How Did Dixie Cups Get Their Name?
Seeking to create a brand that would set his disposable paper cups apart from competitors' products, Hugh Moore borrowed the name Dixie from a doll-making company and started calling his product the Dixie Cup, a brand that has endured for 90 years.
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Origin of The Name
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In 1919, Hugh Moore, owner of the Individual Drinking Cup Co., decided to change the name of his paper cups from the Health Kup to the Dixie Cup. Little is known of this decision, other than the fact that the name "Dixie" had been popularized by the Dixie Doll Company, a doll-making firm owned by a man named Alfred Schindler.
Paper Cup History
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Paper cups first came into use around 1907 when the public became aware that the communal use of metal or glass cups at public drinking fountains, pumps and barrels promoted the spread of germs. Bostonians Lawrence Luelllen and Hugh Moore were early proponents of using paper cups and they created the Individual Drinking Cup Co. to sell the Health Kup, so named as it promoted good hygiene. When a flu epidemic swept across the world in 1918, the demand for paper cups grew.
Origin of the Word Dixie
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Dixie is a popular nickname for the Southern United States, primarily the 11 states that seceded from the country in 1860 and 1861, which eventually led to the U.S. Civil War. The origin of the word is unclear, although some people think it is derived from the name Jeremiah Dixon, a surveyor who helped set the Mason-Dixon Line, a border that separates Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia. Although the line doesn't go beyond those states, it represents the border between the northern and southern states.
Relevance of Name
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It's unclear what market Moore was trying to appeal to with the name Dixie. His company, like the Dixie Doll Co., was in New York, far from the South. It later moved to Easton, Pennsylvania, not far from the Mason-Dixon Line. The name of the company also changed from the Individual Drinking Cup Co. to the Dixie Cup Corp.
Dixie Cups Today
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Dixie Cups are still a recognized brand today. Dixie Cup is owned by paper and chemical manufacturer Georgia-Pacific, which in turn is owned by Koch Industries, a large holding company that has interests in manufacturing, finance, energy and other industries. Today, Dixie products include paper and plastic cups, napkins and paper plates.
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