{ "meta": { "title": "Corporate Name Type Classification", "version": "0.1", "compiled": "2026-06-25", "description": "Every company in the current Fortune 100 and a curated set of major failed/defunct U.S. companies, classified by name type against an 11-category taxonomy. Built for the Logo Evolution Archive /data/ section. Classification is primary-intent based; ambiguous cases noted.", "sources": [ "Fortune 500 2025/2026 rankings (us500.com, eqvista.com)", "Wikipedia: list of largest U.S. bankruptcies; former Fortune 500 companies" ], "notes": "Many names span categories. Per the taxonomy guidance, each company gets one primary_type by dominant intent; consistency is prioritized over perfection." }, "taxonomy": [ { "id": "founder", "label": "Founder", "desc": "Named after a person (founder, family)" }, { "id": "descriptive", "label": "Descriptive", "desc": "Literally describes the business" }, { "id": "acronym", "label": "Acronym", "desc": "Initials of a longer name" }, { "id": "abstract", "label": "Abstract / Invented", "desc": "Made-up word with no prior meaning" }, { "id": "single-noun", "label": "Single Common Noun", "desc": "Real word, not the business's literal description" }, { "id": "compound", "label": "Compound", "desc": "Two real words fused" }, { "id": "geographic", "label": "Geographic", "desc": "Named after a place" }, { "id": "latin", "label": "Latin / Classical", "desc": "Derived from Latin, Greek or classical roots" }, { "id": "metaphorical", "label": "Metaphorical", "desc": "Real word used for connotation, not literal meaning" }, { "id": "portmanteau", "label": "Portmanteau", "desc": "Two words blended into one" }, { "id": "numeric", "label": "Numeric / Alphanumeric","desc": "Numbers as part of the name" } ], "fortune100": [ { "rank": 1, "name": "Amazon", "sector": "Retail/Tech", "type": "metaphorical", "note": "River/region word chosen for vastness" }, { "rank": 2, "name": "Walmart", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder", "note": "Sam Walton + 'mart'" }, { "rank": 3, "name": "UnitedHealth Group", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 4, "name": "Apple", "sector": "Tech", "type": "single-noun" }, { "rank": 5, "name": "Alphabet", "sector": "Tech", "type": "single-noun", "note": "Common noun used abstractly (A-to-Z of companies)" }, { "rank": 6, "name": "CVS Health", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "acronym", "note": "Consumer Value Stores" }, { "rank": 7, "name": "Berkshire Hathaway", "sector": "Conglomerate", "type": "geographic", "note": "Berkshire (place) + Hathaway (mill)" }, { "rank": 8, "name": "McKesson", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 9, "name": "Exxon Mobil", "sector": "Energy", "type": "abstract", "note": "Exxon coined; Mobil from Mobiloil" }, { "rank": 10, "name": "Cencora", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "abstract", "note": "Coined 2023 rebrand of AmerisourceBergen" }, { "rank": 11, "name": "Microsoft", "sector": "Tech", "type": "portmanteau", "note": "Microcomputer + software" }, { "rank": 12, "name": "JPMorgan Chase", "sector": "Finance", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 13, "name": "Costco Wholesale", "sector": "Retail", "type": "portmanteau", "note": "Cost + Company" }, { "rank": 14, "name": "Cigna Group", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "abstract", "note": "Coined from Connecticut General + INA" }, { "rank": 15, "name": "Cardinal Health", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "single-noun" }, { "rank": 16, "name": "Nvidia", "sector": "Tech", "type": "abstract", "note": "From Latin invidia + NV" }, { "rank": 17, "name": "Meta Platforms", "sector": "Tech", "type": "latin", "note": "Greek 'meta' (beyond)" }, { "rank": 18, "name": "Elevance Health", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "portmanteau", "note": "Elevate + advance" }, { "rank": 19, "name": "Centene", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "abstract" }, { "rank": 20, "name": "Bank of America", "sector": "Finance", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 21, "name": "Chevron", "sector": "Energy", "type": "single-noun", "note": "A chevron (V-shape)" }, { "rank": 22, "name": "Ford Motor", "sector": "Automotive", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 23, "name": "General Motors", "sector": "Automotive", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 24, "name": "Citigroup", "sector": "Finance", "type": "abstract", "note": "Stylized 'Citi' from City" }, { "rank": 25, "name": "Home Depot", "sector": "Retail", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 26, "name": "Fannie Mae", "sector": "Finance", "type": "acronym", "note": "Phonetic FNMA" }, { "rank": 27, "name": "Kroger", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 28, "name": "Verizon Communications", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "latin", "note": "Veritas + horizon" }, { "rank": 29, "name": "Phillips 66", "sector": "Energy", "type": "numeric", "note": "Founder Phillips + Route 66" }, { "rank": 30, "name": "Marathon Petroleum", "sector": "Energy", "type": "metaphorical", "note": "Marathon = endurance" }, { "rank": 31, "name": "StoneX Group", "sector": "Finance", "type": "abstract" }, { "rank": 32, "name": "State Farm", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 33, "name": "Freddie Mac", "sector": "Finance", "type": "acronym", "note": "Phonetic FHLMC" }, { "rank": 34, "name": "Humana", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "abstract", "note": "Coined from 'human'" }, { "rank": 35, "name": "AT&T", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "acronym", "note": "American Telephone & Telegraph" }, { "rank": 36, "name": "Goldman Sachs", "sector": "Finance", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 37, "name": "Comcast", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "portmanteau", "note": "Communications + broadcast" }, { "rank": 38, "name": "Wells Fargo", "sector": "Finance", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 39, "name": "Morgan Stanley", "sector": "Finance", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 40, "name": "Valero Energy", "sector": "Energy", "type": "abstract", "note": "From Mission San Antonio de Valero" }, { "rank": 41, "name": "Dell Technologies", "sector": "Tech", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 42, "name": "Target", "sector": "Retail", "type": "single-noun" }, { "rank": 43, "name": "Tesla", "sector": "Automotive", "type": "founder", "note": "After Nikola Tesla" }, { "rank": 44, "name": "Walt Disney", "sector": "Entertainment", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 45, "name": "Johnson & Johnson", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 46, "name": "PepsiCo", "sector": "Food/Beverage", "type": "abstract", "note": "From pepsin/dyspepsia" }, { "rank": 47, "name": "Boeing", "sector": "Aerospace", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 48, "name": "UPS", "sector": "Logistics", "type": "acronym", "note": "United Parcel Service" }, { "rank": 49, "name": "RTX", "sector": "Aerospace", "type": "acronym", "note": "Raytheon Technologies" }, { "rank": 50, "name": "FedEx", "sector": "Logistics", "type": "compound", "note": "Federal Express abbreviated" }, { "rank": 51, "name": "Procter & Gamble", "sector": "Consumer", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 52, "name": "Lowe's", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 53, "name": "Energy Transfer", "sector": "Energy", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 54, "name": "Archer Daniels Midland", "sector": "Food", "type": "founder", "note": "Archer + Daniels (founders)" }, { "rank": 55, "name": "Albertsons", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 56, "name": "Sysco", "sector": "Food", "type": "acronym", "note": "Systems and Services Company" }, { "rank": 57, "name": "Progressive", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "metaphorical" }, { "rank": 58, "name": "American Express", "sector": "Finance", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 59, "name": "Lockheed Martin", "sector": "Aerospace", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 60, "name": "MetLife", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "compound", "note": "Metropolitan + Life" }, { "rank": 61, "name": "HCA Healthcare", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "acronym", "note": "Hospital Corporation of America" }, { "rank": 62, "name": "Prudential Financial", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "metaphorical", "note": "Evokes prudence" }, { "rank": 63, "name": "Caterpillar", "sector": "Machinery", "type": "single-noun", "note": "Tractor nicknamed for its crawl" }, { "rank": 64, "name": "Merck", "sector": "Pharma", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 65, "name": "Allstate", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "compound" }, { "rank": 66, "name": "Pfizer", "sector": "Pharma", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 67, "name": "IBM", "sector": "Tech", "type": "acronym", "note": "International Business Machines" }, { "rank": 68, "name": "New York Life", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "geographic" }, { "rank": 69, "name": "Delta Air Lines", "sector": "Airlines", "type": "geographic", "note": "Named for the Mississippi Delta" }, { "rank": 70, "name": "Nationwide", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 71, "name": "TD Synnex", "sector": "Tech", "type": "abstract" }, { "rank": 72, "name": "United Airlines", "sector": "Airlines", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 73, "name": "ConocoPhillips", "sector": "Energy", "type": "acronym", "note": "Conoco = Continental Oil Co." }, { "rank": 74, "name": "TJX", "sector": "Retail", "type": "acronym" }, { "rank": 75, "name": "AbbVie", "sector": "Pharma", "type": "portmanteau", "note": "Abbott + 'vie' (life)" }, { "rank": 76, "name": "Enterprise Products", "sector": "Energy", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 77, "name": "Charter Communications", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "single-noun" }, { "rank": 78, "name": "Performance Food Group", "sector": "Food", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 79, "name": "American Airlines", "sector": "Airlines", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 80, "name": "Capital One", "sector": "Finance", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 81, "name": "Cisco Systems", "sector": "Tech", "type": "geographic", "note": "Truncation of San Francisco" }, { "rank": 82, "name": "HP", "sector": "Tech", "type": "acronym", "note": "Hewlett-Packard initials" }, { "rank": 83, "name": "Tyson Foods", "sector": "Food", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 84, "name": "Intel", "sector": "Tech", "type": "portmanteau", "note": "Integrated Electronics" }, { "rank": 85, "name": "Oracle", "sector": "Tech", "type": "single-noun", "note": "Real word evoking wisdom" }, { "rank": 86, "name": "Broadcom", "sector": "Tech", "type": "portmanteau", "note": "Broadband + communications" }, { "rank": 87, "name": "Deere", "sector": "Machinery", "type": "founder", "note": "John Deere" }, { "rank": 88, "name": "Nike", "sector": "Apparel", "type": "metaphorical", "note": "Greek goddess of victory" }, { "rank": 89, "name": "Liberty Mutual", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "metaphorical" }, { "rank": 90, "name": "Plains GP Holdings", "sector": "Energy", "type": "geographic" }, { "rank": 91, "name": "USAA", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "acronym", "note": "United Services Automobile Association" }, { "rank": 92, "name": "Bristol-Myers Squibb", "sector": "Pharma", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 93, "name": "Ingram Micro", "sector": "Tech", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 94, "name": "General Dynamics", "sector": "Aerospace", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 95, "name": "Coca-Cola", "sector": "Food/Beverage", "type": "compound", "note": "Coca leaf + kola nut" }, { "rank": 96, "name": "TIAA", "sector": "Finance", "type": "acronym", "note": "Teachers Insurance and Annuity Assoc." }, { "rank": 97, "name": "Travelers", "sector": "Insurance", "type": "descriptive" }, { "rank": 98, "name": "Eli Lilly", "sector": "Pharma", "type": "founder" }, { "rank": 99, "name": "General Electric", "sector": "Industrial", "type": "descriptive", "note": "GE Aerospace" }, { "rank": 100,"name": "Uber", "sector": "Tech", "type": "metaphorical", "note": "German 'uber' (above/superior)" } ], "failed": [ { "name": "Enron", "sector": "Energy", "type": "abstract", "year": 2001, "note": "Accounting fraud collapse" }, { "name": "Lehman Brothers", "sector": "Finance", "type": "founder", "year": 2008 }, { "name": "WorldCom", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "compound", "year": 2002 }, { "name": "Washington Mutual", "sector": "Finance", "type": "geographic", "year": 2008 }, { "name": "Eastman Kodak", "sector": "Imaging", "type": "abstract", "year": 2012, "note": "'Kodak' coined; bankruptcy" }, { "name": "Blockbuster", "sector": "Retail", "type": "compound", "year": 2010 }, { "name": "Polaroid", "sector": "Imaging", "type": "abstract", "year": 2001 }, { "name": "Pan American", "sector": "Airlines", "type": "geographic", "year": 1991 }, { "name": "Trans World Airlines","sector": "Airlines", "type": "descriptive", "year": 2001 }, { "name": "Circuit City", "sector": "Retail", "type": "compound", "year": 2009 }, { "name": "RadioShack", "sector": "Retail", "type": "compound", "year": 2015 }, { "name": "Toys \"R\" Us", "sector": "Retail", "type": "descriptive", "year": 2018 }, { "name": "Sears", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder", "year": 2018 }, { "name": "Kmart", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder", "year": 2002, "note": "K = Kresge" }, { "name": "Montgomery Ward", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder", "year": 2001 }, { "name": "Woolworth", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder", "year": 1997 }, { "name": "Bear Stearns", "sector": "Finance", "type": "founder", "year": 2008 }, { "name": "Merrill Lynch", "sector": "Finance", "type": "founder", "year": 2008, "note": "Acquired in crisis" }, { "name": "Wachovia", "sector": "Finance", "type": "abstract", "year": 2008 }, { "name": "Countrywide", "sector": "Finance", "type": "compound", "year": 2008 }, { "name": "Compaq", "sector": "Tech", "type": "portmanteau", "year": 2002, "note": "Acquired by HP" }, { "name": "Sun Microsystems", "sector": "Tech", "type": "acronym", "year": 2010, "note": "SUN = Stanford University Network" }, { "name": "Netscape", "sector": "Tech", "type": "portmanteau", "year": 2003 }, { "name": "Pets.com", "sector": "Tech", "type": "descriptive", "year": 2000 }, { "name": "Webvan", "sector": "Tech", "type": "compound", "year": 2001 }, { "name": "Borders", "sector": "Retail", "type": "founder", "year": 2011 }, { "name": "Arthur Andersen", "sector": "Accounting", "type": "founder", "year": 2002 }, { "name": "MCI", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "acronym", "year": 2006 }, { "name": "Nortel", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "portmanteau", "year": 2009, "note": "Northern Telecom" }, { "name": "Lucent", "sector": "Telecom", "type": "latin", "year": 2006, "note": "Latin lucent = shining" }, { "name": "Standard Oil", "sector": "Energy", "type": "descriptive", "year": 1911, "note": "Broken up by antitrust" }, { "name": "General Foods", "sector": "Food", "type": "descriptive", "year": 1990, "note": "Absorbed into Kraft" }, { "name": "Theranos", "sector": "Healthcare", "type": "portmanteau", "year": 2018, "note": "Therapy + diagnosis" }, { "name": "WeWork", "sector": "Real Estate", "type": "compound", "year": 2023 }, { "name": "Silicon Valley Bank","sector": "Finance", "type": "geographic", "year": 2023 }, { "name": "Bed Bath & Beyond", "sector": "Retail", "type": "descriptive", "year": 2023 }, { "name": "FTX", "sector": "Crypto", "type": "acronym", "year": 2022, "note": "Futures Exchange" }, { "name": "Forever 21", "sector": "Retail", "type": "numeric", "year": 2019 }, { "name": "Payless ShoeSource", "sector": "Retail", "type": "descriptive", "year": 2019 }, { "name": "Saturn", "sector": "Automotive", "type": "single-noun", "year": 2010, "note": "GM brand wound down" }, { "name": "Pontiac", "sector": "Automotive", "type": "geographic", "year": 2010 }, { "name": "Oldsmobile", "sector": "Automotive", "type": "founder", "year": 2004, "note": "Ransom Olds" }, { "name": "Bethlehem Steel", "sector": "Industrial", "type": "geographic", "year": 2001 }, { "name": "Sharper Image", "sector": "Retail", "type": "metaphorical", "year": 2008 } ], "decadeSnapshots": { "note": "Top 20 of the Fortune list at three points in time, using each company's ERA-ACCURATE name (not later rebrands). The CNN/Fortune archive normalizes historical entries to modern names — e.g. listing 1955's Standard Oil of New Jersey as 'Exxon Mobil' — which would corrupt a naming-over-time analysis, so those were manually corrected to the name in use that year. For Chart 2.", "1955": [ ["General Motors","descriptive"],["Standard Oil of New Jersey","descriptive"],["U.S. Steel","descriptive"],["General Electric","descriptive"], ["Swift & Co.","founder"],["Chrysler","founder"],["Armour & Co.","founder"],["Gulf Oil","geographic"], ["Socony-Mobil","acronym"],["DuPont","founder"],["Standard Oil of Indiana","descriptive"],["Bethlehem Steel","geographic"], ["CBS","acronym"],["The Texas Company","geographic"],["Western Electric","descriptive"],["Shell Oil","single-noun"], ["Kraft","founder"],["Standard Oil of California","descriptive"],["Goodyear","founder"],["Boeing","founder"] ], "1994": [ ["General Motors","descriptive"],["Ford","founder"],["Exxon","abstract"],["IBM","acronym"], ["General Electric","descriptive"],["Mobil","abstract"],["Philip Morris","founder"],["Chrysler","founder"], ["Texaco","abstract"],["DuPont","founder"],["Chevron","single-noun"],["Procter & Gamble","founder"], ["Amoco","abstract"],["Boeing","founder"],["PepsiCo","abstract"],["ConAgra","portmanteau"], ["Shell Oil","single-noun"],["United Technologies","descriptive"],["Hewlett-Packard","founder"],["Eastman Kodak","abstract"] ], "2025": [ ["Amazon","metaphorical"],["Walmart","founder"],["UnitedHealth Group","descriptive"],["Apple","single-noun"], ["Alphabet","single-noun"],["CVS Health","acronym"],["Berkshire Hathaway","geographic"],["McKesson","founder"], ["Exxon Mobil","abstract"],["Cencora","abstract"],["Microsoft","portmanteau"],["JPMorgan Chase","founder"], ["Costco","portmanteau"],["Cigna","abstract"],["Cardinal Health","single-noun"],["Nvidia","abstract"], ["Meta","latin"],["Elevance Health","portmanteau"],["Centene","abstract"],["Bank of America","descriptive"] ] } }