What corporate name did McDonald's adopt in 1960 after being called McDonald's Systems?

McDonald’s adopted the corporate name McDonald’s Corporation in 1960 after previously operating as McDonald’s Systems.

The change reflected the company’s expansion beyond a single restaurant operation. Ray Kroc had begun franchising the McDonald brothers’ restaurant format and was building a standardized national chain. A corporate name centered on McDonald’s made the growing network easier to identify as one organization.

This legal and corporate development is separate from the company’s visual branding. The Golden Arches logo was also being developed around this period, but the name change did not itself create the logo. The arches originated as architectural elements and were later joined into a stylized M.

McDonald’s Corporation remained the company’s formal corporate name as the chain expanded internationally. The public-facing brand generally uses the shorter name “McDonald’s,” while the corporate designation appears in legal, financial, and historical contexts.