Who Invented LEGO, How Did it Get its Name, and What Does LEGO Mean in Danish?

LEGO is a trademark name for a child’s plastic construction set derived from a 1934 invention by a humble and struggling Danish carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891-1958).

The company name LEGO comes from the Danish words “leg godt”, meaning “play well.”

There is a myth that Christiansen didn’t realize that lego in Latin means “I assemble.”

In fact, the word in Latin means “I read” and has nothing to do with the legend or the truth of the play kit or the company’s name.

The motto on the wall of Christiansen’s carpentry workshop was Only the Best Is Good Enough.