The Etymologies of Some Company Names

Ever wondered where brand names come from? How, for example, did somebody come up with Apple for a computer company? Where did Mercedes come from? How about Coca-Cola? 

Well, I can’t leave you hanging, can I?

• Apple – because Steve Jobs liked them and because it was “fun, spirited and not intimidating” (the Sir Isaac Newton thing came later)
• Mercedes – named after chief engineer Emil Jellinek’s daughter
• Coca-Cola – from cocaine, an original ingredient, and kola, an African nut (and another original ingredient)

Ever wondered, though, what these words mean themselves? What’s the etymology (ultimate linguistic source) of “apple”? How did “Mercedes” come about? Where are “cocaine” and “kola” from?

Well, I can’t leave you hanging here either, can I?

• Apple – Germanic, “fruit”
• Mercedes – Spanish, “mercies,” from Maria de las Mercedes (“Mary of mercies,” a title for the Virgin Mary)
• Coca-Cola – Aymara (indigenous Bolivian language) / Mandinka (African language)

I’m no believer in definition by etymology (that’s an obscure grammar/linguistics thing). But it can be a little fun.

So, let’s give it a try. I’ll give you the etymological meaning of some brand name and you try to guess what it is. To make it a little easier, I’m putting them in like groups – tech, financial, etc. I’m also giving you the language of origin as well.

Good luck!

Tech

• Bricks (Spanish)
• Friend Construct (Native American [place name], Latin)
• Above (German)
• At-hand/distant (Latin, Old English)
• Speaker (Greek)
• Twist-flutter (Old English, Old English)
• AppeaseBrother (Latin, Germanic)

Financial

• Wasp Squeeze (Italian [name], Latin)
• More-papyrus (Latin, Greek)
• Wales Slope (Norman, Spanish - surnames)
• Table of the Wasp (Germanic, Italian [surname])

Consumer

• Victory (Greek)
• Coldhut (Germanic, Latin – surname)
• One-hare (Latin, Latin [surname])
• Chalktown (Celtic, Germanic – place name)
• Cram (German)
• No-breasts (Greek)  

Food

• Son-of-War-power (Gaelic – surname)
• Great-river (Norse – surname)
• Fair of hand / bright fame (Gaelic, Germanic – surnames) 

Automotive

• Lake-colony (Brythonic, Latin – surname)
• Modernity (Korean)
• Adze (Slavic – surname) 
• Original-rice-paddy (Japanese – surname)
• Fruitful-rice-paddy (Japanese – surname)
• Father (Sanskrit – surname)
• Three-diamonds (Japanese)
• Little-fighter (French – surname) 

Answers

Ready?  I’m gonna give you the category, the clue, a logo, and then the answer.  Scroll appropriately.

Tech

Bricks

Adobe

Friend Construct

Texas Instruments

Above

Uber

At-hand/distant

Instagram

Speaker

Oracle

Twist-flutter

Netflix

AppeaseBrother

PayPal

Financial

Wasp Squeeze

American Express

More-papyrus

Mastercard

Wales Slope

Wells Fargo

Table of the Wasp

Bank of America

Consumer

Victory

Nike

Coldhut

Colgate

One-hare

Unilever

Chalktown

Marlboro

Cram

Pampers

No-breasts  

Amazon

Food

Son-of-War-power

McDonald’s

Great-river

Starbucks

Fair-of-Hand / Bright-Fame

Baskin Robbins

Automotive

Lake-colony

Lincoln

Modernity

Hyundai

Adze

Tesla

Original-rice-paddy

Honda

Fruitful-rice-paddy

Toyota

Father

Tata

Three-diamonds

Mitsubishi

Little-fighter

Cadillac