What name is commonly given to McDonald’s famous yellow “M” symbol?

McDonald’s famous yellow “M” symbol is commonly called the Golden Arches.

The name comes from the large yellow arches that originally formed part of McDonald’s restaurant architecture. When the arches were combined into a stylized “M,” the architectural term became the everyday name for the company’s corporate symbol.

The Golden Arches are not the same thing as the restaurant’s original Speedee character logo. Speedee represented fast service in the company’s earlier identity, while the arches gradually became the more powerful visual shorthand for McDonald’s.

The symbol’s simplicity helped it work across languages and markets. Customers can recognize the arches even when they cannot read the company name, making the mark especially effective for roadside signs, storefronts, packaging, and international advertising.