Where Did the Mazda Brand Get Its Name?

A Fun Exploration of History!

Mazda is a fantastic brand loved by many. Mazda has consistently proven to be reliable, affordable, luxurious, and stylish. But how did the Japanese brand get its name? Let’s take a look!

The name “Mazda” was created in October of 1931 in Japan. Interestingly enough, the company started off as a cork manufacturer in 1920, and was called the Toyo Kogyo Co. Ltd. In 1931, when the name “Mazda” came about, the company introduced the “Mazda-go,” which was a tri-cycle truck, and the company’s first vehicle. 

At the time, the president of the company was Jujiro Matsuda, and he was the second president of Toyo Kogyo, as well as a substantial founder. The word “Mazda” comes from the god of harmony, intelligence, and wisdom from the earliest Western Asia civilization, who is named Ahura Mazda. Key members of the company, including its president, felt that the name was fitting, as they saw Mazda as both a symbol of the origins of the East and West civilizations and the automotive civilization and culture.

When translated, the word “Mazda” actually means “Light” or “Wisdom.” The Mazda brand can be seen as wise, as they create vehicles that are equal parts beautiful, and functional. The company wished to make contributions to world peace and to be a sign of light in the automotive industry and felt that the name Mazda was the perfect way to represent this. It was because of these reasons that the company name was changed to Mazda Motor Corporation. In addition to that, the name has a similar pronunciation to “Matsuda,” and shows respect to the substantial founder and president at the time, as oftentimes, “su” in the middle of Japanese words makes a short “s” or “z” like sound. 

It is always interesting to learn more about the roots of our favorite companies! Here at McDonald Mazda West, we know that the brand has continued to live up to the expectations set at its origins. Mazda continues to be a fantastic automotive company by constantly innovating and creating beautiful and practical cars at affordable prices. If you are interested in a new Mazda vehicle, give us a visit or schedule a test drive today!