McDonald's Corporation was adopted as the company's official name in 1960.
The company had been incorporated as McDonald's System, Inc. in 1955, the year Ray Kroc opened the franchising operation that developed the McDonald's chain. The earlier corporate name emphasized the restaurant system and franchise structure.
In 1960, the business changed its name to McDonald's Corporation. The new name aligned the corporate identity more directly with the restaurant brand that customers saw on signs, packaging, and advertising.
This date is often confused with the opening of Kroc's first franchised McDonald's in 1955. That opening and the corporate-name change were separate milestones: 1955 marked incorporation and the early franchise era, while 1960 marked the adoption of the familiar corporate name.