From Kentucky Fried Chicken To KFC: Why The Iconic Brand Shortened Its Name

Generations of fast food diners know that the letters KFC stand for one thing: Kentucky Fried Chicken. The acclaimed chain, brought to the world by the eccentric Colonel Sanders, proclaimed its state heritage right in its name. This style was later duplicated by Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Church's Texas Chicken. However, in 1991, Kentucky Fried Chicken officially condensed its name to KFC. At the time, the company noted a very simple reason for this update: It just wanted a shorter name. KFC does admittedly roll off the tongue much easier than Kentucky Fried Chicken does, and the chain was already being colloquially called "KFC" by some diners prior to the change.

Although never officially confirmed by KFC, it was also thought that the change was a way for the chain to distance itself from the unhealthy associations people made with the word "fried," giving the company the space to champion its healthier menu items. (After all, this was around the same time that a health-scare ad campaign forced McDonald's to change how its french fries were made.) Indeed, KFC appeared to soft launch a new, healthier meaning to those three little letters in 2004 when the chain's advertising campaigns briefly included the phrase "kitchen fresh chicken." Thankfully, this didn't stick either.

One of the most popular alternative theories as to why KFC changed its name suggested that the Commonwealth of Kentucky needed to find additional means of bringing in state revenue and decided to trademark the name "Kentucky." The story goes that after a year of battling the state over the right to keep its original name without paying extensive licensing fees, Kentucky Fried Chicken caved in and shortened its name to KFC. However, this is not true.

The wildest rumor associated with the chain's change of name asserted that it could no longer be called Kentucky Fried Chicken because the chicken it was serving was not "real." This oft-repeated (but nonetheless debunked) story alleged that KFC was genetically modifying chickens to create abnormally large pieces of meat. There were even rumors that KFC had bred mutant chickens which grew extra limbs. Of course, this isn't true (although given the shady things Colonel Sanders got up to, we wouldn't have put it past him). As KFC spokesman Rick Maynard explained to Business Insider, "KFC uses only top quality poultry from trusted companies like Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride — the same brands customers know from their local supermarkets." We guess that settles it; KFC condensed its name to simply make it shorter.