15 Strange Original Names of Famous Tech Companies
Many of the world’s most recognizable tech brands started with completely different identities. These original names often reflect humble beginnings, inside jokes between founders, or concepts that companies eventually outgrew.
The evolution from these early monikers to the household names we know today reveals fascinating stories of corporate transformation and rebranding strategy. Here is a list of 15 tech giants that began life with strange, forgettable, or downright unusual names before becoming the powerhouses we recognize today.
BackRub
Before it dominated internet searches worldwide, Google operated under the peculiar name ‘BackRub.’ Larry Page and Sergey Brin chose this name in 1996 because their original algorithm analyzed website backlinks to determine page importance.
The name lasted about a year before they switched to ‘Google’ – a play on the mathematical term ‘googol’ representing the number one followed by 100 zeros.
Cadabra
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos initially named his online bookstore ‘Cadabra’ as in ‘abracadabra.’ He quickly abandoned this name when his lawyer misheard it as ‘cadaver’ over the phone.
Bezos then considered ‘Relentless’ before settling on ‘Amazon’ in 1995 to suggest a vast selection of products, similar to how the Amazon River is the largest in the world.
Sound of Blue
The streaming giant Spotify began as ‘Sound of Blue’ in 2006. Swedish entrepreneurs Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon reportedly came up with the current name during a brainstorming session when Ek misheard an idea and thought it sounded like ‘Spotify.’
The name has no actual meaning but worked perfectly for the music service they were building.
Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation
IBM’s original name was quite a mouthful. The Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation was formed in 1911 through the merger of several smaller companies that made everything from time clocks to meat slicers.
The company became International Business Machines in 1924 to better reflect its growing global presence and broader technology focus.
Confinity
PayPal began life in 1998 as ‘Confinity,’ a security software company focused on enabling money transfers between Palm Pilots. The name blended ‘confidence’ and ‘infinity.’
After merging with X.com, Elon Musk’s online banking company, the combined entity adopted the more user-friendly name ‘PayPal’ in 2001 before its successful IPO.
Research in Motion
BlackBerry was known as Research in Motion (RIM) for decades before adopting its most famous product’s name as the company identity. Founded in 1984, RIM initially focused on wireless data technology before creating the BlackBerry smartphone that became synonymous with business professionals in the early 2000s.
The company officially changed its name to BlackBerry Limited in 2013.
Matchbox Computers
Dell began in 1984 as ‘Matchbox Computers’ when Michael Dell started building custom PCs from his University of Texas dorm room. He quickly changed it to ‘PC’s Limited’ before settling on ‘Dell Computer Corporation’ in 1988.
The simple decision to use his surname helped create one of technology’s most recognizable brands.
Blue Ribbon Sports
Nike wasn’t always named after the Greek goddess of victory. The athletic tech giant started as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, importing Japanese running shoes.
Founders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight rebranded to Nike in 1971, inspired by the winged goddess who symbolized victory – along with the iconic swoosh logo that cost just $35 to design.
Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web
Yahoo began with possibly the most unwieldy name in tech history. Stanford students Jerry Yang and David Filo created ‘Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web’ in 1994 as a directory of websites.
They quickly adopted the acronym ‘YAHOO’ (Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle) as a more marketable alternative that became a dominant internet brand.
Auction Web
In 1995, eBay began as ‘AuctionWeb,’ a division of Pierre Omidyar’s personal website, Echo Bay Technology Group. Omidyar discovered that EchoBay.com was already owned by a mining firm when he attempted to register it.
By shortening it to eBay, he came up with a distinctive and catchy moniker that helped generations of internet users understand online auctions.
Tiny Speck
Slack began as something completely different – a gaming company called Tiny Speck that created a quirky game called Glitch. When the game failed commercially, the team pivoted to focus on the internal communication tool they had built during development.
They renamed the company Slack, an acronym for ‘Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge.’
Burbn
Instagram began as Burbn, a location-based check-in app that allowed users to post pictures of their whiskey adventures. Kevin Systrom, the app’s creator, observed that most users ignored the check-in capabilities in favor of uploading images.
The team changed the name to Instagram, combining the terms “instant camera” and “telegram,” and decided to concentrate only on photo sharing.
Odeo
Twitter emerged from the ashes of a podcasting platform called Odeo. When Apple announced podcast support in iTunes, Odeo’s business model was threatened. Employee Jack Dorsey proposed a short message service concept during a pivotal hackathon.
The new project was named ‘Twitter’ after birds’ short chirping sounds – representing brief updates.
Quantum Computer Services
America Online or AOL began in 1985 as Quantum Computer Services, offering online services for Commodore 64 and 128 computers. The company rebranded as America Online in 1991 to reflect its broader mission of connecting Americans to the internet.
Its famous ‘You’ve Got Mail’ notification became a cultural touchstone of the early internet era.
The Facebook
Originally known as “TheFacebook,” Mark Zuckerberg’s social networking giant was founded in 2004 after being influenced by the actual face books given to first-year college students. After paying $200,000 for the Facebook.com domain, the firm dropped the “The” in 2005.
This was a wise move given the platform’s ultimate global domination and multibillion-dollar price.
The Name Game Continues
Even the most prosperous tech companies frequently begin with flawed identities, as these name changes serve as a reminder. Many businesses’ growth plans have relied heavily on their readiness to change and rebrand.
Finding the perfect name may change perceptions and help a promising business grow into a worldwide behemoth that influences how we work, play, and connect, even while the products and services are what is really important.
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