meaning of company names from “20 th Century Fox” until “BVD underwear”
- 20th Century Fox stands for merger of William Fox’s Fox Film (founded in 1904 by William Fox) and Twentieth Century Pictures (founded in 1935 by Darryl F. Zanuck and Josseph M. Schenck
founded: 1935 – USA, New York
founder(s): through merge
- 3M is abbreviation of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
founded: 1902 – USA, Two Harbors, Minnesota
founder(s): John Dwan, Hermon Cable, Henry Bryan and William A. McGonagle
- 7-Eleven stands for open from 7 in the morning ’till 11 at night.
In 1927 the company started as Tote’m Stores, in 1946 the name changed into 7-Eleven
founded: 1946 – USA, Dallas, Texas
founder(s): “Uncle Johnny” Jefferson Green
- A & W Root beer is abbreviation for founders Allen and Wright.
Roy Allen opens in 1919 his first root beer stand. Within a year he partnered with Frand Wright. Therefore the name A&W
founded: 1919 – USA, Lodi, California
founder(s): Roy W. Allen
- A & M records is abbreviation for founders Alpert and Moss
founded: 1962 – USA, Los Angelos, California
founder(s): Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss
- Acer stands for the Latin word for “sharp, acute, able and facile”
Started as Multitech, in 1987 renamed as Acer
founded: 1976 – Taiwan, Hsinch City
founder(s): Stan Shih
- ADB is abbreviation for Asian Developement Bank
founded: 1966 – Philippines, Manilla
founder(s): Takeshi Watanabe was ADB’s first President
- Adidas is abbreviation of founder “Adi” Dassler.
The brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler started in 1924 the “Gebruder Dassler Shufabrik”. After a breakdown between Adi an Rudolf the name changed in 1949 into Adidas (and Rudolph started Puma)
founded: 1949 – Germany, Herzogenaurach
founder(s): Adolf “Adi” Dassler
- Adobe stands for from Adobe Creek, a creek which ran behind John Warnock’s house.
founded: 1982 – USA, Los Altos, California
Founder(s): John Warnock and Chuck Geschke
- Airbnb stands for Air Bed and Breakfast
founded: 2007 – USA, San Francisco, California
founder(s): Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky (roommates)
- Aitken Spence stands for founders Spence and brothers Aitken
founded: 1868 – Sri Lanka, Galle
founder(s): Thomas Clark and Patrick Gordon Spence, and joining in 1873 brothers Edwards & S.R. Aitken
- Akai stands for founder M. Akai.
Started as Akai Press Industry, and from 1946 Akai Electric Company
founded: 1929 – Japan, Tokyo
founder(s): Masukichi Akai and from 1946 Saburo Akai
- AKG Accoustics is abbreviation for Akustische und Kino-Geräte (Acoustic and Cinema Equipment)
founded: 1947 – Austria, Vienna
founder(s): Dr Rudolph Gorike and Ernst Pless
- AMD is abbreviation for Advanced Micro Devices
founded: 1969 – USA, Santa Clara, California
founder(s): Jerry Sanders (with 7 collegues)
- Amul is abbreviation of Anand Milk Union Limited
founded: 1946 – India, Kaira District
founder(s): Dr. Varghese Kurien
- AOL is abbreviation for America OnLine (started in 1983 as CVC)
founded: 1985 – USA, Virginia
founder(s): William von Meister
- Arcor is abbreviation for ARroyito and CORdoba
founded: 1951 – Argentina, Arroyito, Cordoba Province
founder(s): Fulvio Pagani
- AT & T is abbreviation for American Telephone & Telegraph.
Started in 1876 as Bell Telephone Company.
founded: 1885 – USA
founder(s): Alexander Graham Bell
- B & O is abbreviation of founders Bang and Olufsen.
They met at a school of engineering in Denmark
founded: 1925 – Denmark, Struer
founder(s): Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen
- Bacardi stands for founder Bacardi.
He was a Spanish wine merchant named Facundo Bacardi Masso
founded: 1862 – Cuba, Santiago de Cuba
founder(s): Facundo Bacardi Masso
- BASF is abbreviation of Badische Anilin- und Soda Fabrik
founded: 1865 – Germany, Mannheim
founder(s): Friedrich Engelhorn
- Bata stands for founders family Bata
founded: 1897 – Czech, Zlin
founder(s): Tomas, Antonin and Anna Bata
- Bayer stands for founder F. Bayer.
Started as “Friedr. Bayer et. Comp.”
founded: 1863 – Germany, Barmen
founder(s): Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott
- BBC is an abbreviation of British Broadcasting Corparation
founded: 1922 – UK, London
founder(s): John Charles Reith (first general manager)
- BCG is abbreviation for Boston Colsulting Group
founded: 1963 – USA, Boston, Massachusetts
founder(s): Bruce Henderson
- Beko stands for founders BEjerano and KOc
founded: 1967 – Turkey, Istanbul
founder(s): Leon Bejerano and Vehbi Koc
- Belk stands for founder W.H. Belk.
Initially called “New York Racket” and later Belk Brothers.
founded: 1888 – USA, Monroe, New York
founder(s): William Henry Belk
- Ben & Jerry’s stands for founders Ben & Jerry.
They started an ice cream parlor after completing a correspondence course on ice cream making
founded: 1978 – USA, Burlington, Vermont
founder(s): Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
- BenQ stands for Bringing Enjoyment N Quality
founded: 2001 – Taiwan, Taipei
founder(s): Spun off from Acer Inc.
- BJ’s Wholesale Club stands for initials of the daughter founder Beverly Jean Weich, daughter of Mervyn Weich, first president of BJ’s
founded: 1984 – USA, Medford/Malden, Massachusetts
founder(s): started by discount department store chain Zayre
- Black & Decker stands for founders S. Black and A. Decker
founded: 1910 – USA, Baltimore, Maryland
founder(s): S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker
- Bloomingdale’s stands for founder brothers Bloomingdale.
The brothers started of as “Bloomingdale Brothers Great East Side Bazaar”
founded: 1861- USA, Manhatten, New York
founder(s): Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale
- Boeing stands for founder W. Boeing.
It started as “Pacific Aero Products Co”
founded: 1916 – USA, Seattle, Washington
founder(s): William Boeing
- Bosch stands for founder R. Bosch.
Started as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering”
founded: 1886 – Germany, Stuttgart
founder(s): Robert Bosch
- Boscov’s stands for founder S. Bosvoc
founded: 1914 – USA, Reading, Pennsylvannia
founder(s): Solomon “Sol” Boscov
- Burlington (Coat Factory) stands for
purchased a former factory outlet in Burlington City, NJ. Initially, the Milsteins sold only coats and jackets wholesale, but they gradually began adding additional clothing items and accessories.
founded: 1972 – USA, Burlington, New Jersey
founder(s): Monroe Milstein, at the urging of his wife Henrietta
- BVD underwear is abbreviation of founders Bradley, Voorhees and Day
founded: 1876 – USA, New York
founder(s): firm Bradley, Voorhees and Day