JPMorgan Chase traces part of its name to the financier J. P. Morgan.
J. Pierpont Morgan was a powerful American banker and financier whose firm, J. P. Morgan & Co., became a major force in corporate finance during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His banking business helped finance railroads, industrial companies, and major corporate reorganizations.
JPMorgan Chase was created through a long series of mergers, including the 2000 combination of J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhattan and the 2004 merger with Bank One. The company also acquired Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual’s banking operations during the 2008 financial crisis. The name therefore represents institutional history rather than a bank founded by Morgan alone in its present form. J. P. Morgan is often confused with John Pierpont Morgan’s son, J. P. Morgan Jr., who also led the family banking firm.