What name did McDonald’s adopt for its famous yellow arches in the early 1960s?

McDonald’s adopted the name “Golden Arches” for its famous yellow arch structures in the early 1960s.

The arches began as architectural features on McDonald’s restaurant buildings. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the original roadside arches for the company’s restaurants, and they were intended to make locations visible to passing motorists. In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined the arches into the stylized “M” associated with McDonald’s branding.

The arches became much more than a building feature. They developed into a corporate symbol recognizable around the world, even when the full company name was absent. The phrase is sometimes confused with the description “golden M,” but “Golden Arches” is the established brand term.

The symbol’s success came from combining a simple shape, a strong color, and repeated use across signs, packaging, uniforms, and advertising.