*For generations, millions of people have unwrapped a Snickers bar without giving much thought to its unusual name. While many assume it was simply a clever marketing invention, the truth behind one of the world’s most recognizable candy bars is far more personal—and unexpectedly touching.
According to HuffPost UK, Snickers wasn’t named after chocolate, peanuts or caramel.
It was named after a horse.
The horse belonged to Frank C. and Ethel V. Mars, whose family business would grow into one of the world’s largest confectionery companies.
A Family Tribute Hidden in Plain Sight
According to Mars, the first Snickers bar was manufactured in Chicago in 1930 and sold for just five cents. The company says the candy bar was named after the Mars family’s horse rather than being created as a catchy marketing slogan or reference to its ingredients.
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The decision reflected something much deeper than branding.
The Mars family had a lifelong passion for horses, making the choice a personal tribute rather than a business strategy.
According to Mars Equestrian, Frank and Ethel Mars established Tennessee’s Milky Way Farm, which became known for producing champion Thoroughbred racehorses, including 1940 Kentucky Derby winner Gallahadion. The family’s involvement in horse breeding and equestrian sports continues today.
The Horse Behind the Famous Candy Bar
According to The Equine Chronicle, Snickers wasn’t simply a family pet. He was also a successful racehorse that held a special place in the Mars family’s life.
The publication reports that Snickers died less than a month before the candy bar debuted in 1930.
Rather than choosing a completely new brand name, the Mars family honored the horse by giving his name to what would become one of the world’s best-selling candy bars.
Nearly a century later, millions of people continue saying that name every day—often without realizing they’re keeping the memory of one beloved horse alive.
A Legacy That Lives On
The story also highlights a side of Mars that many consumers never see.
Beyond producing household favorites such as Snickers, M&M’s, Milky Way and Twix, the company has grown into one of the world’s largest pet care businesses through brands including Pedigree and Whiskas while maintaining longstanding ties to the equestrian world.
That unique combination of confectionery, pet care and horse breeding helps explain why naming a candy bar after a cherished horse felt perfectly natural to the Mars family.
What began as a heartfelt family tribute has endured for nearly 100 years.
For most people, Snickers is simply a favorite candy bar.
For the Mars family, it remains a lasting reminder that sometimes the sweetest legacies have nothing to do with what’s inside the wrapper.
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