Egg McMuffin is the McDonald’s breakfast sandwich name created from “Mc” and “muffin” for the product introduced in 1972.
Herb Peterson, a McDonald’s franchisee in Santa Barbara, California, developed the sandwich with a toasted English muffin, egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese. Its compact format made it suitable for quick service and helped McDonald’s build a recognizable breakfast identity.
The product’s name demonstrates McDonald’s use of the “Mc” element as a consistent naming device across its menu. That naming style became one of the brand’s most familiar verbal signals, alongside the arches and standardized packaging.
The Egg McMuffin is sometimes dated to 1971 because testing and early local sales preceded the broader introduction. The commonly cited introduction year is 1972, when McDonald’s began expanding the breakfast sandwich beyond its original test setting.