How Tech Companies Got Their Names

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• Apple: According to Steve Jobs, when starting out, the company had to file “a fictitious business name statement” for official purposes. Suggestions included things like Matrix Electronics, but Apple Computer was finally settled on, with the condition that it would become the company name if no one else had any better suggestions before the filing deadline.

• Amazon: Founder Jeff Bezos wanted a name that began with “A” so that it would appear early in alphabetical lists. He settled on “Amazon” because it was a place that was “exotic and different” and sounded “fun”.

• Microsoft: The name is a combination of “microcomputer” and “software”.

• Google: The company took its name from “googol,” a mathematical term for the numeral one followed by 100 zeros.

• Yahoo: The name is an acronym for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle”.

• Skype: The name is a combination of “sky” and “peer-to-peer”.

• Reddit: The name is a play on the phrase “I read it”.

• Dell: The company is named after founder Michael Dell

• Adobe: The name is a variation of “Adobe Creek,” which ran behind the house of co-founder John Warnock.

• Twitter: Back when Twitter was in its infancy, it was a nameless program that went by the working name of “Status.” The creators realized how lame and obvious this was so they decided to hold a much-needed brainstorming session. Basically, they wanted a name that captured the mobile aspect of the product, especially the vision of users buzzing in their friend’s pockets at all hours of the day. The first idea, “twitch,” conjured all sorts of strange images and was immediately vetoed. So they whipped out an old-fashioned paper dictionary and looked for words near “twitch.” They spotted “twitter” and fell deeply in love.

• Etsy: The origin of this name had been one of the world’s best-kept secrets until Rob Kalin, Etsy’s founder, blabbed the truth during an interview with Reader’s Digest. He really wanted a nonsense word because the brand was built from scratch. He kept hearing the Italian word etsi, which means “oh, yes.” Its Latin definition is also perfect: “and if.”