Hello, I'm an expert in confectionery history and trivia. Let's dive into the origin of the "Baby Ruth" candy bar.

The Baby Ruth candy bar has been a subject of debate for many years regarding its namesake. The official line from the Curtiss Candy Company, which created the bar in 1921, has always been that the candy was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter, Ruth Cleveland, who was affectionately known as "Baby Ruth." This claim was part of a marketing strategy to avoid any association with the famous baseball player Babe Ruth, who was rising to fame around that time.

However, many people believe that the name Baby Ruth was a clever play on words, a kind of double entendre, meant to capitalize on the popularity of the baseball legend without actually using his name. This theory is supported by the fact that the bar's original packaging featured a image that resembled Babe Ruth, and the company capitalized on the confusion by running advertisements near baseball stadiums.

In conclusion, while the official story is that the candy bar is named after Ruth Cleveland, the widespread belief is that it was named with Babe Ruth in mind, especially considering the timing of the bar's introduction and the marketing tactics employed by Curtiss Candy Company.

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Today I found out Baby Ruth candy bars really were named after Babe Ruth. The rumor that they were not was actually started by the company who made them originally, the Curtiss Candy Company founded by Otto Schnering. They claimed it was named after Ruth Cleveland, the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.read more >>