Names of famous brands – etymology

Some time ago, an article was written about hidden meanings in logos. Today, we are not taking a closer look at logo design, but at the names of famous brands. Where did they come from? What do they mean? Check it out for yourself!

Nike – in Greek mythology, “Nike” is the goddess and personification of victory, which is a perfect fit for a brand in the sportswear industry.

Yahoo! Or “Yet Another Hierarchical Officius Oracle”, which in translation means: “yet another hierarchical database management system”. However, not everyone knows that in fact this extension was chosen to refer to a previously existing word.

WD-40 – a popular remedy for squeaky equipment. The name is an abbreviation of the words: water displacement, which means “water-displacing”. The number “40” symbolizes the fact that this remedy was perfected only after the 40th attempt.

SONY – the etymology of the name is a combination of the Latin word “sonus”, meaning “sound” and the phrase “sonny boy”, which was Japanese slang in the 1950s for a bright young man.

Toyota – the brand name comes from the name of its owner – Kiichiro Toyoda. However, it was decided to replace the letter “d” with a “t” because in Japanese “Toyoda” is a term for fertile rice fields, which has little to do with the industry in which the brand operates.

Osram – a name that constantly arouses amusement in Poland. This company was founded in Germany in 1906. The name “Osram” is composed of the names of two elements – tungsten and osmium, which were the basic materials used in the production of light bulbs at that time.

Adidas – a world-famous German company producing sportswear and footwear, was founded in 1924 by two brothers – Rudolf and Adolf Dassler. Initially, until 1948, the company operated under the name Gebrder Dassler Schuhfabrik, but over time each of the brothers decided to start their own business. Adidas comes from the diminutive form of the name Adolf (“adi”) and the first three letters of the surname (“das”). Interestingly, the second brother – Rudolf Dassler created an equally popular sportswear brand, which is still known as “Puma”.