Original photo by Pavlovska Yevheniia/ Shutterstock
While names like Hershey’s and 3 Musketeers (which originally included three bars) are fairly straightforward, some candy bar monikers are more elusive. Case in point: What, exactly, is a Snickers? Well, it’s actually a “who” — and not a human “who” at that. The candy bar was named after one of the Mars family’s favorite horses. Franklin Mars founded Mars, Incorporated (originally known as Mar-O-Bar Co.) in 1911, introducing Snickers in 1930; when it came time to name his product, he did what any pet-lover would do, and immortalized his equine friend as only a candy magnate could. (By some accounts, the horse had passed away shortly before the product’s launch.)
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It's a factIt isn’t just Americans who love the nougaty, nutty confection — Snickers is popular across the globe. Other bestsellers in the chocolate bar category include Toblerone, Twix, and the classic Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar.
As Mars has grown into America’s fourth-largest private company, it has retained a dual focus on both candy and pets. M&M’s, Twix, and Milky Way are all Mars products, as are Iams, Pedigree, and Royal Canin. If you’ve ever wondered how M&M’s got their name, the story is slightly less interesting — it’s simply the last initials of Forrest Mars (Frank’s son) and partner-in-candy Bruce Murrie. The company is known for secrecy, with the family itself having been described as a “reclusive dynasty,” which means it’s a minor miracle that the identity of Snickers the horse was ever revealed in the first place.
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Snickers was originally called ______ in the U.K.
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Snickers was originally called Marathon in the U.K.
Baby Ruth bars weren’t named after the baseball player.
Despite how similar their names are, Baby Ruth bears no relation to Babe Ruth. The chocolate bar was actually named after Ruth Cleveland, daughter of President Grover Cleveland — assuming you believe the company’s official story, that is. The treat was introduced in 1921, 17 years after Ruth Cleveland’s untimely passing from diphtheria at age 12 and 24 years after the former President left office. The Great Bambino, meanwhile, had become the first person to hit 50 home runs in a single season the year before. The Sultan of Swat went so far as to end up in a court battle with the Curtiss Candy Company after he licensed his own name to a rival confectioner, but the 1931 ruling wasn’t in his favor. Baby Ruth’s connection to America’s pastime has only grown since then, and in 2006 it was even named the official candy bar of Major League Baseball for three years.
Michael Nordine is a writer and editor living in Denver. A native Angeleno, he has two cats and wishes he had more.
