Even nonsense can have an explanation

Airbnb's name doesn't mean what most people think it does. Can you guess?

Image: Markus Winkler

If you’ve ever wondered why so many tech companies have names that seem unrelated to their products or services, you’re not alone. Big brands like Google, eBay, Adobe, and Apple, to name a few, have quirky names that seem to be more about the sound or the catchiness of the word rather than the actual meaning of it. But even if the meaning isn’t immediately obvious, it does exist. Did you know the origins of these 12 names?

Image: Emily Bernal

Many of the go-to software programs for graphic designers, like Photoshop and Illustrator, are made by Adobe. The company’s name comes from Adobe Creek in Los Altos, California—a stream that ran behind the founder’s home—named after the type of clay found there.

Image: Mitchell Luo

Perhaps the most famous name origin story on this list, Google comes from a misspelling of _googol_—a mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. The name was chosen by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the company founders, to reflect their goal of building a large-scale search engine.

Image: Maxim Hopman

According to founder Steve Jobs, the company's name was inspired by his visit to an apple farm while he was on a fruitarian diet. However, he also mentioned that it was partially chosen because "Apple" comes before "Atari" alphabetically—one of his competitors at the time.

Image: appshunter.io

Originally called AuctionWeb, eBay got its name from the company’s founder, Pierre Omidyar, who owned a consulting firm called Echo Bay Technology Group. When he couldn’t register echobay.com, he shortened it to eBay.

Image: Brian McGowan

Early in the animation company’s history, one of its founders suggested the name "Pixer" because it sounded like a made-up Spanish verb for "to make pictures." However, another founder, Loren Carpenter, preferred "Radar" for its futuristic feel. So, they combined the two into a single word: Pixar.

Image: Heidi Fin

Although Spotify originated in Sweden, the word itself has no meaning in Swedish. According to the story, founders Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon were brainstorming names when one of the suggestions was misheard as "Spotify," and it just stuck. The rest is history.

Image: Luke Chesser

Originally launched as Nupedia, a free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia took the first part of its name from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning "quick" or "fast." The idea was to create a fast, collaborative encyclopedia that anyone could edit.

Image: Tech Daily

The word "Hulu" has no English definition, but there is an ancient Chinese proverb that describes hulu as "the holder of precious things"—seems quite fitting for a content platform, right?

Image: Eyestetix Studio

If you’ve ever wondered what Skype means, it’s actually a straightforward combination of "sky" and "peer-to-peer." It was originally shortened to "Skyper," but when the founders discovered that name was already in use, they further trimmed it to "Skype."

Image: Filios Sazeides

While some assume that Airbnb stands for an "online bed & breakfast" concept, the true meaning of the name is much simpler. The founders, who were the first hosts, bought air mattresses for their guests and created a website called "Air Bed & Breakfast," which they later shortened to Airbnb.

Image: Brett Jordan

The forum platform for all, Reddit, has a straightforward name derived from the phrase "I read it online." However, as some have pointed out, there is also a Latin parallel to the site’s name—_reddere_—which translates to "render" and can mean "to submit for consideration or approval"—exactly what users do on the site.

Image: Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com

If you’re building a brand from scratch, don’t name it after a word that already exists—create your own instead. That’s exactly what Etsy’s founder, Rob Kalin, did. In an interview, he explained that the name was inspired by an Italian expression that sounded like the now-famous brand name and meant "oh, yes."

Deep roots

11 everyday words with indigenous roots

English is a very welcoming language in the sense that it incorporates terms from many other languages from all over the world. And, as it couldn’t be otherwise, Native American languages have lent many of their words and terms to English speakers. Some traveled through Spanish or French before settling into English, and others arrived directly through early contact and trade, helping shape the way we speak today. Did you know about these 11 terms?

The word "canoe" comes from the Taino term canoa, which was first used by Caribbean islanders long before Europeans arrived. Early explorers adopted it to describe the slim, sturdy boats they saw.

Over time, "canoe" became the standard English word for a small paddled craft. Today it still carries that sense of simplicity and closeness to nature.

The word "barbecue" comes from barbacoa, another Taino term for a wooden frame used for cooking meat over fire. Europeans adopted it and applied it to both the method and the gathering itself.

Today, "barbecue" means everything from a backyard cookout to a regional cooking style. Its origins highlight the deep culinary influence of Native Americans in the nation's current culture.

"Skunk" comes from the Algonquian word squnk, which means "urinating fox" (quite a fitting term, indeed). This was an obvious reference to the animal’s strong defensive spray. Early settlers adopted the term directly.

Since English had no better name for the creature, the Native word stuck. Today, the word skunks is also used as playful slang.

The word "moose" originates from Eastern Abenaki, a part of the Algonquian family, where it meant "he strips off bark." Yes, it described the animal’s habit of tearing bark from trees.

The name entered English quickly because settlers relied on Native knowledge of local fauna. The word remains unchanged because of its accuracy and usefulness.

"Raccoon" comes from the Powhatan word arakun, meaning "he scratches with his hands." It described the animal’s clever, humanlike front paws.

Settlers adopted the term because it captured the creature’s behavior beautifully. Today, the raccoon is used as a household symbol of curiosity, not unlike the animal itself.

The term "chipmunk" most probably comes from the Ojibwe word ajidamoo, which means "one who descends trees headfirst." Early English settlers adapted the sound into today’s form.

Though the spelling changed over time, the lively image of a chipmunk racing down a tree face-first stayed.

The word "caribou" comes from the Mi’kmaq term qalipu, which means "snow shoveler," referring to the animal’s habit of digging through snow for food.

French settlers brought the word into English, keeping its descriptive nature. The name still connects the modern animal to the winter landscapes it belongs to.

"Totem" comes from the Ojibwe word ototeman, which means "kinship group." It described symbols representing clans and shared roots.

English adopted it to describe carved poles and symbolic elements. Though broader in modern usage, it still hints at the original sense of community, identity, and heritage.

"Coyote" comes from the Nahuatl word coyōtl, which was used by Indigenous tribes of central Mexico. Spanish speakers adopted it, and English borrowed later.

The word kept its meaning, and it remains one of the most direct links between the English language and Nahuatl.

The tasty avocado’s name traces to the Nahuatl word ahacatl, which refers to the fruit and to a body part as well. Spanish speakers transformed it into aguacate.

Later on, English speakers adapted it to avocado. While the name sounds contemporary and culinary, it has ancient Native roots.

The last Nahuatl word and also the last word on the list comes from the term xocolātl, which describes a bitter cacao drink that was consumed long before Europeans arrived in America. The name traveled from Spanish to English.

Though the product changed dramatically, the word survived. Today, chocolate is a universal symbol of sweetness, with rich and deeply indigenous roots.