The name Clydesdale was chosen in part as a reference to the valley of the River Clyde in Scotland, archaically known as Clydesdale. Clyde, Ohio, the location of the company, is named after Clyde, New York, which in turn is named after the Scottish river. In part, the name was meant to invoke the Clydesdale horse, a strong draught horse used for haulage at the time, in an age when horse transport was still common. The breed of horse also originates in the same Scottish region.
