TikTok or Tick-Tock? The Meanings Behind 9 Popular Brand Names

Every day, people around the world buy from and interact with a special group of very powerful brands. Whether it's watching something on Netflix, getting a ride with Uber, or wearing the latest Supreme fashions, certain brands have names that have become world famous.

But have you ever thought about the meaning behind these names? Why were they chosen and what can they tell us about the companies that use them? Let's look closer and see what we find.

Supreme

Supreme is a fashion and lifestyle brand that started in New York City in 1994. Supreme products focus on streetwear and items that are popular with skateboarders. However, its appeal has spread to a much wider range of people.

Similar to Marvel (which we'll discuss below), Supreme has a simple red and white logo that is easy to recognize.

But Supreme is more than a fashion brand; it is also an adjective meaning "the highest or best." The Supreme Court, for example, is the highest court in the US. You may not hear it used often in daily conversation, but it is common in text.

The adverb form is "supremely."

Nike

Nike is a globally famous company that makes shoes and other sportswear. They are perhaps most well known for their partnerships with the biggest athletes in the sports world, such as LeBron James, Naomi Osaka and Ronaldinho.

The name "Nike," however, actually comes from Greek mythology. It is the name of the goddess of victory. She is often shown in statues and paintings with large wings, and she has the ability to fly or run at great speed.

Since the company Nike makes products for competitive sports, it is no surprise why they chose this name. Additionally, the iconic Nike "Swoosh" logo also communicates a feeling of speed, which is another connection to the Greek goddess.

TikTok

TikTok is a social media app owned by Chinese company ByteDance. The app allows users to share and interact with short videos. Unlike YouTube, TikTok videos can only be between three seconds and 10 minutes. 

TikTok has become a very important part of pop culture, as new trends are often discovered there, and videos have a chance to "go viral," especially among teens and people in their early 20s.

But did you know that outside of the app, "tick-tock" is an onomatopoeic word for the sound of a clock? It is used to emphasize the importance of time, usually by encouraging someone to move quickly.

Uber

Uber is one of the most famous "ride-sharing" apps that work similar to taxis. It allows people to request a car to pick them up from their current location and take them to their destination. Choosing locations and making payment all happen via the app. 

In addition to ride-sharing, Uber also offers a food-delivery service, which became very popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many people could not leave their homes.

Outside of the app, "uber" is used in another way. It comes from the German language, but English speakers use it as a prefix that means "super" or "extreme." Attach it to an adjective or noun that you would like to emphasize, as in the following examples.

Tesla

Tesla is an American car company co-founded by Elon Musk in 2003. Tesla makes electric vehicles that run on batteries rather than gasoline like traditional cars do.

The name of this company is based on Nikola Tesla, a famous inventor from the region now known as Croatia. Tesla was a gifted engineer and is most known for his experiments and discoveries with electricity.

Marvel

Though it is most known for movies these days, Marvel is originally a comic book company which was founded in New York City in 1939. It is responsible for creating many iconic characters, such as Spider-Man and the Avengers, who are known around the world.

But "marvel" the word has a meaning on its own; it means "to be filled with wonder or amazement."

This word sounds a bit formal in daily conversation. Its adjective version, "marvelous," is more common, however.

Netflix

The video streaming service Netflix has had a very big effect on the movie industry and popular culture in general. 

The company's name is a portmanteau of "internet" and "flick," which is an informal word for "movie."

Incidentally, another popular term is "chick flick," which is typically a romance movie designed to appeal to women.

Because Netflix often makes its original shows available all at one time, it helped to popularize the new meaning of "binge," which is to watch multiple episodes of a series at one time.

Yahoo!

In America, Yahoo was a major search engine before Google became the leader. In other parts of the world — particularly Japan — Yahoo continues to be successful with a variety of businesses.

If you go to Yahoo's homepage, you will notice that the company's logo includes an exclamation point. In fact, if you see a commercial, they usually end with a voice yelling the name. 

"Yahoo" is an exclamation, or a word that someone yells when they are excited, angry or scared. Particularly for this word, you might hear someone yell it when they do something adventurous or wild such as diving into a swimming pool or driving at very fast speeds.

In the past, it was also a negative word for someone unintelligent or who acted in a strange way. This usage is not common today, however.

Twitch

If you enjoy playing video games, you may be familiar with Twitch. It's a US-based streaming service that allows players to broadcast their games to anyone who wants to watch. Similar to influencers in other forms of social media, certain streamers on Twitch have become very popular and very successful.

"Twitch," however, is also a verb for the action of moving a body part suddenly, quickly and often without control.

Wrap-up

It can be easy to forget that the names of many of the biggest brands are based on real words. Keep these meanings in mind the next time you hear about or use these services yourself. And when you hear about a popular, new brand, ask yourself if its name is based on a common vocabulary word — there's a good chance that it is!