How 15 Tech Companies, Sites and Gadgets Got Their Names

1. SKYPE

The idea of a video phone has been around for decades, but for years, the technology was never widely available for the average Joe. Then, a company with a strange name harnessed the power of the internet and the ever-growing ubiquity of webcams to bring that dream to the masses. But what does the name Skype have to do with talking to other people online?

Skype is a peer-to-peer communication technology, meaning one person connects to another person, via the Skype service. Of course to the average person, the connection is happening in a mysterious, ethereal realm. So when they were developing the name, they hit upon the rather descriptive “Sky peer-to-peer,” which was shortened to “Skyper.” However, when they went to register the web address for their new product, skyper.com was already taken. So, they decided to try dropping the “r” and, sure enough, skype.com was available.

2. BLACKBERRY

Would President Obama have fought so hard to keep his "LeapFrog" phone? Because the phone was leaps and bounds over everything else on the market, this was one of the names considered for the BlackBerry. Another possibility was "Strawberry," because the tiny keys resembled seeds. But when someone felt the word "straw" sounded too slow, another berry was suggested. For anyone addicted to their BlackBerry, the origins of the nickname "CrackBerry" should need no explanation. More possible names were mentioned in a 2011 article in The New Yorker: EasyMail, MegaMail and ProMail.

3. REDDIT

Reddit—which allows members to submit links to online content, which is then voted up or down to decide which submissions are most worthy of being read by everyone else—was started in 2004 by then-college students Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian.

The name Reddit is little more than a play on the phrase “read it,” as in, “I read it online.” But, as one member of the site (also known as a “redditor”) pointed out, there is a Latin parallel to the site's name that turned out to be a pretty cool coincidence. One loose translation of “reddit” is “render,” which can mean “to submit for consideration or approval,” which is exactly what people do on the site.

4. EBAY

Whether you're cleaning out the attic or looking for a deal on your next must-have gadget, there's a good chance you're going to wander over to eBay. But where did this powerhouse of e-commerce come from and what does that name mean, anyway?

Oddly enough, there's actually a legend surrounding the founding of eBay. For a while, it was widely believed that, in 1995, then-28-year old software developer Pierre Omidyar created a website called AuctionWeb just so that his fiancee could buy and sell collectible PEZ dispensers. It does make for a good story, but the PEZ part isn't true—Omidyar was simply looking for a way to make something interesting online that would bring "together buyers and sellers in an honest and open marketplace." What's not legend, though, is that the first item sold on eBay was anything but glamorous—a broken laser pointer. Omidyar only intended the laser pointer listing to be a test, but was surprised to find that someone actually bought it — according to legend, someone who collected broken laser pointers.

Thinking he might be on to something, Omidyar started working in earnest on the program. While contemplating names for the site, he initially planned to use the name of his computer consulting company, Echo Bay. However, echobay.com was already taken (and still is). Omidyar shortened the name to “ebay” and bought the web address we all know and love.

5. KINDLE

As e-readers became mainstream, the strangely named Kindle from Amazon led the charge. The device's moniker—which comes from the idea of "kindling" a fire—is not meant to be a dig at paper books. Instead, the company says the Kindle refers to an intellectual fire of new ideas that could spread to readers all over the world who now have quick and easy access to the vast digital library at Amazon.

6. WOOT

Since 2004, Woot has offered deals to devoted fans, known as Wooters, who obsessively check Woot's sites to buy everything from computers to flashlights to a “Bag of Crap” (BOC)—a coveted, mystery grab bag that was often sold out within minutes of its unveiling. (Amazon Prime members can not enjoy that benefit with free shipping, thanks to the fact that Amazon now owns the brand.)

If you're at all familiar with internet culture, you'll know that “woot” is also an expression of excitement, sometimes spelled “w00t.” According to Matt Rutledge, Founder and former CEO of Woot.com, that is where the company got its name, but it goes a bit deeper than that.

"The company Woot was designed from the ground up to fit that name and adapt itself as a public 'employee store' type of liquidation retailer," Rutledge said. "What type of store would you load up and say 'w00t!' to? Answer...that would be what we built and strive every day to reach.”

Woot is named after “w00t,” but where does “w00t” come from? That's actually a bit of a mystery. Some believe it first appeared in the mid-'90s, adopted from the songs “Whoomp! (There It Is!)” and “Whoot! There It Is!” Others define it as the acronym, “We Owned the Other Team,” originating as a victory cry for online gamers. Still others say it comes from an old hacker term used whenever someone has gained full, or “root,” access to a server, exclaiming “w00t! I have root!”

Whatever the origin, there are a few important distinctions between “w00t!” and “Woot.” The company name does not have the zeros replacing the Os, and the exclamation point is only used in the logo or when there is genuine cause for excitement.

7. ETSY

Founded in 2005, the online marketplace Etsy has amassed over 7 million registered users and saw revenues of just over $106.4 million in 2017. And while the name is catchy, many have often asked what it means. For a while, the company was tight-lipped about the origin, leaving users to come up with their own acronyms or explanations. However, in a January 2010 interview for Reader's Digest, co-founder Rob Kalin finally gave fans a hint: “I wanted a nonsense word because I wanted to build the brand from scratch. I was watching Fellini's 8½ and writing down what I was hearing. In Italian, you say 'etsi' a lot. It means 'oh, yes.' And in Latin, it means 'and if.'"

Then, in 2013, co-founder Chris Maguire shared another story behind Etsy's name, concluding with "We then made a founder's pact to give a different origin story for the site's name every time someone asked about it." So Etsy fans may never know the brand's true origins.

8. BING

When Microsoft was developing the name for their search engine, they wanted something that was a single syllable, memorable, and easy to spell. Of course once they got into the naming process, there were other things to consider as well. For example, one idea—“Bang”—was rejected because you couldn't make a verb out of it without sounding, well, inappropriate.

The marketers decided to put their money on “Bing.” Not only was it a single syllable, easy to spell, and easy to remember, it also sounded like “Bingo,” which is usually said when you've found what you're looking for. The name also reminded people of the moment an idea is hatched, sort of like when that little light bulb goes off over a cartoon character's head. You hear a “Bing,” which is what Microsoft hopes will happen when you use their website. Even better, in China, the website is called bì yìng, which translated means, “very certain to answer.” But Bing's detractors are quick to suggest that the name is really an acronym: Bing Is Not Google.

9. TIVO

Can you imagine if, instead of "TiVo-ing" the latest episode of Lost, you were "Bongo-ing" it? "Bongo" and "Lasso" are just two of the 800 possible names the marketing folks kicked around before settling on TiVo. The final name was cobbled together from "TV" and the engineering acronym "I/O," which stands for "input/output." Little did they know their noun would become a verb and their oddly-named invention would forever change the way people watch television.

10. BLUETOOTH

Despite the lack of dignity displayed by people who shout into their Bluetooth headsets wherever they go, the name of the device actually has a rather regal origin. In the 10th century, Danish King Harald Blatand was able to unite warring factions in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark under one banner. Similarly, the developers of the Bluetooth signal wanted to unite many different forms of technology—cars, computers, and mobile phones—under one communications network. So when they were coming up with a name, they went with the English translation of the Danish king's last name, "Bluetooth."

11. HULU

Hulu means many things to many people. To some, it's a great online resource for watching their favorite TV shows and movies. But to a native Hawaiian, it means "hair." To someone who speaks Swahili, it means "cease." To an Indonesian, it means "butt." While these translations are accurate, the folks behind naming the brand were inspired by a couple of Mandarin Chinese definitions instead: "interactive recording" and "a hollowed-out gourd used to hold precious things." 

12. NINTENDO WII

First of all, "Wii" is pronounced "we," which emphasizes the social concept that Nintendo envisioned for the console. The name is also universal, without any direct translation into any particular language, reinforcing that all-inclusive idea and avoiding any Hulu-like situations. The company even liked the double-i spelling because it looks like two people standing side-by-side. The name was not popular at first, but the concept obviously caught on, because Americans have purchased over 20 million Wiis since its debut in 2006, making it one of the most successful video game systems ever.

13. WIKIPEDIA

While the origin of the second half of the name might seem rather obvious, the first half is still a mystery to many. "Wiki" is used to describe any website content that is specifically designed to be edited by its users. The name was first coined by Ward Cunningham to describe software he wrote in 1994 that was meant to speed up the communication process between computer programmers. He borrowed the word from the Hawaiian language, where it means "fast," after hearing it in the Honolulu airport when an employee told him to take the "Wiki Wiki Shuttle" between terminals. Many people mistakenly believe Wiki is an acronym for "What I Know Is." However, that definition was actually applied to the word after the fact, making it instead a backronym.

14. ASUS

Netbook computers were one of the most popular gadget trends of the 2000s with around 14 million of the affordable little laptops sold in 2008. One of the big names in netbook production is the Taiwanese computer company Asus, which gets its name from the winged horse of Greek mythology, Pegasus. But if you took a quick glance at the phone book, "Pegasus" wouldn't have been too high in the directory of computer companies. So, to increase their visibility in alphabetical lists, they dropped the first three letters of their name. It was an unusual strategy, but apparently it worked.

15. PRIUS

While developing the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, Toyota believed the Prius was going to be the predecessor of the cars of the future. To name their groundbreaking car, they turned to the Latin word "prius," meaning "[to go] before," the root of our modern word "prior." And with the growing popularity of hybrid vehicles, it appears they were right about the Prius's legacy. What they couldn't have predicted, though, was the controversy the name would create when people wanted to refer to more than one of the cars. Many thought the plural was "Prii"; others believed it should be "Priuses." The official word from Toyota used to be that there is no plural form, it's just "Prius" (sort of like "moose"). That was until 2011, when an online poll crowned "Prii" the official plural.