What is the name of McDonald’s golden-yellow logo arches?

McDonald’s golden-yellow logo arches are called the Golden Arches.

The arches began as physical architectural features of early McDonald’s restaurants, rather than as a purely graphic symbol. Architect Stanley Meston incorporated prominent yellow arches into the restaurant design developed for the McDonald brothers in the 1950s.

As restaurant buildings changed, the arches became a corporate emblem. In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined two stylized arches into the familiar “M” form used in McDonald’s branding. The shape linked the logo to the company’s buildings while making it recognizable on signs and packaging.

A common mix-up is calling the symbol simply the “Golden M.” McDonald’s and general reference sources use “Golden Arches,” although the combined arches visually resemble an M. The phrase is now used as a shorthand reference to McDonald’s itself.