What was Grimace originally called when the McDonald's character debuted?

Grimace was originally called Evil Grimace when the McDonald's character debuted.

The early character differed substantially from the familiar friendly purple mascot. Evil Grimace was depicted with four arms and was known for taking milkshakes. This mischievous design made him a more active troublemaker within McDonaldland advertising.

McDonald's soon changed the character into the large, simple purple figure recognized today. The redesign removed the extra arms and softened his personality, making Grimace a companion to Ronald McDonald rather than a threatening character.

People often assume Grimace was always intended to be a friendly, undefined purple creature. His original name and role show that the character began as a much more literal advertising villain connected to milkshake theft.