What nickname is commonly given to the large yellow M in McDonald's branding?

The large yellow M in McDonald's branding is commonly called the Golden Arches.

The term refers to the two curved yellow structures first used as architectural features on McDonald's restaurants. Their shape eventually became recognizable as an M, allowing the restaurant's architecture to develop into a worldwide corporate symbol.

The arches were especially associated with the restaurants built during McDonald's expansion in the 1950s and 1960s. Even after newer restaurant designs no longer used freestanding arches in the same way, the symbol remained central to signs, packaging, advertising, and digital branding.

The Golden Arches are sometimes confused with the modern McDonald's logo itself. In everyday use, however, the phrase can describe either the original architectural arches or the stylized yellow emblem derived from them. The symbol is one of the most recognizable examples of corporate branding.