Everyone owns at least something from IKEA. Chances are, you won't remember what they are called because the names for their products almost sound like they are made up. But wait. They aren't.

Check out an overview:

Bookcases are occupations in Swedish


Expedit means shop assistant.


Beds, furniture and wardrobes are named after Norwegian places


Mandal beds originate from this Norwegian town:


Dining tables and chairs are from Finish and Swedish places


The Bjursta table gets its name from this tiny village in Västernorrland County, Sweden:


Carpet names are from Danish places


Vemb rug's name is from a small town in Denmark:


Bathroom storage and accessories are named after Scandinavian rivers, lakes, and bays


The Limmaren bathroom bottles are named after this lake in Sweden:


Desks and chairs are named after men's names


The Micke desk is short for Mikael, Swedish for Michael:


Fabrics, materials, and curtains are women's names.


Curtain accessories derive its names from mathematical and geometrical terms


Bed linen, covers, pillows, and cushions are named after plants, flowers, precious stones


The Smörboll duvet cover and pillowcases also means globeflower in Swedish:


Lighting gets its names from music terms, seasons, months, days, chemistry, meteorology, measures, weights, boats, nautical terms:


Kitchens are grammatical terms:



Why does IKEA have this kind of naming convention?

IKEA - stands for Ingvar Kamprad (the founder), Elmtaryd (the farm in which he grew up) and Agunnaryd (the village in which he grew up). He says that the naming convention comes from the fact that he is dyslexic and he needed a code to classify the products.