The 2 Names Starbucks Almost Had Before They Got It Right

Much like Kleenex and Band-Aid are brand names that have come to be nearly synonymous with the product they make, Starbucks, with more than 30,000 locations worldwide, is nearly synonymous with coffee. The name of the mega brand neatly rolls off the tongue, whether you're asking a friend when Red Cup Day is this year or excitedly letting everyone around you know that Starbucks no longer charges extra for alternative milks — it's hard to imagine the coffee chain without its iconic name. But back in 1971, when the founders were creating the vision of their new shop, they almost made a different naming choice that could've changed the world as we know it.

Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but be honest: Would your venti half-caff soy milk latte really be as appetizing if it was coming from 'Pequod'? The Starbucks founders didn't think so, which was why they passed on the name after initially considering making a literary reference — Pequod is the name of Captain Ahab's ship in "Moby-Dick". The name's tie to the ocean was tempting, since, according to the Starbucks website, the founders wanted something that gave "a sense of adventure [...] and a link to the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders." But they were determined to find the perfect name, and ultimately Pequod, as well as Cargo House, another name that's said to have been considered, just weren't the right fit.

Pequod may not have made the cut, but the concept behind it put the founders right on track to the name they did ultimately choose — after a brief cartography side quest. Co-founder Gordon Bowker and others were scanning an old mining map of the Cascades and Mount Rainier, searching for something representative of the Seattle region (where the first Starbucks was built and still operates today), when they spotted a mining town called 'Starbo.' Just like that, the "Moby-Dick" connection came back on the table when the word sparked a memory in Bowker's mind — Melville's first mate in the classic novel is named Starbuck.

The 's' at the end was added due to an assumption that even if it wasn't officially there, people would colloquially refer to it in the plural — think Aldi being called Aldi's, Kroger called Kroger's, and JCPenney referred to as JCPenney's — all officially singular titles, but which might as well end in an 's' for all their customers know. The nautical theme continued with Starbucks' two-tailed mermaid logo, and just as the long-haired siren was said to lure sailors into the sea in Greek mythos, her green visage has successfully lured customers into Starbucks locations for more than 50 years.