was highly prized for its beauty as well as its usefulness in home apothecary.
Next: The Keebler Story -
Keebler
How Keebler Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.kelloggs.com)
It all began when Godfrey Keebler opened a neighborhood bakery in Philadelphia in 1853. After lots of success, Keebler became a part of the United Biscuit Company of America in 1926 and in 1966, Keebler Company became the official corporate name and Keebler the single brand name for all products. Once the Keebler brand was formed, company icons soon followed. Ernie Keebler and the Elves became company symbols and represented snacks baked in the Hollow Tree.
Next: The Macy's Story -
David Rogowski, AOL
How Macy's Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.macysinc.com)
After several failed retail ventures, Rowland Hussey Macy's, determination and ingenuity paid off at the age of 36, with the launch of R.H. Macy & Co. Founded in 1877, Macy’s was a dry good store in New York City. Macy adopted a red star as his symbol of success, dating back to his days as a sailor.
Next: The Chef Boyardee Story -
AOL
The Chef Boyardee Name
(Excerpt from: www.conagrafoods.com)
Hector Boiardi was born in Italy in 1898 and took up cooking at a young age. In 1917, he immigrated to New York and began working in the kitchens of hotels. He later moved to Cleveland, where he opened his own restaurant. Il Giardino d'Italia became quite popular and patrons began requesting portions to take home. He packaged up uncooked pasta, cheese, and his popular sauce, poured into milk bottles. He marketed the pasta as Chef Boy-ar-dee, spelled phonetically for Americans.
Next: The Auntie Anne's Story -
The Auntie Anne's Name
(Excerpt from: http://www.auntieannes.com)
Anne Beiler began twisting pretzels in 1987 at a Maryland farmer's market, to support her husband Jonas' vision to open a free community counseling. The following February, Anne and Jonas purchased their own stand at another farmer's market in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, where they sold a variety of snacks, including hand-rolled soft pretzels. The following year, Anne launched Auntie Anne's, Inc.
Next: The Burt's Bees Story -
AP
The Burt's Bees Name
(Excerpt from: www.burtsbees.com)
Back in 1984 in Maine, Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz teamed up selling candles made from the beeswax created as a by-product of Burt's honey business. At the very first craft fair, they sold $200 worth, and by the end of the first year, sales climbed to $20,000. Sales topped $250 million in 2006.
Next: The Birds Eye Story -
The Birds Eye Name
(Excerpt from: www.birdseyefoods.com)
Clarence Birdseye observed, first hand, the ways of the Eskimos who lived in the Arctic and how the use of ice, wind, and temperature almost instantly froze just-caught fish straight through. Birdseye returned to the U.S. and formed the General Seafood Corp. with some wealthy partners who believed in his process. The partners' financial support allowed Birdseye to develop and perfect a machine called a "Quick Freeze Machine" that he unveiled in 1926.
Next: The Chevrolet Story -
How Chevrolet Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.gm.com)
In the early 20th century, new automobile companies set up shop by the dozens, often on a wing (or a wheel) and a prayer. One of these was founded in 1911 by William C. Durant and took its name from famed Buick racing driver Louis Chevrolet. When Durant became the president of General Motors in 1916, it wasn't long before he started bringing Chevrolet assets on board, and by 1918, the entire company was part of GM, and would go on to become one of its flagship brands.
Next: The Hallmark Story -
Hallmark
The Hallmark Cards Name
(Excerpt from: http://corporate/hallmark.com)
Joyce C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards, Inc., lived the American dream. Born Aug. 29, 1891, in tiny David City, Neb., Hall overcame both poverty and a lack of a formal education to become the architect of an industry. In the 1920s he wanted to substitute the phrase, "A Hallmark Card," for "Hall Brothers Company" on the back of greeting cards. "Everybody in the place was against it," he said, but he made the change.
Next: The IKEA Story -
AP
How IKEA Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.ikea.com)
The IKEA story began in 1931, when founder Ingvar Kamprad started selling matches to his nearby neighbors at the age of five. Later he would branch out into selling flower seeds, greeting cards, Christmas Decorations, and eventually, furniture. The name IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. This mouthful is derived from the founder's name, the name "Elmtaryd" (the farm on which he was raised) and "Agunnaryd", the nearest village.
Next: The Izod Lacoste Story -
AFP/Getty Images
How LACOSTE Got Its Name
(Excerpt from: www.lacoste.com)
Rene Lacoste became a tennis legend when he and his teammates, stole the Davis Cup away from the Americans for the first time, in 1921. Lacoste became nicknamed "The Alligator" after news got out about a bet he'd made with his team captain over an alligator-skin suitcase. Taking the name to heart, Lacoste began wearing an embroidered crocodile on the blazer he wore on tennis courts. He later founded a company to manufacture the shirt, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Next: The Lea & Perrins Story -
The Lea & Perrins Name
(Source: http://www.leaperrins.com)
In the early 1800s, in the county of Worcester, a nobleman had two chemists -- John Lea and William Perrins -- try to duplicate a recipe he aquired on his travels. Lea and Perrins were not impressed with their initial results. The pair found the taste unpalatable, and simply left the jars in their cellar to gather dust. A few years later, they stumbled across them and decided to taste the contents again. To their delight, the aging process had turned it into a delicious, savory sauce.
Next: The Maybelline Story -
Scott Gries, KRT/Getty Images
The Maybelline Name
(Excerpt from: http://www.maybelline.com/aboutus/our-history.aspx)
In 1915, T.L. Williams created the Maybelline Company, a family-owned business. The company was named after his sister Maybel, from whom he originally received the idea of producing and selling an easy-to-use product to darken eyelashes.
Next: The Nathan's Famous Story -
Stan Honda, AFP/Getty Images
Nathan's Famous
(Excerpt from: http://shop.nathansfamous.com)
Nathan Handwerker, founder of Nathan's Famous, was born in Poland on July 14, 1882. In 1912, Nathan emigrated to the United States, where he began to work in the kitchen of Feltman's restaurant in Coney Island, NY. To open his hot dog stand in 1916, Nathan borrowed 300 dollars from his friends Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor, all of who worked at Feltman's restaurant. They urged him to sell his hot dogs for 5 cents, half the price of the competition.
Next: The Mary Kay Story -
AP
The Mary Kay Name
(Excerpt from: www.marykay.com/)
After 25 years in direct sales, Mary Kay Ash resigned her position as a national training director when a man she had trained was promoted above her. In 1963, with nothing but her business plan, her experience, and $5,000 in savings, she founded Beauty by Mary Kay. It was founded not on the competitive rule but on the Golden Rule. It was a company, as Mary Kay Ash often said, "with heart."
Next: The Oscar Mayer Story -
Mario Tama, Getty Images
Oscar Mayer
(Excerpt from: www.kraftfoods.com)
At the age of 14, and new to the United States, Oscar Mayer answered a "Help Wanted" poster for an apprentice (or "butcher boy") at a retail meat market in Detroit. Eager to start his own business, Oscar and his brother, a sausage-maker leased the Kolling Meat Market on Chicago's north side. Before long, customers in their German neighborhood were standing in line for Mayer specialties like bockwurst, liverwurst, and weisswurst.
Next: The Hasbro StoryRelated Links: