The name of Swedish carmaker Volvo translates from Latin as “I roll.”
The name comes from the Latin verb volvere, meaning “to roll.” Volvo is its first-person singular form, so the literal translation is “I roll,” not “I drive” or “I move.” That wording suits a company whose products are designed to roll, but the name was chosen before Volvo became primarily known as a carmaker.
SKF, the Swedish ball-bearing manufacturer, registered Volvo as a trademark in 1911 for a planned bearing range. The idea was initially set aside, but SKF later supported a Swedish automobile venture led by Assar Gabrielsson and engineer Gustav Larson. Volvo’s first production car, the ÖV 4, left the factory in Gothenburg on April 14, 1927.
A common mix-up is treating Volvo as a Swedish word or translating it as “we roll.” The Latin form is singular and first person: “I roll.” The company’s familiar iron-symbol logo is a separate reference to Sweden’s iron industry, not the meaning of the name.