The menu item first called the Aristocrat was renamed the Big Mac.
McDonald’s franchisee Jim Delligatti developed the double-decker sandwich in the 1960s. The product went through earlier names, including the Aristocrat and the Blue Ribbon Burger, before the company adopted “Big Mac,” the name that became internationally famous.
The final name was suggested by a McDonald’s advertising secretary, Esther Glickstein Rose. The Big Mac’s branding emphasized its size, two beef patties, middle bun, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions.
The naming history is easy to confuse because the sandwich was tested and sold in different places before national rollout. The name “Big Mac” became official in 1967, while the product’s development and earlier names came before that date.