Despite all the viral posts claiming there’s a secret meaning behind the name, Kit Kat isn’t an acronym at all. The famous chocolate bar was originally launched by Rowntree’s in Britain in 1935 under the name Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp. Two years later, the company changed the name to Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp, and eventually shortened it to the Kit Kat we know today.The name itself actually goes back much further than the candy bar. Rowntree’s had registered the names “Kit-Cat” and “KitKat” as early as 1911 and later used Kit Kat for a boxed assortment of chocolates during the 1920s. The inspiration came from the historic Kit-Cat Club, a well-known British political and literary group.

According to Nestlé’s historical records, the club’s name was connected to a pastry cook named Christopher Catling, commonly nicknamed “Kit Cat.” The club’s members reportedly met at his establishment, and his shortened name eventually became associated with the group. Decades later, Rowntree’s borrowed that memorable name for its confectionery products.

So Kit Kat doesn’t secretly mean “Keep In Touch, Keep Always Together” or any of the other explanations sometimes shared online. Its name has roots stretching back centuries before the chocolate bar existed.

And one more surprising fact: the famous “Have a break, have a KitKat” slogan didn’t arrive until 1958—more than 20 years after the original bar launched.