What name did McDonald’s give its famous yellow arches in its 1962 logo?

McDonald’s gave its famous yellow arches the name “Golden Arches” in its 1962 logo.

The logo was created when McDonald’s combined two stylized architectural arches into a single letter M. The arches had already appeared on restaurant buildings, but the 1962 design turned them into a recognizable corporate symbol. The result became one of the most widely recognized marks in global branding.

The phrase refers specifically to McDonald’s arches, not to the restaurant chain’s earlier Speedee character or its later advertising mascots. The arches are also sometimes casually called the “golden M,” but “Golden Arches” is the established name used in McDonald’s branding history.

The symbol continued to evolve in color and presentation, yet the basic double-arch form remained central to the company’s identity. McDonald’s later used the arches alone, without the company name, because the mark had become sufficiently familiar to identify the brand.