In McDonald’s branding, what name is commonly given to the yellow M-shaped logo?

McDonald’s yellow M-shaped logo is commonly called the Golden Arches.

The arches began as physical architectural features on early McDonald’s restaurant buildings. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the arches for a 1952 restaurant in Downey, California, helping the building stand out to passing motorists. The design later became a central part of the company’s visual identity.

McDonald’s adopted a logo based on the arches in 1962, when designer Jim Schindler combined the two shapes into an M. The arches therefore changed from building decoration into a highly recognizable corporate symbol.

A common mix-up is calling the mark simply the “yellow M.” That description is understandable, but “Golden Arches” is the established name associated with McDonald’s branding. The Downey restaurant, now known as the oldest surviving McDonald’s, still displays the architectural arches.