Learn where these popular company names originate from

By Olivia Putnal Posted December 02, 2009 from WomansDay.com

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. Photo by Retna.

Google

Believe it or not, the word "Google" was a play on words by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1997. They longed for a name that would reveal the wide range of information that lives on the Web; the word "Google" was derived from the mathematical term "googol," meaning a 1 followed by 100 zeros.

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."

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. .

eBay

eBay founder Pierre Omidyar originally started a website called AuctionWeb for listing, viewing and placing bids on the products. When his wife mentioned she wanted to find other PEZ collectors to trade with, the process began for a new and improved site. At that time, Omidyar's web consulting company was called Echo Bay Technology Group, however, when he tried to register the domain name EchoBay.com—it was already taken. So he settled on a shorter version: eBay.com.

Wendy's

We all know and love the familiar face of the owner and spokesperson for this American fast-food chain, Dave Thomas. When challenged to create a business could compete with Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1969, Thomas came up with Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant, naming it after his daughter Melinda's nickname, Wendy. .

Walmart

After touring the country in order to become familiar with everything discount retail, Sam Walton began the Walmart phenomenon with his wife in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962, gaining inspiration for the name from the couple's own last name.

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." .

McDonald's

The world's largest chain of hamburger fast-food joints was founded by none other than Dick and Mac McDonald in 1948. The only items originally served were the classic hamburger, cheeseburger and an assortment of drinks, potato chips and pie. The hamburger was first priced at only 15 cents!

Starbucks

Surprisingly enough, this well-liked coffeehouse 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.

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Family-Lifestyle/15-Brand-Names-Decoded.html

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