The name ‘Google’ was actually born out of an error
What if your mom asked you to ‘Backrub’ some nice pizza recipes? Okay, what’s that, you would ask, right? Let’s clear the air for you. Google was originally named Backrub when it was launched in 1996 but the name barely lasted a year. And we are sure you are happy about that!
Origin of ‘Backrub’
In 1996, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin called their initial search engine "BackRub," named for its analysis of the web's "backlinks." But by 1997, Page was clear that the name just wasn't good enough.
How Google was named?
The name ‘Google’ was actually born out of an error. Larry and Sergey’s friend, Sean Anderson who was studying at Stanford suggested the word "googolplex" during a name-searching session, and Page countered with the shorter "googol." When searching the internet to see if the domain name ‘googol’ was available, Anderson accidentally typed ‘google’ and found that the domain was available and voila, Google was named.
Fun fact: The word ‘google’ became such a frequently used word in people’s daily lingo that it was officially accepted as a verb in 2006.
From Google to Alphabet
In 2015, Google again changed its name to Alphabet alongside a major restructuring of its businesses. Post this, Alphabet became the holding company and Google became its subsidiary. However, Google has continued its operations as the same company dedicated to internet-related products and services.
But why ‘Alphabet’? It seems the founders liked the name because, for one, it means a collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity’s most important innovations, and is the core of how Google search is indexed! Two, it also means alpha-bet (alpha is investment return above benchmark), which the company strives for!
The journey of 25 years
It is no joke to be where Google is today. It is credited with creating the web's best search engine to date. The company's lightning-fast accurate search results have established Google at the front of the search engine race. This is not a small feat considering that search is the second-most common activity on the internet, right after email use.
In fact, driven by its success, the company has expanded in leaps and bounds. It bought YouTube, started Gmail, launched Android, unveiled Maps. All of these are now properties with over one billion users. It has also diversified into other areas. It designs driverless cars, flies drones, develops wearable technology and invests in start-ups.
Google has an Indian CEO
What makes us proud is that one of the most valuable companies and brands in the world is led by an Indian. Yes, the CEO of Google and Alphabet is Indian-born Sundar Pichai who joined Google in 2004 and became its CEO in 2015 and was thereafter appointed to the Alphabet Board of Directors. Pichai was even included in Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in 2016 and 2020.