Contrary to popular belief, the Fig Newton isn’t named after famed physicist Isaac Newton, but was actually named after a small city outside of Boston.
The Kennedy Biscuit Company first made the famous fig cookie in 1891, and often named cookies after local communities in the Boston area. For this new creation, they decided to name it after the local town of Newton.
The Kennedy Biscuit Company ultimately merged with other bakeries in what would eventually become the National Biscuit Company, Nabisco.
Fig Newtons, now just called Newtons, are Nabisco’s third-most popular product, with over 700 billion bars sold annually.
– Carlisle Willard, The 100 Companies