Can You Guess the Famous Company’s Original Name?

Would you rent a car from Hertz if it were called “the Hertz Drive-Ur-Self System”? That was the original name of the rental business when John Hertz bought the company in 1923. It was later shortened to Hertz.

Companies can live or die based on familiarity with their branding, which should quickly and memorably communicate their business. See if you can guess the early (and sometimes clunky) name of these major consumer brands in the quiz below.

Choosing a company label is often about more than just what sounds right. Jeff Bezos chose Amazon in part because he knew it would be among the first entries in any alphabetical listing of web sites or retailers; The Gap refers to the generational gap between older consumers and the comparatively more hip shoppers who frequented the retailer in late 1960s San Francisco.

The sign of a great name? People begin to use it as a generic term. Rarely do we search for something online: Instead, we “google” it. The Jet Ski, Bubble Wrap, and Jacuzzi are all trademarked, along with Popsicle, Sharpie, and Band-Aids. So are Q-Tips, though few remember their original name: Baby Gays.

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