Every time you open your browser, chances are you tap into Google’s vast ecosystem. But have you ever paused to wonder: what does “Google” actually mean? And how did a mere misspelling pave the way for one of the world’s most powerful brands?
From “Googol” to Google: The Name and Its Origins
The word “Google” is a playful twist on the mathematical term googol—a number so vast it’s written as 1 followed by 100 zeros (10^100). The term was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner, when he was just a child.
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin sought a name for their search engine, they wanted something that evoked the immensity of information they aimed to index. During a brainstorming session, the term “googolplex” came up, but they pared it down.
Here’s where serendipity struck: one of Brin’s collaborators (Sean Anderson) checked domain name availability but typed in “google.com” instead of “googol.com.” The version stuck. In effect, our everyday “Google” is a happy typo that morphed into a global brand.
A Birthday That Moved
Interestingly, although Google was officially incorporated on September 4, 1998, the company celebrates its birthday on September 27. That later date is said to mark a key internal milestone—when Google indexed a record number of web pages—so the founders chose it as their annual “birthday.”
So in 2025, Google turns 27—not just in name, but in celebratory spirit.
From BackRub to a Global Giant
Believe it or not, Google was initially called BackRub, referring to its algorithm that ranked web pages by backlinks. But by 1997, the founders felt they needed something more evocative. That’s when the “googol → google” sequence came into play.
Over the decades, what began as a search experiment in a Menlo Park garage has grown into a sprawling empire under the umbrella of Alphabet Inc. Today, Google touches nearly every corner of digital life—from Gmail and YouTube to Android, Maps, AI, cloud services, and more.
The 27th Birthday Doodle: A Nod to the Past, a Glimpse of the Future
To commemorate its 27th anniversary, Google released a nostalgic Doodle on September 27, 2025. The artwork resurrected the company’s very first logo from 1998—bringing users on a time-warp back to the early internet era. Google Doodles The Doodle also pointed forward, inviting observers to explore Google’s latest AI innovations.
In Google’s own words:
“This Doodle artwork features Google’s first-ever logo (created in 1998). Let this vintage logo transport you back to the ‘90s and teleport into the future by checking out Google’s newest AI innovation.”
Why Google Matters More Than Ever
We often shrug and say, “Just Google it” without thinking twice. But that phrase reflects a larger cultural shift: Google has become not just a company, but a verb—the go-to tool for discovery, problem-solving, and instant access to collective knowledge.