LEGO^® Background

Facts About LEGO

by Mark Hughes

See our LEGO Timeline and try our LEGO Quiz!

The Name

LEGO means to play well. It comes from the combination and abbreviation of two words in Danish "leg godt". LEGO should always be written in capital letters. LEGO should never appear by itself, but should be paired with a noun: LEGO piece, LEGO set, LEGO universe.

Toy of the Century

The LEGO brick was named "Toy of the Century" by Fortune magazine and the British Association of Toy Retailers.

How Many Different Types of LEGO Elements Exist?

2,200 different elements—or types of pieces

How Many LEGO Elements Are Manufactured?

Approximately 19 billion each year
or, 2 million per hour
or, 36,000 per minute

LEGO Elements Come in How Many Colors?

Where Are LEGO Bricks Made?

Billund, Denmark

How Are LEGO Bricks Made?

Plastic is heated to 232˚C until it becomes like dough.
The plastic is then injected into molds at a pressure of 25–150 tons, depending on what type of element is being created.
Seven seconds in the mold is as long as it takes for the plastic to cool.
Voilà, the cooled brick is finished and removed from the mould.

Are Any Bricks Ever Rejected?

A LEGO element is rejected if is does not meet the company's standards. LEGO estimates that out of every one million elements that are produced, only 18 end up being rejected.