What Does "Google" Stand For?
Last Updated Apr 11, 2020 5:30:39 PM ET
Despite the many Internet rumors that give various and often bizarre origin stories of the name, "Google," the company name does not stand for anything at all; it is not an acronym. The name "Google" was chosen by its company's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
In 1997, Page and Brin sat down to brainstorm a new name for their search engine, which was originally called "BackRub" because it sought to index the backlinks of the Internet. Both men wanted a name that connoted a huge amount of data. The name "googolplex" was suggested, which led to "googol," both of which are large, precise numbers. The spelling was altered to "Google," and thus the now-famous Internet company found its name.
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