Some sources say that a very similar frozen coffee drink was invented by The Coffee Connection, a small Boston-based chain later acquired by Starbucks. The name Frappuccino was coined by The Coffee Connection. In this etymology, the term frappuccino is a blend of frappe, the Italian term for milkshake, and cappuccino, the coffee drink with a milky topping (see below for alternate etymologies)
Frappuccino was trademarked by The Coffee Connection, and that trademark was acquired by Starbucks when they bought The Coffee Connection around 1995, a 22 store chain with a huge following that Starbucks could not compete with in the Boston market. The original recipe was completely different and used a unique preparation process using simple ingredients to achieve its appeal.
Similar frozen coffee drinks were served starting in 1988 by the Seattle chain Cinnabon under the names Mochalatta and Caramelatta.
