# spelling of eBay name vs. logo

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-ebay-name-vs-logo/562404>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 30, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-ebay-name-vs-logo/562404 "2010-11-30T13:25:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-ebay-name-vs-logo/562404/1 "2010-11-30T13:25:48Z")

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I notice that in eBay’s emails and all their text material they spell the name “eBay”. But their logo is “ebaY”.

Is there a factual answer as to why the difference?

I’ve got eBay on the brain after that zombie thread was resurrected.

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-ebay-name-vs-logo/562404/2 "2010-11-30T14:20:02Z")

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[http://www.dinesh.com/history\_of\_logos/internet\_company\_logos/ebay.com\_logo\_-\_design\_and\_history.html](http://www.dinesh.com/history_of_logos/internet_company_logos/ebay.com_logo_-_design_and_history.html)

> [@](#):
>
> The unusual capitalization of the letters also shows that company accepts change when it is for good. Letter B is not capitalized in the logo even though the name of the company is written as eBay. Designers at CKS thought a capital B would look like a roadblock in the middle of the logo so they capitalized letter Y instead.

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-ebay-name-vs-logo/562404/3 "2010-11-30T15:39:47Z")

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When it comes to spelling, etc., logos are irrelevant. What if their logo were just the letter “e”? What if it were just a symbol, with no actual letters?

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-ebay-name-vs-logo/562404/4 "2010-11-30T15:50:22Z")

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What Panache said. Logos aren’t a guide to usage. They’re ornamental.

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-ebay-name-vs-logo/562404/5 "2010-11-30T16:07:15Z")

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Well, in this case the logo is the name expressed as letters of the alphabet. I’ve seen logos where the company name is in all caps, but eBay is the only one I’ve seen with an eccentric case in the actual name and a _different_ eccentric case in the logo.