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Origins of Corporate Names Trivia Quiz

It seems as if corporate names made more sense in the old days when companies were inclined to take a name that described what they did. This quiz runs down the origins of what seem to be non-descriptive names.

A multiple-choice quiz by OldOne. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
OldOne

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
139,253

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
6 / 15

Plays
1357

Last 3 plays: Guest 69 (7/15), Guest 136 (14/15), Guest 96 (4/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. You may see the name of FMC corporation on a variety of specialized equipment around airports, and on street sweepers and such. They also produce chemicals, and have spun off a military vehicle operation. What did "FMC" originally mean? Hint

Fredericks Marchant Corporation

Federated Mining and Chemicals

Federal Machine Corporation

Food Machinery Corporation

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Question 2 of 15

2. The initials NCR appear on equipment and information systems found in businesses. What did "NCR" originally stand for? Hint

Newmont, Craig, and Rogers

Northeast Carbon Recording

New Castle Receiving

National Cash Register

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Question 3 of 15

3. The Japanese car maker Nissan was once known as Datsun? How did the name "Datsun" originate? Hint

A river near Osaka

Japanese da (moving) plus tsun (spirit)

Three initials of the three founders plus the English word "sun."

The city in Japan where the company started

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Question 4 of 15

4. Sun Microsystems is a high tech company making computer workstation and high performance servers. How did the name "Sun" originate? Hint

The initials of the three founders

An abbreviation for Stanford University Network

From the sun as being symbolic of light and power

From the name of founder McNealy's cat, Sunshine

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Question 5 of 15

5. Exxon is one of the world's larget oil companies. How did it get its name? Hint

It was picked from a list generated by computer

It means "energy" in ancient Greek

It was named for the founding Exxon family

It was named for the oil rich Exxon Hills in West Texas

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Question 6 of 15

6. TRW was a large conglomerate once known for highly diverse divisions having interests in everything from auto parts to lawn mowers to aerospace. They have since been acquired by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman. Where did the name TRW come from? Hint

Truck and Railway Works

Transmissions, Radios, and Wireless

Territorial Roads and Waterways

Thompson Products merged with Ramo-Woolridge Corporation

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Question 7 of 15

7. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a Japanese company well known for its motorcyles. How was the name "Kawasaki" derived? Hint

A city in Japan

The founder, Shozo Kawasaki

The Japanese Kawa (valley) plus saki (spirit)

A sacred mountain

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Question 8 of 15

8. The Italian automaker Fiat is famous for its spirited small cars. How was the name Fiat derived? Hint

From the Italian, meaning " the final word"

From the Fiat d'Planos region in northern Italy

From the founder, Enzo Fiat

It's an acronym

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Question 9 of 15

9. Kyocera makes copiers, cell phones, semiconductors and a variety of other technical products. How was their name derived? Hint

From the name of a blue flower that blooms in spring

From the Japanese Kyo (primary) plus cera (goods)

It's short for Kyoto Ceramics

From the founder, Hibiki Kyocera

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Question 10 of 15

10. IBM stands for International Business Machines. What was their name before 1924 when they changed it to IBM? Hint

Timekeeping Machine Corporation (T-M-C)

Computing- Tabulating- Recording Company (C-T-R)

The James Blue Company (J-B-C)

Punch Card Enumerating (P-C-E)

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Question 11 of 15

11. One of the pioneering companies in the electronic gaming industry was founded in Silicon Valley in 1974 by Nolan Bushnell, who give it its name, Atari. From what was the name "Atari" derived? Hint

It's an acronym

It is the Japanese word for "robot"

It's from the game of "Go" and means something like "check" in chess

It is the Hindi word for "warrior"

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Question 12 of 15

12. Where the "Pepsi" part of the "Pepsi-cola" name come from? Hint

It suggested it would pep you up

The company mascot was a schnauzer named "Pepsi"

The flavorings included pepsidyne

It implied treatment of dyspepsia

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Question 13 of 15

13. How did the name "Coca-cola" originate? Hint

From the two ingredients cocoa beans and colaria leaves

From the ingredients cocaine and kola nuts

From Koca Kola, a town in Brazil

From the main ingredients coca leaves and kola nuts

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Question 14 of 15

14. What was the previous name of the Bank of America, before it was changed in the '30's? Hint

American Foundation Trust

Pacific Northern Bank

Bank of Italy

Knott, Vurry, Lieklee

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Question 15 of 15

15. What is the origin of the name of the Swedish automotive company, Volvo? Hint

It means "I roll" in Latin

It was named after the founder, Gustaf Volvo

It was named after a city in Sweden

It was named after a Swedish breed of herding dogs

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 07 2024 : Guest 69: 7/15
Nov 15 2024 : Guest 136: 14/15
Nov 05 2024 : Guest 96: 4/15

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Food Machinery Corporation

Among many products, FMC makes a high speed orange juice squeezer that is so fast a mere twelve machines can squeeze all the juice oranges in the United States. They also make a street sweeper having a hinge in the middle so it can make tight turns. It tends to fall over, but has a programmed sequence to wriggle itself upright.

2. The initials NCR appear on equipment and information systems found in businesses. What did "NCR" originally stand for?

Answer: National Cash Register

National Cash Register Company was founded by John H. Patterson in 1884. The name was shortened to NCR in 1974. They were purchased by AT&T in 1991, and bore the name AT&T GIS from 1994 to 1996. It was changed back to NCR when they were spun off as an independent company in 1996.

3. The Japanese car maker Nissan was once known as Datsun? How did the name "Datsun" originate?

Answer: Three initials of the three founders plus the English word "sun."

Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi were the founders, who adopted the name in 1932. Reference was to the rising sun on the Japanese flag. In the present day, Japanese cars sold in Japan almost always have English names. The Datsun 300Z sports car was sold in Japan as the "Fair Lady." (All this is pathetically obscure, but now you have a trivia gem for your own use.)

4. Sun Microsystems is a high tech company making computer workstation and high performance servers. How did the name "Sun" originate?

Answer: An abbreviation for Stanford University Network

Stanford University is an incubator for many Silicon Valley high tech firms. The first Sun workstation was derived from a design developed at Stanford, so they were able to ship product the very first quarter they were in business.

5. Exxon is one of the world's larget oil companies. How did it get its name?

Answer: It was picked from a list generated by computer

Exxon is the company that evolved from what was once John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil. The name was changed from Esso to Exxon in 1972 in the United States, with Esso retained in other parts of the world. Apparently the company could not resist keeping a hint of the ESSO derivation. A 1999 merger brought about the change to the current name, Exxon Mobil.

Answer: Thompson Products merged with Ramo-Woolridge Corporation

Thompson Products made engine valves and aircraft engine parts. Ramo-Woolridge played a key role in the development of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). They merged in 1958.

7. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a Japanese company well known for its motorcyles. How was the name "Kawasaki" derived?

Answer: The founder, Shozo Kawasaki

Kawasaki Heavy Industries started as Kawasaki Tsukiji Dockyard in 1878. It was established in Tsukiji, Tokyo by Shozo Kawasaki. There is a port, Kawasaki City, but that is not the origin of the name. Kawa means "river," which lets out valley and mountain derivations. Many Japanese family names have meanings related to nature.

8. The Italian automaker Fiat is famous for its spirited small cars. How was the name Fiat derived?

Answer: It's an acronym

Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili - Torino is abbreviated to FIAT. The company was founded in 1899 to manufacture automobiles. They acquired Alfa Romeo in 1984. Enzo Ferrari is the famous car-related Enzo.

9. Kyocera makes copiers, cell phones, semiconductors and a variety of other technical products. How was their name derived?

Answer: It's short for Kyoto Ceramics

The "kyo" in Kyoto and Tokyo means capitol -- ancient capitol and east capitol, respectively.

10. IBM stands for International Business Machines. What was their name before 1924 when they changed it to IBM?

Answer: Computing- Tabulating- Recording Company (C-T-R)

A turning point for the company, founded in 1911, was in 1914 when the former number two executive at the National Cash Register Company, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. joined the company as general manager.

11. One of the pioneering companies in the electronic gaming industry was founded in Silicon Valley in 1974 by Nolan Bushnell, who give it its name, Atari. From what was the name "Atari" derived?

Answer: It's from the game of "Go" and means something like "check" in chess

The Atari game "Pong" launched the videogame industry. Bushnell sold the company to Warner Brothers in 1974. After a revival in the mid-80's, the company died as a home video game producer.

12. Where the "Pepsi" part of the "Pepsi-cola" name come from?

Answer: It implied treatment of dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is an ailments of the intestines, affecting an estimated 20% of persons in the US. In the 19th century the word seems to have been a good deal more popular and apparently was used to describe a variety of ailments.

13. How did the name "Coca-cola" originate?

Answer: From the main ingredients coca leaves and kola nuts

The soft drink is made from an extract of coca leaves and kola nuts. The product once contained a dash of cocaine, but that has long since been removed. The company has long been associated with Atlanta, Georgia.

14. What was the previous name of the Bank of America, before it was changed in the '30's?

Answer: Bank of Italy

The giant Bank of America, was founded in San Francisco in 1904 by the Gianninis, father and son. Amadeo Peter Giannini, the father, has been called the greatest innovator in modern banking for his development of a system of strong branch banks. Did you guess that Knott Vurry Lieklee or "not very likely" was a hint that Bank of Italy was the answer?

15. What is the origin of the name of the Swedish automotive company, Volvo?

Answer: It means "I roll" in Latin

Volvo was founded by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson in 1924. Gabrielsson was the sales manager at a ball bearing company, so the "I roll" name may refer to the use of bearings in the car rather than to the car as a whole. Their first car, produced 1927, was called the "Jakob."

Source: Author OldOne

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor natsim before going online.
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