Fun Fact: Google’s name wasn’t always Google. Imagine asking someone to “Backrub” your latest curiosity. Sounds awkward, right?
That’s because when Larry Page and Sergey Brin started their project in 1996, they called it “Backrub.” The name came from the search engine’s focus on “backlinks,” or how websites link to each other.
Thankfully, a year later, they realized that name just wouldn’t do, sparing us all from a world where “Backrub it” was a thing. Enter: Google.
So, what does “Google” actually mean?
If you’ve ever Googled “Google,” you might have stumbled upon the claim that it stands for “Global Organization of Oriented Group Language of Earth.”
Sounds official, but it’s completely wrong.
Here’s the real story
As Stanford computer scientist David Koller recounts, Larry Page and Sean Anderson were brainstorming in their office, trying to come up with a name that conveyed the vastness of their data indexing.
Sean suggested “googolplex” (a ridiculously large number), and Larry shortened it to “googol.”
Sean then searched for the domain name but misspelled it as “google.com.” It was available, Larry liked it, and the rest is history. On September 15, 1997, “google.com” was officially registered.
What’s a Googol?
A googol is 1 followed by 100 zeroes (1 × 10¹⁰⁰). Google chose this name because it reflects their mission to organize an almost infinite amount of information on the web.
So next time you “Google” something, you can thank a simple spelling mistake for the name we all know and love today.
And be grateful you’re not asking people to “Backrub” their queries.
14 Other Companies With Strange Previous Names
Just like Google, many iconic companies didn’t start out with the names we recognize today.
Here’s a quick look at some famous brands and the surprising names they originally had:
1. Sound of Music ➡ Best Buy
Starting in 1966 as Sound of Music, an electronics store, it was renamed Best Buy in 1983 after a successful “best buys” sale following a tornado.
2. Apple Computers ➡ Apple, Inc.
Founded in 1976 as Apple Computers, the company dropped “Computers” in 2007 to better reflect their wide range of products beyond computers, like the iPhone and iPod.
3. Research in Motion ➡ BlackBerry
This company, founded in 1984, changed its name to BlackBerry in 2013 to align with the name of its famous smartphone.
4. Brad’s Drink ➡ Pepsi-Cola
Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist, created “Brad’s Drink” in 1893. It was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898 and became a global brand.
5. Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo ➡ Sony
This Japanese company, founded in 1946, was renamed Sony in 1958, a more global-friendly name that became synonymous with innovation in electronics.
6. Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice ➡ Starbucks
Originally called “Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice” in 1971, the name was simplified to Starbucks when Howard Schultz took over and expanded the company.
7. Blue Ribbon Sports ➡ Nike
Starting in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports, the company was renamed Nike in 1971, after the Greek goddess of victory.
8. DrivUrSelf ➡ Hertz
John Hertz bought a car rental business in 1923 and renamed it Hertz Drive-Ur-Self. Later, it became simply Hertz, one of the biggest names in car rentals.
9. AuctionWeb ➡ eBay
Launched in 1995 as AuctionWeb, the company was renamed eBay in 1997 after the umbrella company it belonged to.
10. Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation ➡ IBM
Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR), it became International Business Machines (IBM) in 1924, a name known worldwide today.
11. Marafuku Company ➡ Nintendo
Started in 1889 as a playing card company, Marafuku became Nintendo in 1963 as they shifted to making games and toys.
12. Pete’s Super Submarines ➡ Subway
Originally Pete’s Super Submarines, the sandwich shop became Subway in 1968, now one of the largest fast food chains.
13. Stag Party ➡ Playboy
Hugh Hefner wanted to name his magazine “Stag Party,” but after a legal threat, he renamed it Playboy, making history in men’s entertainment.
14. Firebird ➡ Firefox
Mozilla’s popular web browser was originally called Firebird, but they changed it to Firefox to avoid confusion with another project.
15. Confinity ➡ PayPal
Founded as Confinity in 1998, the company changed its name to PayPal in 1999 after creating a successful online payment system.
16. Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web ➡ Yahoo
Stanford students Jerry Yang and David Filo originally named their project Jerry’s Guide. It was soon renamed Yahoo, which stands for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.”