What name did McDonald's give its famous yellow arch-shaped signs?

McDonald's gave its famous yellow arch-shaped signs the name Golden Arches.

The arches originated in the restaurant's architecture during the 1950s. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed large yellow arches for the McDonald's restaurants operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald in California. Viewed from the side, the structures helped make the buildings recognizable from the road.

As McDonald's expanded, the arches moved from physical architectural features into a central corporate symbol. The company combined two arches into the familiar stylized M, turning a roadside design element into one of the world's most recognizable commercial marks.

The term is sometimes used loosely for the logo itself, but the original idea referred to the actual arch forms built into early restaurant designs. The Golden Arches therefore connect McDonald's building design, roadside visibility, and its later global visual identity.