A sweet surprise! Chocolate Lovers Are Amazed To Find Out How Hershey’s Kisses Really Got Its Name
- Hershey’s Kisses are a popular staple for chocolate lovers across the United States
- The bite-sized sweet treat has been in production for over a century
- But many barely realize how Kisses got its name – so do you know?
Hershey’s Kisses are a popular staple for chocolate lovers across the United States.
The candy has been in production for over a century, having first been made in 1907 at the company’s factory in Derry, Pennsylvania.
And the bite-sized pieces have continued to grow in popularity to become “one of the world’s leading chocolate products.”
But many barely realize how the Kisses got their name – and the truth might surprise you.
Hershey’s kisses are a popular staple for chocolate lovers across the United States – but many barely realize how kisses got their name.

The sweet treat has been in production for more than a century after it was first made in 1907 at the company’s factory in Derry, Pennsylvania.
Hershey’s kisses are instantly recognizable as the flat-bottomed tears wrapped in foil.
And they always have a strip of parchment paper – called a “panache” – completing the aesthetic.
As with many success stories, there are several versions of how the distinctive confectionery got its iconic name.
But the theory that seems to be the most widely accepted is that it’s all about the sound and movement of the machines that make the treat.
Not only does the dispenser appear to “kiss” the conveyor belt as it drops the chocolate, it also makes a similar “kissing” sound during production.
The company is estimated to produce 70 million Kisses every day – and the product itself has a varied history.
Kisses were in production from 1907 to 1942, then not produced until 1947 due to aluminum rationing during World War II.
During this nearly six-year period, Hershey revamped its Kisses production equipment to produce chocolate D-Rations for the U.S. military.

The one theory that seems to be the most widely accepted is that it’s all about the sound and movement of the machines that make the treat.

The company is estimated to produce 70 million kisses every day – and the product itself has a varied history
Milton Hershey trademarked the name Hershey’s Kisses in 1921.
They were reintroduced in 1947 and the Kisses brand has since added a host of other flavors to the product line.
In 2007, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of their production, Hershey’s unveiled their Biggest Kiss ever.
It weighed 30,540 pounds, which is equivalent to more than three million standard-sized Kisses chocolates.