Which leaf inspired the 'Coca' part of Coca-Cola's name?

The “Coca” in Coca-Cola’s name refers to coca leaves.

When pharmacist John Stith Pemberton developed the drink in Atlanta in 1886, its name reflected two notable ingredients associated with the original formula: coca leaves and kola nuts. Frank Mason Robinson, Pemberton’s bookkeeper, is credited with creating the name and its distinctive Spencerian-script logo. The repeated initial sound made “Coca-Cola” memorable as well as descriptive.

The coca reference is historical, not a claim that modern Coca-Cola contains cocaine. Early Coca-Cola used coca-leaf material and originally included cocaine, a stimulant that was not yet prohibited in the United States. Cocaine was removed from the formula around 1903. Later accounts describe the use of coca-leaf extract processed to remove cocaine, although the company treats its full formula as a trade secret.

The second half of the name is commonly confused with “cola,” the modern category of soft drinks. It refers to kola nuts, whose caffeine was an important part of the early beverage’s stimulant identity. Thus the name combines coca leaves with kola nuts; it does not come from bay, mint, or tea leaves.