You can't even imagine why the Spanish brand Zara is called that

What do you think of when you hear the name Zara?

Most people around the world are able to recognize and identify the famous clothing brand Zara. This popular Spanish firm owned by Amancio Ortega is one of the favorites of many celebrities, including Queen Letizia of Spain, who has become, without looking for it, a great promoter of her fashion clothes.

How do you think the name originated?

It's not a romantic story, the name is not dedicated to the woman Amancio loves, as some people tend to think. The origin is another, although love has nothing to do with it.

Its birth is the result of its creator's carelessness. In 1975, Amancio Ortega decided to open his store on a street in A Coruña, and now he is one of the richest people in the world named by Forbes magazine.

For the store, he chose the name Zorba, which was taken from one of his favorite movies, 'Zorba the Greek' from 1964, starring the great Anthony Quinn.

But he didn't realize that there was already a bar with the same name on that street. A few days later, the owner of the bar came to the new store to discuss the fact that the two places with the same name could confuse the residents.

The bar owner's visit coincided with the day they had to hang the store's sign, and given the circumstances, it occurred to Amancio that a good option to avoid problems or trouble with the neighbor was to replace the 'o ' by an 'a' and removing the 'b', thus giving birth to the name Zara, one of the most popular fashion brands in the world.

About Amancio Ortega

Amancio Ortega Gaona is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding people in the world textile and fashion sector. His bet or vision of promoting beautiful, economical and very practical garments has been the master formula of his great success.

With the invaluable contribution of his ex-wife Rosalía Mera, they built what is now a modern empire in the sector, Inditex. Every year they continue to grow and surprise, given their versatility and ability to adapt to each moment; something key when it comes to running a successful business or company.

With an approximate net worth of 80.4 billion euros, according to Forbes, Ortega is one of the great fortunes of Spain. Among his creations we also find Bershka, Confecciones Goa, Uterqüe, Fundación Amancio Ortega and Gravis, all with great success.