What is the nickname of McDonald's yellow M-shaped symbol?

McDonald's yellow M-shaped symbol is nicknamed the Golden Arches. The name comes from the large golden arches that originally formed part of the company's restaurant architecture.

The arches were introduced as visual features on McDonald's buildings during the 1950s. They helped restaurants stand out beside roads and highways, where a strong silhouette could attract drivers before customers could read a sign.

In 1962, the architectural motif became a corporate logo. The paired curves were arranged so that they also resembled the letter M, creating a link between the company's name and its visual identity. The symbol became more important as restaurant designs became less dependent on the original building form.

The Golden Arches are not the same thing as the company wordmark or every version of its logo. McDonald's has used different combinations of the arches, lettering, and background colors, but “Golden Arches” specifically refers to the iconic yellow symbol.