Ampersands (&)

Ampersand (&), a ligature for the Latin et (and), has been in use as the symbol for and since the First Century A.D. The word Ampersand comes from the phrase "and per se and" which literally means "this symbol (&), by itself, is and."

Using the ampersand as a graphic element- especially in a company name, as opposed to just another character in a line of text, really blossomed around the 1920's and has continued since. An ampersand, used in this manner, is often completely different than the surrounding words: lighter or heavier, larger or smaller, and usually in a completly different font. A few examples in the creative use of the ampersand can be seen in the logos to the right. The example logos shown are copyrighted by the respective companies.