How Google Got Its Name#1
Ever wondered how Google, the American tech giant we all rely on for internet searches, got its name? There are many theories, but let’s dig into the real story.
How Google Got Its Name#1
Common Misconceptions
1. Incorrect Acronym Theory
- Some people thought Google stood for “Global Organization of Oriented Group Language of Earth.” This theory has floated around but it’s not true.
2. Online Debate
- The question, “Is Google an acronym?” came up on an internet Q&A platform. This sparked a lot of discussions and theories about Google’s name.
The Real Story
1. Founders and Background
- Google was created by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998. They were computer scientists doing their PhDs at Stanford University at the time.
2. The Word “Googol”
- The name “Google” is actually a play on the word “Googol.” A Googol is a math term for the number 10 raised to the power of 100. That’s 1 followed by 100 zeroes—a very big number!
- This term was invented in 1920 by Milton Sirotta, who was just 9 years old at the time. He was the nephew of Edward Kasner, an American mathematician. Kasner talked about this huge number in his book “Mathematics and the Imagination” published in 1940.
3. Naming Google
- While brainstorming names, someone suggested “Googol” to reflect the massive amount of data the search engine could handle.
- When checking for available domain names, a friend accidentally typed “Google” instead of “Googol.” Larry Page liked the spelling error, and that’s how “Google” was chosen as the company’s name.
Conclusion
So, the name “Google” comes from a playful twist on a mathematical term meant to represent large quantities of information. It wasn’t an acronym, but rather a happy accident that led to the name we all know today.
Table of Contents
References
- New York Post: Provided details on the origins of Google’s name.
- Mathematics and the Imagination: The book where the term “Googol” was frequently referenced by Edward Kasner.
