What legal name did Coca-Cola adopt when the company was incorporated in 1892?

Coca-Cola adopted the legal name The Coca-Cola Company when it was incorporated in 1892.

The company’s origins trace to the Coca-Cola beverage created by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta in 1886. Asa Griggs Candler acquired control of the formula and business rights in 1888, then organized the expanding enterprise as The Coca-Cola Company in 1892.

That corporate name helped establish a consistent identity as Coca-Cola moved beyond its original Atlanta soda-fountain market. The company later developed a broad trademark, packaging and advertising system around the Coca-Cola name, including distinctive script lettering, branded bottles and nationwide distribution.

The legal company name is often confused with Coca-Cola bottlers. Bottling companies were separate franchise businesses that manufactured, packaged or distributed Coca-Cola in particular territories, while The Coca-Cola Company owned the central brand and concentrated-syrup business.