The US Apple and Google brands, which have become household names around the globe, are worth more than $US100 billion ($A108.2 billion) each, and top a ranking of the world’s biggest brands, consultancy Interbrand said on Thursday.

In first place, computer brand Apple has risen 21 per cent in value this year to worth an estimated $US118.9 billion.

In second place, the brand value of internet search engine Google has increased by 15 per cent to $107.43 billion.

“The fact that Apple and Google have exceeded $100 billion is proof of the power of brands,” said Bertrand Chovet, associate director of Interbrand Paris.

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The marketing firm said in a statement it marks the first time since brand ranking began in 1974 that two brands have been worth that much.

The 2014 list includes the arrival of a Chinese brand, telecommunications giant Huawei in 94th place.

“Huawei, the world’s third largest maker of smartphones, has become one of the brand leaders in information technology and communication on a global scale,” it said.

The biggest movers in the 2014 brand ranking were social network Facebook, up 86 per cent to 29th place, car-maker Audi, up 27 per cent to 45th place, and internet retail giant Amazon, up 25 per cent to 15th place.

Interbrand considers three criteria to determine the value of a brand: the financial performance of the products and services sold under the brand; the role of the brand and especially its influence on consumers’ choice; and the strength of the brand, namely it’s ability to create and maintain a market advantage.