The U.S. Patent Office first registered the Coca-Cola trademark in 1893.
Coca-Cola was created in Atlanta in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton, but the brand’s legal trademark registration came later. The name had already been used commercially before it received federal registration in 1893.
The familiar Coca-Cola script was developed by Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, who also suggested the name. The trademark helped protect the brand as sales expanded beyond the original Atlanta pharmacy.
The 1893 registration date is distinct from several other important Coca-Cola dates. The drink was invented in 1886, Asa Candler acquired the business and formula rights in 1887, and The Coca-Cola Company was incorporated in 1892.