How the candies got their names!

_Elsa_

KitKat - There's some debate on the subject, but according to the candy's manufacturer, Nestle, the KitKat got its name from a London literary club that used to meet in the 17th century. The group would convene at a pastry shop, owned by a man named Christopher Catling. The club called themselves the Kit-Cat Club—KitCat being a shortened version of Chris's name. 

 

Tootsie Roll - The creator of the candy, Leo Hirshfield, named the sweet treat after his daughter, Clara. The girl, who was five years old at the time, went by the nickname Tootsie.  

 

Milky Way - Contrary to popular belief, Milky Way bars weren't named after the galaxy. Instead, they were named after a malted milkshake of the same name, which was popular back when the candy bar was created in 1923. 

 

M&M's - The name of one of the world's most famous treats came from the partnership between Forrest Mars, Sr. (of the Mars candy company) and Bruce Murrie (son of a former Hershey's Chocolate president). They named the candy with their initials, but the partnership ultimately dissolved when Mars bought Murrie out, making them rivals. But, the candy's name obviously stuck despite their issues. 

 

Reese's - This one's easy: Harry Burnett "H. B." Reese moved to Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1917 to work on a dairy farm owned by the Hershey Company. He eventually launched his own candy company, the H.B. Reese Candy Company, in 1923, and invented his signature candy, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, in 1928.  You can read the history of how other candy bars got their names here. 

 

3 MUSKETEERS - When 3 Musketeers bars were introduced in 1932, they consisted of three flavors—chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry—and were labeled "The 3 Musketeers, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry. 3 bars in a package.' Eventually the vanilla and strawberry flavors would disappear, although there’s evidence that they weren't ever particularly important flavors. A 1933 Notice of Judgment from the Acting Secretary of Agriculture describes a shipment of the treats that was seized in part because "[t]he strawberry and vanilla bars had no recognizable flavor of strawberry or vanilla and the strawberry bars were also artificially colored."

 

BUTTERFINGER - According to legend, the Curtiss Candy Company of Chicago decided to run a contest to name their new candy bar, and someone suggested 'butterfinger,' a term used in the form "butter-fingered" since the early 17th century to describe someone who lets things fall from their hands.

 

SKITTLES - Skittles originated in the United Kingdom, where "skittles" is a type of bowling, either on lawns or on a tabletop in pubs. The phrase "beer and skittles" emerged to describe pure happiness (now more commonly seen in "life is not beer and skittles"). So the name for the candy likely emerged to associate it with fun.  You can read other candy name stories here. 

 

SNICKERS - When Franklin Mars, founder of the Mars candy company, needed a name for the new candy bar that would follow his wildly successful Milky Way bar, he turned to the family stables, of all places. Snickers, named after the family’s prized horse, came out in 1930 and was an immediate hit. According to the company, it’s the best-selling candy bar of all time. Fun fact: Until the ‘90s, it was called a Marathon bar in the United Kingdom.

 

BABY RUTH - This one’s loaded with peanuts, caramel, and controversy. In 1921, Otto Schnering of Chicago’s Curtiss Candy Company reformulated his signature Kandy Kake bar (he took out pudding, for starters) and renamed it Baby Ruth. This was during the apex of Babe Ruth’s reign as a major league slugger, and many speculated that Schnering had capitalized on Ruth’s name while avoiding royalty payments. In 1926, The Babe himself entered the candy business, and came out with “Ruth’s Home Run Candy.” The Curtiss Company sued, claiming copyright infringement, and noting that Baby Ruth was actually named for President Cleveland’s daughter. This was an odd defense, considering Ruth Cleveland had died of diphtheria in 1904, but the court upheld Curtiss’s claim, ruling in 1931 that the ballplayer had profited off the popularity of a candy bar that, in all likelihood, borrowed from his own nickname.  You can read other candy history names here.

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