Brand Names Decoded

Some time or another, you’ve probably contemplated how the name Walmart came about, or how a name like Starbucks became so popular. Womans Day wondered the same things, so they set out to learn the origins of some popular brand names.

1. BANANA REPUBLIC
This popular and classic clothing store began in 1978 with founders Mel and Patricia Ziegler. The name was meant to reflect the originality and travel theme that the store wanted to maintain.

2. GEICO
Have you ever wondered what these letters stand for? At the start of the company, founder Leo Goodwin’s first goal was to attract the U.S. government employee and military personnel demographic. “Government Employees Insurance Company” was the initial slogan.

3. LEGO
Created in 1934 from the Danish phrase “leg godt,” which means “play well,” the name LEGO was later found to mean “I put together” in Latin–the perfect description for this beloved children’s toy company.

4. GAP
Gap Inc. was started by Donald and Doris Fisher with the dream of a clothing store that bridged the generation gap. The store was meant to target a younger generation, but in a classic, yet casual way. Creator Don Fisher “couldn’t find a decent pair of jeans that fit him, so in 1969 he solved his problem by creating the Gap brand.”

5. YAHOO
Another brand name that originated as an acronym, Yahoo stands for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.” Creators Jerry Yang and David Filo transformed “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web” in 1994 into the search engine site that we have today, claiming they also liked the actual definition of a yahoo meaning “rude, unsophisticated, uncouth.”

Editor note: Retail giant Walmart is named after founder Sam WALton. Starbucks got its name from the first mate in Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick. Originally called Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices, it has since had its name shortened to Starbucks Coffee Company.

Photos by Respective Copyright Owners.

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