What are the two arches in McDonald's iconic logo called?

The two arches in McDonald's iconic logo are called the Golden Arches.

The arches originated as architectural features on McDonald's restaurants during the 1950s. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the early restaurant buildings with large yellow arches intended to make them visible to passing motorists.

The restaurant's visual identity later transformed the two separate architectural elements into a single stylized letter M. The modern logo is therefore both a letterform and a reference to the buildings that first displayed the arches.

The Golden Arches are often treated as a general symbol of American fast food, but their original purpose was practical as well as decorative: they helped identify restaurants from the road. The logo's fame grew as McDonald's expanded internationally, making the arches one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in the world.