Why is Google Named So?

To find out why Google is named so, I had to search for 'Google' on Google! And you know what? The first search result directed me to the Google search engine itself. Yes, that was a recursive redirection, wherein I was redirected to a page I had just left. This made me think of what would happen if Google presented us with only a single result for every search query. But it does not do so. In fact, it provides its users with googols of search results! Wondering what is a 'googol'? That might have something to do with Google's name! Well, hold on to your curiosity; I will not reveal that so soon. Keep reading.

The effective searching and indexing strategies used by Google and its well-structured page-ranking algorithm, enables the search engine to provide the most relevant results to its users. The search engine's performance has resulted in making Google immensely popular among the classes as well as the masses. Today, words like 'search' and 'find' are synonymous to the verb, 'Google'. Yes, 'google' is a verb! Its popularity has made it secure the highest position in the list of search engines, in terms of performance and use.

We all know that Google is not the name of just another search engine. Google Inc, is the name of an American public corporation that works in the domain of advertising related to Internet search, e-mail, social networking, video sharing and online mapping services. Larry Page, an American entrepreneur co-founded Google with Sergey Brin, a computer scientist and entrepreneur. Both of them were students of the Stanford University at the time they founded this giant organization, Google.

How do you think they came up with the name Google? Would you believe me, if I say that the name was the result of a small spelling mistake by a close associate of Larry Page? I know you wouldn't. It is unbelievable, but very true! In 1996, it so happened, that Larry Page and Sean Anderson, a graduate student working with him, were seated in their office brainstorming on the name of the search engine. It is said that they were using a whiteboard to think of a good name. They were thinking of naming it as something related to the voluminous data the search engine indexed. Sean suggested the name 'googolplex' to which Larry responded saying, "googol!" Incidentally, the word 'googol' refers to a cardinal number represented as 1 followed by 100 zeroes. Sean was quick to search the Internet domain name registry database to see if the newly suggested name was available. Interestingly, Sean misspelled 'googol' as 'google' and found that it was available. Larry Page liked the name and soon got it registered in the registry database. And this very powerful search engine of the day got its name. The Google search engine was registered as 'google.com' in September 1997.

Another interesting story of the origin of 'google' says that the co-founders of Google received a check from an investor, of an amount that summed up to a Google. How lucky they would have been to meet such a generous investor! Probably, this check transaction was a myth.

According to another story behind the origin of the name, 'google', the search engine was named after the commonly used spelling of the word, 'googol'. The mathematical term was coined by Milton Sirotta, a close relative of the American mathematician, Edward Kasner. It could have been used to indicate the large amount of data indexed by the search engine. But, it is believed that the founders of the organization found the name 'google' to be more suitable for their search engine. Some say, that 'google' sounded cool and was hence preferred over 'googol'.

Whatever may have happened years ago; we know for sure, "Google is Google" and as of today, is unbeatable.