EDITORIAL FEATURE
How Companies
Got Their Names
By Hank Moore, Corporate Strategist
C
ompanies are named for the simplest of
purposes, often for ease and recognition
factors. Companies should create monikers that let customers clearly know what
they do or at least make the public curious to
learn more.
Amazon.com, Inc. was originally
named Cadabra, Inc. but was changed
when it was discovered that people
sometimes heard the name as
“cadaver”. Since the Amazon River is
one of the largest in the world, the
name suggests large size and was
also selected because it begins with
“A” and therefore would show up near
the beginning of alphabetical lists.
Good company names ring true to company
values, offer something for the marketplace to
aspire, and differentiate each company from the
others.
The best company names are clear, direct,
and without trite jargon. Business is a mirror of
life and offers opportunities to free enterprise.
Many of the most respected corporate names
have clarity and long shelf lives. Often, the
great names ring new meanings into old words,
phrases, and ideas.
Bridgestone was taken from the last name
of founder Sojiro Ishibashi. Translating his last
name from Japanese into English, Ishi means
Stone and Bashi means Bridge but translates to
“bridge of stone”.
7-Eleven, originally called Totem, was renamed in 1946 to reflect their newly extended
hours, 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Amazon.com, Inc. was originally named Cadabra, Inc. but was changed when it was discovered that people sometimes heard the name
as “cadaver”. Since the Amazon River is one of
the largest in the world, the name suggests large
size and was also selected because it begins
with “A” and therefore would show up near the
beginning of alphabetical lists.
Arm and Hammer’s logo represents Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metal working,
adopted from the Vulcan Spice Mills owned by
co-founder James A. Church.
Comcast comes from the words “commercial” and “broadcast”.
CVS originally stood for customer value stores.
Ebay was originally part of the Echo Bay Technology Group. The domain name EchoBay.com
was taken by Echo Bay Mines, a gold mining
company so it was shortened to founder Pierre
Omidyar’s second choice, Ebay.com.
IBM stems from the company’s original
name, International Business Machines.
Lego comes from the Danish phrase, “leg
godt” which means “play well”.
Nabisco was shortened from the original
name, National Biscuit Company.
Here are examples of how memorable
company names (and thus strategies) evolved:
16 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ AUGUST 2015 ]