KNOW YOUR BRANDS

Behind An Empire: How These 10 Iconic Brands Acquired Their Names

Image: Slidebean

In the vast consumer goods marketplace, brands often become more than just names on labels; they become symbols of quality, trust, and innovation.

However, behind every successful brand lies a unique backstory, often filled with ingenuity, perseverance, and sometimes even a tad of serendipity. Read on to find out the intriguing stories behind 10 household names that have left an indelible mark on the world.

Image: Bryan Angelo

Amazon has been around for 25 years now, but before becoming the giant that it is, it shapeshifted several times. Jeff Bezos, its creator, first built an online bookstore intending to offer an unparalleled selection of titles and exceptional customer service. This brand was named "Cadabra", a clear reference to "abracadabra," a magic word.

However, Bezos’ lawyer at the time considered it an obscure name, and in 1994, Bezos and his wife started exploring other names and registered several domains, like "relentless.com" just in case one of those was going to be the one. Eventually, he decided he wanted a brand starting with the letter A, the first in the alphabet, and, after perusing the dictionary, he landed on the word Amazon, the largest river on the planet. The superlative had the winning factor and the rest is history.

Image: Pawel Czerwinski

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two graduate students at Stanford University began collaborating on a search engine project in 1996. Their initial goal was to create a more efficient way to navigate the World Wide Web. Originally named "Backrub" due to its focus on analyzing backlinks, the project eventually evolved into what we now know as Google, but the name was actually the product of a misspelling.

Sean Anderson, a Stanford graduate, pitched the term "googolplex" in a brainstorming session for the name change. However, Page countered a simple version of it "Googol", which denotes a colossal number in mathematics: the digit 1 followed by a hundred zeros.

When checking the availability of the domain, Anderson accidentally typed Google and Page liked this version of the name best. They secured it on September 15, 1997, marking the birth of a digital giant.

Image: wu yi

Originally founded as "Blue Ribbon Sports" in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, the company’s beginnings were quite humble. Knight, a former middle-distance runner at the University of Oregon, and Bowerman, his coach, shared a passion for improving athletic performance. They joined forces to import Japanese sports shoes from the Onitsuka factory to the United States.

The pivotal moment of the company came in 1971 when they rebranded it as Nike, a name inspired by the Greek goddess of victory. In Greek mythology, Nike is often depicted as a divine figure symbolizing victory, strength, and speed. This name, together with the presentation of the Swoosh logo marked the beginning of a new era.

Image: Laurenz Heymann

Steve Jobs may be the one you think of when you think of Apple, but the brand was co-created with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. The name, however, was in fact Jobs’ invention and it has more than one backstory. In Jobs’ biography by Walter Isaacson, the creator himself admits that he came up with the name while he was on a fruitarian diet. He mentions having visited an apple farm and considering the name because it was "fun, spirited and not intimidating." This story was confirmed by Wozniak who drove him back from the airport after that trip.

However, there is another reason why the brand was named "Apple," and that is because, just like with Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, Jobs intended to have consumers find his brand before his competitor Atari in the phone book.

Image: Henry & Co.

You drink their coffee every couple of days, and you probably use their space as an office and a place of recreation, but have you ever wondered why Starbucks is called Starbucks? The coffee company is a titan of the industry with good reason, and the story behind its name is just as interesting.

Bowker, Baldwin, and Siegl - Starbucks’ founders - set off with a simple goal: finding a powerful name. According to marketing specialists st****- words have that strength. The three men started scouting around for a name and came across a small town called Starbo, on a mining map. That was enough for Gordon Bowker to think of Moby Dick’s character, Starbuck.

As the company itself states, this name evokes "the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders."

Image: Zheka Kapusta

We bet that if you take your eyes off this article and look around, you’ll find at least one thing from IKEA, isn’t that right? That is because IKEA is part of our everyday life, and leaving their stores empty-handed is almost impossible.

We have Ingvar Kamprad to thank for this amazing creation, and if you pay close attention, you already know where the name comes from. That is right, IKEA is an acronym and the two first letters belong to the founder’s initials.

As for the E and the A in it, the first stands for Elmtaryd, which is the name of the farm Kamprad grew up on, and the second stands for Agunnaryd, the name of his village. Put it all together and you get IKEA, and probably a piece of furniture too.

Image: NIKHIL

Pepsi has carved out a sparkling legacy spanning more than a century. Its journey has been one of continuous evolution making it an iconic global drink. This beverage originated as a remedy for stomach discomfort, thanks to Caleb Bradhma, a pharmacist in North Carolina. Seeking a name that better encapsulated its essence, Bradham eventually settled on "Pepsi-Cola" in 1902, having purchased the moniker "Pep Kola" from a local competitor.

Interestingly, the name "Pepsi" finds its roots in "dyspepsia," a medical term that means indigestion. By the 19th century, this was a very common affection, and products to cure it contained animal pepsin, a digestive enzyme. Although Pepsi never included this ingredient in its list, Bradham used this to his favor to sell Pepsi around!

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Nintendo, a household name in the gaming industry traces back to 1889, when it embarked on its journey with the humble venture into the playing card business. The moniker "Nintendo" was chosen for this initial foray, which comes from the Japanese language, as its creator.

Nintendo, which means "leave luck to heaven" is not just a label, it is the founder Fusajiro Yamuchi’s philosophical approach towards the nature of card games. Fast forward to the 1970s, and Nintendo made a pivotal shift into the burgeoning realm of video games. Despite the drastic change in industry and product, the company opted to maintain the original name. This decision was about both brand continuity and a testament to Ninendo’s enduring commitment to innovation.

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McDonald's is the number one titan of the fast-food industry and it dates back to 1940. It all began with a modest barbecue restaurant established by Richard and Maurice McDonald. Little did they know that their journey would evolve into a global phenomenon.

Even if the company takes its name from the owners, the pivotal moment came when Ray Kroc, a tenacious milkshake machine salesman entered the picture. He acknowledged the potential of the kitchen setup and saw an opportunity for expansion. Under Kroc’s leadership, McDonald’s underwent a transformative journey and became an empire of golden arches spanning across the continent keeping the name of the family that first created the brand and honoring it with the many variations of it we can find in the name of the dishes.

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What began in 1969 as a modest enterprise has blossomed into a global powerhouse, leaving an indelible mark on industries ranging from electronics to finance and beyond. At the heart of Samsung’s identity lies its name, a beacon of aspiration and promise.

In Korean, Samsung translates to "three stars," a poignant reflection of founder Lee Byung-chull’s lofty ambitions for the company. To him, the name was more than a mere designation, it embodied a vision of brilliance, strength, and enduring radiance. Each star symbolized a face of his vision: largeness, abundance, and resilience. And they have certainly honored this story as it has rapidly become an icon of innovation and enterprise with unwavering determination.

Hidden meanings

Why do judges use gavels? 10 objects that became symbols

We recognize certain symbols almost without thinking. Yet, when we stop to consider them, the object and the idea it represents can seem unrelated. As history unfolds, some unforeseen events created symbols that stuck until they became conventions. And now, when we see a gavel, we think of justice; commitment with a wedding ring, surrender with a white flag, and royalty with a shiny crown. Here is the story of how 10 everyday objects became universal symbols.

Even if you’ve never been in a real court, you've probably seen it in many movies: the judge slams the gavel, and the chaotic courtroom suddenly turns into complete silence. But why did a wooden hammer become a symbol of authority?

Centuries ago, English land auctioneers used small wooden hammers to signal that a property had officially sold. The sharp crack of wood cut through noisy auction halls, closing the sale. Then early American lawmakers noticed this practical gesture and brought it into legislative halls to manage loud debates and the judicial world. However, in real life, judges rarely use gavels.

A ring has no visible beginning or end. That shape creates a natural image of permanence and eternity. Ancient Egyptian couples used to twist river reeds into small rings to wear on their fingers. Later, in Ancient Roman marriages, the practice of giving a woman a metal band was connected with the betrothal ceremony.

The choice of the fourth finger on the left hand traces back to this same Roman era. Physicians of the time believed a vein ran directly from that finger to the heart, calling it the vena amoris, or "vein of love." Wearing a ring there was thought to form a physical link between the wearer's hand and their heart. Although anatomy has since shown no such vein exists, the tradition stuck and spread across cultures.

Christian weddings later made the exchange of rings a formal part of the vows. The object moved from one person to another, symbolizing a visible proof of a promise. Today, both spouses commonly wear rings, representing a commitment meant to endure.

In 69 AD, during the Battle of Cremona, Roman soldiers under the regime of Emperor Vitellius were surrounded by Vespasian's forces. The trapped troops were desperate to stop the slaughter, so they ripped off their clothes and waved them above the smoke. The bright clothes stood out against the mud and blood, and were a sign they weren’t advancing anymore.

That battlefield move became an international law in the Geneva Conventions of 1994. Since then, when a blank white sheet appears, it shows one of the sides has dropped their weapons and wants to talk. It's the universal shorthand for stepping out of the fight.

Warriors used headbands in the ancient world to keep their hair away from their eyes and also to spot their commander. Athletes sometimes received decorative bands after their victories, too. Royal families later began wearing fancier versions called diadems, which made their status easy to recognize.

Alexander the Great helped turn the diadem into a royal symbol after conquering Persia in the fourth century BC. As royals became wealthier, they covered metal circlets with precious stones. These crowns made monarchs stand out during ceremonies and public appearances, making them appear taller.

We have all wondered why the heart symbol looks nothing like the organ inside our chest. The real connection remains uncertain, though theories link the shape to ancient plants or early medical sketches. Long before that, Greek philosopher Aristotle claimed the heart was the body's emotional command center, describing it as a three-chambered organ rounded at the top and pointed at the bottom.

Medieval artists turned his influential descriptions into something people could actually see. In the 13th-century French manuscript Le Roman de la poire, a lover kneels and offers his pinecone-shaped heart to his lady. Similar depictions quickly spread across European art, smoothing the organ's edges into the familiar indented icon. Mass-printed Valentine’s Day cards later sealed the deal, reinforcing the heart shape as the universal sign of romantic devotion.

Fire is one of the basic elements of survival; centuries ago, people used torches to keep wild beasts away and to guide themselves in the dark. Later, in Ancient Greece, athletes ran relay races holding flaming torches, passing the light from runner to runner without letting the wind blow it out. Guarding the flame meant knowledge and community perseverance.

During the 18th century, thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment promoted science and individual rights over superstition and tyrannical rule, with light as a metaphor for human reason. When French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty, he placed a torch in her right hand to guide arriving immigrants, turning the torch into a symbol of freedom too.

Today, the red carpet anticipates only one thing: someone important is coming. The oldest known literary reference to a red carpet we actually have appears in Agamemnon, a Greek tragedy first performed in 458 BC. In the play, Clytemnestra lays rich crimson fabrics before the king as he returns home. Agamemnon hesitates to walk on them, since he believes such an extravagant welcome should be reserved for the gods.

As red fabric remained expensive for centuries, red carpets had always had a strong connection with wealth and status. In 1902, the New York Central Railroad rolled out a crimson carpet for passengers boarding its luxurious 20th Century Limited train. And Hollywood adopted the custom in 1922 for the premiere of Robin Hood, and the Oscars introduced its red carpet in 1961.

Offering a handshake is the most natural greeting gesture nowadays. A popular explanation says that showing an empty hand proved you weren’t holding a weapon. Ancient Greek art also shows people clasping hands to express trust or confirm an agreement.

In the 17th century, English Quakers turned the handshake into what we know today. They preferred it to bows, which could reflect differences in social rank. Instead, shaking hands placed both people on equal terms, and the gesture gradually became a familiar sign of respect and trust.

Whenever a championship sports team or an honored guest visits town, you will often see the mayor hand them an oversized, designed key. But what do those giant keys represent? It is a powerful symbol of homecoming, trust, and honor.

The gesture traces back to the Middle Ages, when European cities were locked down behind stone walls and heavy iron gates every evening to keep out invaders. So, when a visiting merchant or allied leader was handed the latchkey of the city gate, it meant the guards trusted them to walk right in without an escort. Cities kept the tradition alive even though stone walls faded away.

You will often find tiny green olive sprigs on peace logos and treaty seals. At first sight, this makes no sense, but the answer traces back to the ancient Mediterranean. In those times, planting an olive grove was a huge act of faith. These trees grow at a crawl, needing decades of care before producing useful oil and food.

Whenever war broke out, invading armies targeted these groves first, destroying years of hard work in just a few seconds. So, thriving trees became proof of peaceful times and prosperity. Handing over the green olive sprig showed that it was time to rebuild.