Mercedes-Benz CEO Reveals The Real Story Behind Its Name 'Mercedes'

The name Mercedes-Benz is synonymous with luxury, but where did this iconic brand get its name before becoming a household staple worldwide? Recently, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius shared the intriguing origin story, shedding light on the inspiration behind the name. Interestingly, the name “Mercedes” wasn’t derived from a founder or engineer.

In a viral social media video, Källenius said it was the name of Emil Jellinek’s daughter, Mercédès Jellinek. Emil Jellinek was an Austrian industrialist and passionate racing enthusiast. The name Mercedes-Benz thus combines Mercédès Jellinek and Karl Benz. The “Mercedes” name was trademarked in 1902. The company continued as Daimler-Benz, the car line became known as Mercedes-Benz.

What Does the Name Mercedes-Benz Mean?

Originally founded by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler, the company was part of Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, or DMG. Initially, the company was known as Daimler-Benz, honouring the founders.

Following Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler’s death, entrepreneur and racing enthusiast Emil Jellinek was brought on by chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach. In 1900, Jellinek helped create the Mercedes 35hp, naming the new car after his daughter, Mercédès Jellinek, whose Spanish name translates to “mercy.”

The “Mercedes” name was trademarked in 1902, and while the company continued as Daimler-Benz, the car line adopted the Mercedes-Benz name.

How To Spell Mercedes-Benz?

According to the information available on the official website of Mercedes-Benz, for those wondering, the correct spelling of the brand name is Mercedes-Benz, with a hyphen and capital letters for both “M” and “B.” The brand should always be referred to by its full name, Mercedes-Benz, rather than any shortened version or abbreviation.

How to Pronounce Mercedes-Benz?

The common American pronunciation of Mercedes-Benz is “mer-SAY-deez-benz.” However, since the brand originated in Germany, this pronunciation is slightly off. In German, the “C” in Mercedes is pronounced closer to a “Ts” sound. Therefore, the German pronunciation is “mer-TSEY-dess-benz.”