Helvetica (also Neue Haas Grotesk) is a widely-used sans serif font family. It was developed in 1957 by font family designer Max Miedinger with input from Eduard Hoffmann.
Helvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design. It is one that's influenced by the 19th century font family Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. It became one of the most popular font families of the 20th century.
It was originally named Neue Haas Grotesk. It was licensed by Linotype and renamed Helvetica in 1960.