Oreo name (pre-1912)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   "Oreo" (there is a commemorative street name in New York CIty for its 90th birthday) was made by Nabisco Brands in 1912.  My mother had once worked for Nabisco.
   The name "Oreo" (also used in American slang) has been elusive.  Here's some straight dope from Google Groups:


From: wade lee (wlee2 at uoft03.utoledo.edu)
Subject: Re: Why the name "Oreo"?

View this article only
Newsgroups: alt.fan.cecil-adams
Date: 1997/11/05

Michael Aaron Escher (maescher at caprica.com) penned:
: Today, my wife and I had a little discussion (well, it was more like an
: argument) about the origin of the name for "Oreo" cookies.  I myself  have
: no idea as to how they got their name, but her explaination seemed a bit
: far fetched.  So as to not muddy the waters, I will not say what her idea
: is of how the name came about.

With a tiny amount I research, I came up with:
http://www.nabisco.com/school/faq/faq2.html
"What does the name OREO mean?

       While there is no written record as to the origin of the OREO
       Chocolate Sandwich Cookies name, there are several theories. Some
       say that OREO was chosen because it was a nice melodic combination
       of sounds and was easy to pronounce. Others feel it was patterned
       after the French word for gold, "or" , a color used on early package
       designs. It is even believed that the name comes from the Greek word
       for mountain, "oreo", and that the name was chosen because the first
       test version was hill-shaped. Regardless of its origin, the name stuck
       and today OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are one of the most popular
       brands of cookies in America. "

straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.

Wade Lee
University of Toledo

Message 13 in thread
From: Robert Cook (cook at sos.sos.net)
Subject: Re: Why the name "Oreo"?

View this article only
Newsgroups: alt.fan.cecil-adams
Date: 1997/11/05

maescher at caprica.com (Michael Aaron Escher) wrote:

>Hello all,
>Today, my wife and I had a little discussion (well, it was more like an
>argument) about the origin of the name for "Oreo" cookies.  I myself  have
>no idea as to how they got their name, but her explaination seemed a bit
>far fetched.  So as to not muddy the waters, I will not say what her idea
>is of how the name came about.

Short answer: Nobody knows. Bill Bryson discusses this in his
celebration of the English language "Made in America." Bryson says the
name was most likely invented by some nameless, forgotten, hack in the
marketing department of the National Biscuit Company around 1912.

(C'mon, tell us. What's your wife's theory?)
Robert M. Cook
cook at sos.net
http://www.sos.net/home/cook/index2.htm



   9 January 1905, NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE (American Periodical Series Online), pg. 3:
_THE OREOS: TRUE AMATEURS_
   On this page is a photograph of the Oreos football team of Asbury Park, N. J.  (...)  The Oreos were in the football tournament at Madison Square Garden, New York city, recently...

   14 November 1900, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 10:
   ...Oreos Athletic Club of Asbury Park...

(So, for what it's worth, the name was known in the New York City area at the time that the now-famous cookie was developed--ed.)