How these tech companies got their names

Apple
According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating"

Wipro:(My Dream Company) From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant

Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. 

Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. 

Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential.

Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting.

According to the founder of Samsung Group, the meaning of Samsung is "tristar" or "three stars". The word "three" represents something "big, numerous and powerful"; the "stars" mean eternity

Adobe Systems: From the Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of co-founder John Warnock.


Google: An originally accidental misspelling of the word googol and settled upon because google.com was unregistered. Googol was proposed to reflect the company's mission to organize the immense amount of information available online. (Googol is equivalent to ten raised to the power of a hundred.) 


Acer: Born as Multitech International in 1976, the company changed its name to Acer in 1987. The Latin word for “sharp, acute, able and facile”.

Skype: The original concept for the name was Sky-Peer-to-Peer, which morphed into Skyper, then Skype.

Dell: Named after its founder, Michael Dell. The company changed its name from Dell Computer in 2003.

Amazon.com: Founder Jeff Bezos renamed the company Amazon (from the earlier name of Cadabra.com) after the world's most voluminous river, the Amazon. He saw the potential for a larger volume of sales in an online (as opposed to a bricks and mortar) bookstore. (Another story goes that Amazon was chosen to cash in on the popularity of Yahoo, which listed entries alphabetically.) 

1. According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating". (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2. Wipro: From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant. (REUTERS/Stringer)

3. Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (AFP PHOTO/ Indranil MUKHERJEE)...more 

4. Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. (REUTERS/Thomas Hodel/Files )

5. Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential. (REUTERS/Regis Duvignau)

6. Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting. (AFP PHOTO LOIC VENANCE)

7. According to the founder of Samsung Group, the meaning of Samsung is "tristar" or "three stars". The word "three" represents something "big, numerous and powerful"; the "stars" mean eternity. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Files)

8. Adobe Systems: From the Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of co-founder John Warnock. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP)

9. Google: An originally accidental misspelling of the word googol and settled upon because google.com was unregistered. Googol was proposed to reflect the company's mission to organize the immense amount of information available online. (Googol is equivalent to ten raised to the power of a hundred.) (REUTERS/Mark Blinch)

10. Acer: Born as Multitech International in 1976, the company changed its name to Acer in 1987. The Latin word for “sharp, acute, able and facile”.

11. Skype: The original concept for the name was Sky-Peer-to-Peer, which morphed into Skyper, then Skype. (REUTERS/David Loh)

12. Dell: Named after its founder, Michael Dell. The company changed its name from Dell Computer in 2003. (REUTERS/Joshua Lott)

13. Amazon.com: Founder Jeff Bezos renamed the company Amazon (from the earlier name of Cadabra.com) after the world's most voluminous river, the Amazon. He saw the potential for a larger volume of sales in an online (as opposed to a bricks and mortar) bookstore. (Another story goes that Amazon was chosen to cash in on the popularity of Yahoo, which listed entries alphabetically.) (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

14. Infosys: Short form of ‘Information Systems’ 

1. According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating". (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2. Wipro: From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant. (REUTERS/Stringer)

3. Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (AFP PHOTO/ Indranil MUKHERJEE)...more 

4. Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. (REUTERS/Thomas Hodel/Files )

5. Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential. (REUTERS/Regis Duvignau)

6. Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting. (AFP PHOTO LOIC VENANCE)

7. According to the founder of Samsung Group, the meaning of Samsung is "tristar" or "three stars". The word "three" represents something "big, numerous and powerful"; the "stars" mean eternity. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Files)

8. Adobe Systems: From the Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of co-founder John Warnock. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP)

9. Google: An originally accidental misspelling of the word googol and settled upon because google.com was unregistered. Googol was proposed to reflect the company's mission to organize the immense amount of information available online. (Googol is equivalent to ten raised to the power of a hundred.) (REUTERS/Mark Blinch)

10. Acer: Born as Multitech International in 1976, the company changed its name to Acer in 1987. The Latin word for “sharp, acute, able and facile”.

11. Skype: The original concept for the name was Sky-Peer-to-Peer, which morphed into Skyper, then Skype. (REUTERS/David Loh)

12. Dell: Named after its founder, Michael Dell. The company changed its name from Dell Computer in 2003. (REUTERS/Joshua Lott)

13. Amazon.com: Founder Jeff Bezos renamed the company Amazon (from the earlier name of Cadabra.com) after the world's most voluminous river, the Amazon. He saw the potential for a larger volume of sales in an online (as opposed to a bricks and mortar) bookstore. (Another story goes that Amazon was chosen to cash in on the popularity of Yahoo, which listed entries alphabetically.) (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

14. Infosys: Short form of ‘Information Systems’ 

1. According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating". (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2. Wipro: From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant. (REUTERS/Stringer)

3. Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (AFP PHOTO/ Indranil MUKHERJEE)...more 

4. Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. (REUTERS/Thomas Hodel/Files )

5. Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential. (REUTERS/Regis Duvignau)

6. Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting. (AFP PHOTO LOIC VENANCE)

7. According to the founder of Samsung Group, the meaning of Samsung is "tristar" or "three stars". The word "three" represents something "big, numerous and powerful"; the "stars" mean eternity. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Files)

8. Adobe Systems: From the Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of co-founder John Warnock. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP)

9. Google: An originally accidental misspelling of the word googol and settled upon because google.com was unregistered. Googol was proposed to reflect the company's mission to organize the immense amount of information available online. (Googol is equivalent to ten raised to the power of a hundred.) (REUTERS/Mark Blinch)

10. Acer: Born as Multitech International in 1976, the company changed its name to Acer in 1987. The Latin word for “sharp, acute, able and facile”.

11. Skype: The original concept for the name was Sky-Peer-to-Peer, which morphed into Skyper, then Skype. (REUTERS/David Loh)

12. Dell: Named after its founder, Michael Dell. The company changed its name from Dell Computer in 2003. (REUTERS/Joshua Lott)

13. Amazon.com: Founder Jeff Bezos renamed the company Amazon (from the earlier name of Cadabra.com) after the world's most voluminous river, the Amazon. He saw the potential for a larger volume of sales in an online (as opposed to a bricks and mortar) bookstore. (Another story goes that Amazon was chosen to cash in on the popularity of Yahoo, which listed entries alphabetically.) (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

14. Infosys: Short form of ‘Information Systems’ 

1. According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating". (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2. Wipro: From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant. (REUTERS/Stringer)

3. Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (AFP PHOTO/ Indranil MUKHERJEE)...more 

4. Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. (REUTERS/Thomas Hodel/Files )

5. Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential. (REUTERS/Regis Duvignau)

6. Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting. (AFP PHOTO LOIC VENANCE)

7. According to the founder of Samsung Group, the meaning of Samsung is "tristar" or "three stars". The word "three" represents something "big, numerous and powerful"; the "stars" mean eternity. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Files)

8. Adobe Systems: From the Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of co-founder John Warnock. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP)

9. Google: An originally accidental misspelling of the word googol and settled upon because google.com was unregistered. Googol was proposed to reflect the company's mission to organize the immense amount of information available online. (Googol is equivalent to ten raised to the power of a hundred.) (REUTERS/Mark Blinch)

10. Acer: Born as Multitech International in 1976, the company changed its name to Acer in 1987. The Latin word for “sharp, acute, able and facile”.

11. Skype: The original concept for the name was Sky-Peer-to-Peer, which morphed into Skyper, then Skype. (REUTERS/David Loh)

12. Dell: Named after its founder, Michael Dell. The company changed its name from Dell Computer in 2003. (REUTERS/Joshua Lott)

13. Amazon.com: Founder Jeff Bezos renamed the company Amazon (from the earlier name of Cadabra.com) after the world's most voluminous river, the Amazon. He saw the potential for a larger volume of sales in an online (as opposed to a bricks and mortar) bookstore. (Another story goes that Amazon was chosen to cash in on the popularity of Yahoo, which listed entries alphabetically.) (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

14. Infosys: Short form of ‘Information Systems’ 

1. According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating". (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2. Wipro: From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant. (REUTERS/Stringer)

3. Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (AFP PHOTO/ Indranil MUKHERJEE)...more 

4. Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. (REUTERS/Thomas Hodel/Files )

5. Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential. (REUTERS/Regis Duvignau)

6. Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting.

1. According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating". (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2. Wipro: From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant. (REUTERS/Stringer)

3. Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (AFP PHOTO/ Indranil MUKHERJEE)...more 

4. Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. (REUTERS/Thomas Hodel/Files )

5. Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential. (REUTERS/Regis Duvignau)

6. Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting.

1. According to Steve Jobs, Apple was so named because Jobs was coming back from an apple farm, and he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name was "fun, spirited and not intimidating". (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2. Wipro: From Western India Palm Refined Oil Ltd Wipro Technologies. The company started as a modest Vanaspati and laundry soap producer and is now also an IT services giant. (REUTERS/Stringer)

3. Hotmail: Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "HTML" – the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (AFP PHOTO/ Indranil MUKHERJEE)...more 

4. Facebook: Name stems from the colloquial name of books given to newly enrolled students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. (REUTERS/Thomas Hodel/Files )

5. Twitter: Having rejected the name Twitch for their social networking service, co-founder Jack Dorsey says: "we looked in the dictionary for words around it and we came across the word 'twitter' and it was just perfect. The definition was 'a short burst of inconsequential. (REUTERS/Regis Duvignau)

6. Accenture From "Accent on the future". The name Accenture was proposed by a company employee in Norway as part of an internal name finding process (BrandStorming). Before 1 January 2001, the company was called Andersen Consulting.