FAST FACT
Starbucks is named after Captain Ahab’s first mate from Moby Dick. Gordon Bowke, a co-founder of the company in 1971, had originally considered naming the company for the name of Ahab’s ship, the Pequod, but his business partners decided on the first mate’s name instead.
The name wasn’t the only thing that was inspired by Moby Dick. The logo also has a nautical theme and is based on a Siren from Greek Mythology. The name could have been many others in Moby Dick, such as Ishmael, Stubb, Flask, Queequeq, Tashtego, Daggoo, Pip, or Fedallah. It seems Starbucks was a good choice.
