Lululemon is called Lululemon for a simple reason. The founder, Chip Wilson, thought it sounded exotic. He found it amusing that it would be hard to pronounce for Japanese speakers. Seriously.
Chip Wilson founded the company in 1998 in Vancouver. He wanted a name that had multiple Ls in it. He believed Japanese consumers would find it more “Western-sounding” and upscale. He even admitted that the name was chosen in part because the letter “L” doesn’t exist in the Japanese language. Many Japanese speakers pronounce it like an “R.” To them, a name like “Lululemon” would be challenging to say. He thought this added mystique or cachet to the brand. It wasn’t some deep yoga or mindfulness reference. Just branding gimmickry.
So in short:
- It was a made-up name.
- It has no real meaning.
- It was partly chosen to appeal to (and mess with) Japanese pronunciation.
It’s kind of wild, but it worked — now it’s one of the most successful athleisure brands in the world.