Did you know that Canon’s first logo back in 1934 depicted Kwanon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy? Kwanon was actually the brand name used until they began thinking about expansion:When the Company sought to begin full-scale marketing, it needed a brand name that would be accepted by people worldwide. From this standpoint, in 1935 the name Canon was registered as the official trademark. The word Canon has a number of meanings, including scriptures, criterion and standard. The trademark was therefore worthy of a company involved with precision equipment, where accuracy is fundamentally important. It also embodied the Company’s desire to meet world-class criteria and industry standards. And since Canon and Kwanon had similar pronunciations, the transition went smoothly.
I pulled this from another site and thought it was interesting.