Oreos have been on store shelves for more than 100 years – but many biscuit lovers still have no idea how the well-loved cookie biscuits got their iconic brand name
They’ve been gracing shop shelves for over a century – yet some biscuit enthusiasts are only now discovering the potential origins behind the Oreo name. Created by Mondelez International in 1912, Oreos consist of two chocolate biscuits with creamy filling nestled in between.
Despite being the world’s top-selling cookie brand since 2014, it appears the story behind their legendary name has become a mystery to shoppers over the decades. One baffled customer asked on Reddit: “How did they come up with the name Oreo?”. According to the brand’s heritage, numerous theories exist about this famous moniker, with the leading suggestion being it derives from the French term ‘or’, meaning ‘gold’.
The original Oreo packaging was golden in colour, which many believe sparked the inspiration for its title.
Yet alternative explanations propose the brand took its name from the Greek term ‘Oros’, translating to ‘mountain’ since the biscuit was initially crafted with a dome shape, or the Greek word ‘ωραίο’, meaning ‘lovely’ or ‘appealing’.
Offering additional theories, one Reddit contributor shared: “There used to be a commercial where a guy stuffed his mouth full of Oreos and someone came and asked him ‘What do you think of them?'”.
“He replied with an affirmative grunt or ‘mmhmm!’ Sound. Then they asked ‘What should we call them sir?’.
“And he replied ‘I don’t know’ but since he had a mouthful of food, it sounded like ‘Oreo’. As far as I’m concerned, that is 100% how it all went down, and I don’t care to be corrected.”
Another user revealed: “When the cookie was first introduced in 1912, it appeared as an Oreo Biscuit, which changed in 1921 to an Oreo Sandwich.
“There was another name change in 1937 to Oreo Creme Sandwich before the company settled on the name that was decided upon in 1974: Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie.
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“Despite the roller coaster of official name changes, most people have always referred to the cookie simply as an ‘Oreo’.
“So where did the ‘Oreo’ part even come from? The people at Nabisco aren’t quite sure anymore. Some believe that the cookie’s name was taken from the French word for gold, or (the main colour on early Oreo packaging).
“Others claim the name stemmed from the hill-shaped test version that never even made it to store shelves, inspiring the cookie prototype to be named the Greek word for mountain, Oreo.
“Some speculate that the name is a combination of taking the ‘re’ from ‘cream’ and sandwiching it, just like the cookie, between the two ‘o’s in ‘chocolate’-making ‘o-re-o’.
“Still others offer the bare explanation that the cookie was named Oreo because it was short, fun, and easy to pronounce.
“Though the true naming process may never be revealed, that has not affected Oreo sales.
“As of 2019, it was estimated that 450 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since 1912, planting it firmly at the top of cookie sales and winning over the hearts of millions.”
A third user chimed in: “Doesn’t surprise me. When someone asked them about the origin of the name for Triscut crackers, they didn’t really know either (its an old company after all – over 120 Years old).
“But someone located some marketing that described that it’s name likely came from the process of production – electricity. Maybe that was the process used for other products as well. Who knows?”.