I was told that the commercial name - Haagen Dazs - was completely
fictitious - a made up name to sound somewhat Scandinavian - or Danish
- just for the charm.  That the company is strictly American and the
name means nothing.  I have not been able to confirm this.....Could
you?

Hi Michael,

Thank you for accepting my findings as an answer to your question. I
am reposting it here for your convenience.

"Reuben Mattus, a young entrepreneur with a passion for quality and a
vision for creating the finest ice cream, worked in his mother's ice
cream business selling fruit ice and ice cream pops from a horse drawn
wagon in the bustling streets of the Bronx, New York. To produce the
finest ice cream available, he insisted on using only the finest,
purest ingredients.

The family business grew and prospered throughout the 1930's, 40's and
50's, and by 1961 Mr. Mattus decided to form a new company dedicated
to his ice cream vision. He called his new brand Häagen-Dazs, to
convey an aura of the old-world traditions and craftsmanship to which
he remained dedicated."

Häagen-Dazs: History
http://www.haagen-dazs.com/coibrh.do


FAQ - Where did the Häagen-Dazs name come from?

"From humble beginnings in the USA back in the 1920s, Häagen-Dazs has
grown and developed to become the premium ice-cream brand we know
today. Häagen-Dazs was registered as a company in 1961 and it still
remains a mystery as to where the Scandinavian-sounding name
originated."

Häagen-Dazs: FAQ
http://www.haagen-dazs.co.uk/OurStory/faq1.htm


"...In creating the term, Leavitt was taking a lesson from Reuben
Mattus. Mattus was a Polish immigrant trying to make his way on the
tough streets of the Bronx by selling ice cream. In 1959, close to
bankruptcy because of weak sales, Mattus came up with a brilliant
idea. He took his slow-selling ice cream and gave it an invented name
that suggested something foreign and exotic: Haagen-Dazs. What Mattus
discovered is that when the same ice cream was given this
Scandinavian-sounding name, people could not have enough. It actually
enhanced their eating experience. To this day, most people believe
that Haagen- Dazs is made somewhere in Denmark by some ancient guild
of ice cream makers."

Clean Air Watch
http://cleanairarticles.blogspot.com/2003/09/enervated-by-enlibrators-can.html


"Haagen-Dazs, an American ice-cream, has been incredibly successful
with the made-up and meaningless Scandinavian-sounding name..."

Strategic Marketing 
http://www.etstrategicmarketing.com/smNov-Dec1/stra_brand_br2.htm


"...many brands have attempted to present themselves as originating
from nations that would be beneficial to their offerings. Haagen-Dazs
built its mystique around a Scandinavian sounding name. Discovering
the company was based in New Jersey was a surprise to many."

Lippincott Mercer
http://www.lippincottmercer.com/publications/ts_0703_create.shtml


Search criteria:
"Haagen Dazs" means name
"Haagen Dazs" name Scandinavian

Best wishes,
Rainbow

Dear Rainbow - great answer.  
Thanks again - Michael

Hi mjmindel, 

Please let me know if this is confirmation enough:

"Reuben Mattus, a young entrepreneur with a passion for quality and a
vision for creating the finest ice cream, worked in his mother's ice
cream business selling fruit ice and ice cream pops from a horse drawn
wagon in the bustling streets of the Bronx, New York. To produce the
finest ice cream available, he insisted on using only the finest,
purest ingredients.

The family business grew and prospered throughout the 1930's, 40's and
50's, and by 1961 Mr. Mattus decided to form a new company dedicated
to his ice cream vision. He called his new brand Häagen-Dazs, to
convey an aura of the old-world traditions and craftsmanship to which
he remained dedicated."

Häagen-Dazs: History
http://www.haagen-dazs.com/coibrh.do


FAQ - Where did the Häagen-Dazs name come from?

"From humble beginnings in the USA back in the 1920s, Häagen-Dazs has
grown and developed to become the premium ice-cream brand we know
today. Häagen-Dazs was registered as a company in 1961 and it still
remains a mystery as to where the Scandinavian-sounding name
originated."

Häagen-Dazs: FAQ
http://www.haagen-dazs.co.uk/OurStory/faq1.htm


"...In creating the term, Leavitt was taking a lesson from Reuben
Mattus. Mattus was a Polish immigrant trying to make his way on the
tough streets of the Bronx by selling ice cream. In 1959, close to
bankruptcy because of weak sales, Mattus came up with a brilliant
idea. He took his slow-selling ice cream and gave it an invented name
that suggested something foreign and exotic: Haagen-Dazs. What Mattus
discovered is that when the same ice cream was given this
Scandinavian-sounding name, people could not have enough. It actually
enhanced their eating experience. To this day, most people believe
that Haagen- Dazs is made somewhere in Denmark by some ancient guild
of ice cream makers."

Clean Air Watch
http://cleanairarticles.blogspot.com/2003/09/enervated-by-enlibrators-can.html


"Haagen-Dazs, an American ice-cream, has been incredibly successful
with the made-up and meaningless Scandinavian-sounding name..."

Strategic Marketing 
http://www.etstrategicmarketing.com/smNov-Dec1/stra_brand_br2.htm


"...many brands have attempted to present themselves as originating
from nations that would be beneficial to their offerings. Haagen-Dazs
built its mystique around a Scandinavian sounding name. Discovering
the company was based in New Jersey was a surprise to many."

Lippincott Mercer
http://www.lippincottmercer.com/publications/ts_0703_create.shtml


Best regards,
Rainbow

Dear Rainbow

I couldn't figure out how to email you directly - but I wanted to
thank you for your comments and your references.  Great stuff you
brought - thanks again.

MM

Hi mjmindel,

There is no way to email us directly. The way you posted your comment
here is the correct way.

Would you like me to post the information I provided as an official
answer to your question?

Best regards,
Rainbow

Rainbow - what you have posted as a comment is clearly the answer to
the question.  Why are you so hesitant to post it as the official
answer?

By all means - as far as I am concerned - it is the official answer
and I would be happy if you could collect the princely sum of money I
paid to have this done.  Is there something I have to do for this to
happen?

Thanks again - this service is wonderful.  I will think up of other
gnawing questions that have gone unanswered too long - much too long.

Regards,
Michael