The “M” in H&M represents Mauritz, following Hennes’s 1968 acquisition of the Swedish retailer Mauritz Widforss.
Erling Persson founded Hennes in Västerås in 1947 as a women’s clothing store. In 1968, he bought Mauritz Widforss, a Stockholm retailer that sold hunting and outdoor goods. The acquisition gave Hennes premises, inventory and a route into menswear.
The combined company was renamed Hennes & Mauritz, later abbreviated to H&M. The name therefore reflects a corporate merger rather than two founders’ initials. A common mix-up is assuming that the “M” means “market” or “modern.”
The acquisition was also strategically important because it expanded Hennes beyond women’s fashion. H&M subsequently developed clothing ranges for men and children, helping establish the broad fashion-retail model associated with the company.