Welcome to the intriguing world of popular brand names with meaning. In this article, we’ll delve into the captivating stories behind some of the most well-known brands in the market.
From the giants of the tech industry to household names that have stood the test of time, each brand has a unique narrative that has contributed to its success.
Whether you’re a marketing enthusiast, a business professional, or simply curious about the origins of the brands you interact with daily, this article will provide valuable insights into the essence of these iconic names.
Real Meanings of Popular Brand Names
AMD
AMD stands for Advanced Micro Devices. This American multinational semiconductor company deals with computer chips that are either built-in on the board or sold externally. As its name goes Advanced Micro Devices, we can have a basic idea about its product line and its nature of it.
Whenever we hear this name, if we don’t know about the company, we can guess which is a good naming system for the company.
Samsung
Samsung originated in Korea and has a wide range of electronics in its product portfolio. But why is it named like this? The main reason behind this is there is a certain meaning of the word ‘Samsung’ in Korea.
Sam means three, and sung means star by its meaning in the Korean language. Three-star represents the big or powerful something. In Korean, the number Three means powerful or gigantic something, which is true for a multi-billionaire company like Samsung.
Coca-cola
Very few people in the world haven’t heard the name Coca-Cola. It has a good and more appealing name than other beverage manufacturers, but what does it mean? It doesn’t have any particular or direct meaning of it.
But Dr. Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, used cocaine leaf and kola fruits in order to add flavor to the drink.
He wanted to cover a good number of people through his marketing techniques and decided on a name with two similar alphabets. So, he took ‘COCA’ from the element Cocaine leaf, and instead of taking Kola from kola nut.
It’s, he took Cola to make it more appealing. Now we can see the success of Coca-Cola, and there is also the credit of its naming for its success.
Pandora
Radio and online music service provider Pandora is very famous for its free and updated online music resource. Its name is quite simple and memorable at the same tie, but is there any reason behind the naming?
Pandora’s name came from the Greek mythology, which refers to the gift of music came from Apollo(god of music).
Its naming is perfect for the service provided by the online music giant Pandora. Not all the company have exact meanings like this, nor do they sound so appealing.
Etsy
Etsy has an interesting story behind its naming. Robert Kalin, the founder, revealed in the Reader’s Digest interview that he was looking for some made-up name and also wanted to see some international inspiration.
That intention led him to watch an Italian film where “oh, yes” is said as “eh, si.” But it mistakenly ends up taking those two syllables as one and heard it as “etsi.” So, this is how the name finds its existence.
Toyota
This brand has got its name after the founder, “Kiichiro Toyoda.” Do you see that difference in spelling with the founder’s name? This is because the word “Toyoda” has its own literal meaning which is “fertile rice paddies”. Strange, huh?
Virgin
According to Richard Branson, the English business magnate, investor, author, and philanthropist who founded the Virgin Group, the company got its name from an employee.
The employee suggested the very word “virgin,” indicating their novelty or the newness in the business zone.
Sony
This Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation named its brand after the phrase “sonny boys,” which came into existence to mention the founder members.
More specifically, the phrase translates into Japanese as “smart young men.” Thus, the “sonny boys” takes its shorter from Sony and still reign with the same spirit of smart young men.
Adidas
You may have heard the elaboration of the fonts A.D.I.D.A.S. as All Day I Dream About Sports. This sounds interesting. But the thing is, it is not the real meaning behind this name.
Adolf Dassler, whose brainchild is this multinational corporation, has a lot to do with the name.
Upon carefully examining, you can see that the first syllable of the name “Adidas” has emerged from the founder’s first name Adolf. Adi > Adolf. Then you can relate Das to Dassler with your sharpened mind.
Nikon
Specializing in optics and imaging products, Nikon is a Japanese multinational corporation. The brand has got a meaningful name.
The origin word of the name – Nippon Kogaku – means “Optical” in the Japanese language. So, it is obvious that there could be no other name so perfectly fit for this camera-creating company.
Thus, it seems that no brand name comes out of nothing. All the brand names have little or big interesting or boring stories behind them. We have discussed ten of the most popular brands which have specific, underlying meanings.
Hope you have found them enthralling, and now, you can also go for a more compelling name for your business.
Apart from this, Here is an infographic that gives you more idea about the rest of the popular brands. Read more for naming Inspiration.
More To Explore
- 783+ Small Business Slogans and Taglines (Generator + guide)
- 50+ Top USA Brands In The World
- 2500+ Trucking Company Name Ideas And Domains (Generator + Guide)
- 75+ Popular Full form of Brand Name of the World
- 648+ Business Card Slogans And Taglines (generator + guide)
Co-Founder of Burban Branding. With 5 years of expertise in Naming, Branding, and Strategy, I’ve empowered 200+ clients worldwide. Let’s embark on a transformative journey together, unleashing your brand’s true potential. Join me in creating a remarkable brand identity that captivates and inspires.
