What is the nickname for McDonald's golden double-arch symbol?

McDonald's golden double-arch symbol is nicknamed the Golden Arches.

The name comes from the large yellow arches used as architectural features on early McDonald's restaurant buildings. The arches were intended to attract drivers' attention and make the restaurants easy to identify from the road.

When the two arches were combined into a stylized M in the 1960s, the architectural nickname became the name of the corporate symbol. “Golden Arches” is therefore both a literal description of the original structures and a widely used reference to McDonald's branding.

The phrase is sometimes mistaken for the official name of the letter-shaped logo itself, but it functions primarily as a popular nickname. The symbol's power comes from its simplicity: even without the word McDonald's, the paired arches can identify the company in many markets.