Everyday Things That Used To Be Known By Completely Different Names

Brands we use all the time can quickly become synonymous with the products themselves. For example, copiers are "Xerox" machines, tissues are "Kleenex," and cotton swabs are "Q-tips." But while it's hard to imagine these famous products being called anything else, not too long ago, the world called them something completely different. And for the bulk of them, it's no wonder why the marketers opted for a change!

1. Candy corn

Candy corn's original name was "Chicken Feed." Candy manufacturers wanted to market their products to a rural audience and thought the tie-in with the farming community might do the trick. It did not.

2. Cheerios

Cheerios, America's favorite breakfast cereal. When Cheerios were introduced in 1941, they had another name: Cheerioats. Quaker Oats claimed it was a trademark violation, so General Mills cut off the last bit — and "Cheerios" was born.

3. Google

Google might be synonymous with "search engines" nowadays, but before it was "Google," it was called "BackRub." Weird name, right? The co-founders wanted to convey that the search engine scoured the backlinks of websites looking for information. But we can all agree that Google is better.

4. Pinecones

Explorers first called pinecones "pine apples" because they looked like apples growing on pine trees. In turn, the explorers then named the fruit "pine apples" because of their resemblance to pinecones.