Corporate Name Origins

Adidas: A portmanteau formed from "Adi" (a nickname for Adolf) and "Das" (from "Dassler") as in the company’s founder, Adolf Dassler.

Arby’s: Leroy and Forrest Raffel, the Raffel Brothers

Asus: Named after Pegasus, a flying horse from Greek mythology.

ASICS: From the Latin phrase:Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body.”

Fiat: Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, Italian Automobile Factory of Turin.

Garmin: Named for its founders, Gary Burrell and Dr. Min Kao.

GEICO: Government Employees Insurance Company.

Haribo: Combination of the founder and the company’s German hometown: Hans Riegel, Bonn.

IKEA: Swedish founder Ingvar Kamprad’s initials and his childhood village. Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd.

LEGO: Combination of Danish words “leg godt,” which means to “play well.”

LG: Combination two Korean brands: Lucky and its plastic company spinoff, GoldStar.

Nabisco: National Biscuit Company.

NECCO: New England Confectionery Company

Saab: Svenska Aeroplan aktiebolaget (Swedish Aeroplane Company), originally made airplanes to supply demand for the Royal Swedish Airforce in World War II.

Sprint: Southern Pacific Railroad Internal Network Telecommunications. Parent company used railroad rigit-of-way to lay communications cable.

Taser International: Thomas A.Swift’s Electric Rifle, named after the novel Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton.