The German candy company Haribo is named after founder Hans Riegel and the German city of Bonn.
“Haribo” is formed from the first two letters of Hans Riegel’s first name, the first two letters of his surname, and “Bo,” the traditional abbreviation for Bonn: Hans Riegel Bonn. The company was founded in Bonn by Hans Riegel Sr., a confectioner who later became associated with the invention of the gummy bear.
Riegel founded the business in 1920. Early production was extremely small, reportedly beginning with a cooking kettle, a bag of sugar, and a handcart used by his wife to deliver sweets. The company’s name therefore preserves both the founder’s identity and its home city.
The name does not refer to Munich, Cologne, or Berlin. After Hans Riegel Sr. died in 1945, his sons Hans Riegel Jr. and Paul Riegel took over the company after World War II. Haribo’s famous Goldbears helped turn the Bonn confectioner into an international candy brand.