Did you think that abbreviations and acronyms were only used in texts? Well, you’d be wrong. Before the text era, several famous companies and organizations were using an acronym for their name.
When it comes to abbreviations, there are two different types of companies and organizations use: acronyms and initialism. Acronyms are letters that form a new word, while initialisms are when the letters are said individually. However, when talking about famous company and organization acronyms, these umbrella terms cover both true acronyms and initialisms. Explore several famous company and organization acronyms.
Famous Acronyms for Organizations
Acronyms are common in organization names because they are easy to write, say, and remember. Just a few famous ones you might know include AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). Explore other famous organizations around that world known for their acronyms.
- 4H - Head, Heart, Hands, Health
- ACL - American Consultants League
- ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union
- ACT - Association for Commuter Transportation
- ALS Association - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association
- AWAI - American Writers and Artists Institute
- BBB - Better Business Bureau
- CAUSE - Council of Actions United for Service Efforts
- COMPA - Conference of Minority Public Administrators
- DMEF - Direct Marketing Educational Foundation
- EPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency
- FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency
- HSLDA - Home School Legal Defense Association
- HUD - Housing and Urban Development
- IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
- INTERPOL - International Crime Police Organization
- IOC - International Olympic Committee
- IRS - Internal Revenue Service
- ISO - International Organization for Standardization
- NABET - National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians
- NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- NRA - National Rifle Association
- OPEC - Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- TRANSED - Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons
- UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
- WHO - World Health Organization
- WWF - World Wildlife Fund
- YMCA - Young Men’s Christian Association
Famous Company Acronyms
Organizations aren’t the only ones to have famous acronyms. Companies have them too. Did you realize that A&W is actually the owner's initials? The same is true for H&R Block. Explore other famous company names you might not have realized were acronyms.
- 3M - The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
- A&W - Allen and Wright (founders Roy Allen and Frank Wright)
- AT&T - American Telephone and Telegraph Company
- BMW - Bavarian Motor Works
- BVD - Bradley, Voorhees, and Day
- CVS - Consumer Value Stores
- GEICO - Government Employees Insurance Company
- ESPN - Entertainment and Sports Programming Network
- EPCOT - Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
- H&R Block - Henry and Richard Block (actual last name was Bloch)
- H&M - Hennes and Mauritz
- HSBC - Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
- IBM - International Business Machines
- JBL - James Bullough Lansing
- L.L. Bean - Leon Leonwood Bean
- M&M - Mars & Murrie’s
- MAC - Make-up Art Cosmetics
- NBC - National Broadcasting Company
- PAM Cooking Spray - Product of Arthur Meyerhoff
- NERF - Non-Expandable Recreational Foam
- REI - Recreational Equipment, Inc.
- SPAM - Shoulder of Pork and Ham
- TASER - Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle
- TCBY - The Country's Best Yogurt
- T.G.I Fridays - Thank God It’s Fridays
- UPS - United Parcel Service
- WD-40 - Water Displacement 40th formula
- WWE - World Wrestling Entertainment
- YAHOO! - Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle
- YKK - Yoshida Manufacturing Corporation
Famous Acronyms Found in Business
Many famous companies and organizations have made a great name for themselves. Or should you say an acronym? Companies like YAHOO and TASER are famous for their acronyms. And many people do not even realize that it’s an acronym. Interested in learning more about abbreviations? Check out the rules for abbreviations. You might also explore examples of common acronyms. Did you know that LASER is actually an acronym?