Who suggested the name “Coca-Cola” for John Pemberton’s drink?

Frank M. Robinson suggested the name “Coca-Cola” for John Pemberton’s drink.

Robinson was John Stith Pemberton’s bookkeeper and business associate in Atlanta. He proposed combining the names of two ingredients associated with the original product: coca leaves and kola nuts. Robinson also wrote the name in the distinctive Spencerian script that became Coca-Cola’s famous logo.

Pemberton developed the beverage in 1886, but the product’s name and visual presentation were crucial to making it recognizable in advertisements and at soda fountains. The repeated C sounds were considered attractive from a marketing perspective.

The name refers to ingredients in the early formula, not to the modern recipe’s complete composition. Coca-Cola’s formula has changed over time, and the company does not publish its full flavor formula. Robinson is therefore credited with naming the drink and creating its original written logo, while Pemberton is credited with inventing the beverage.