Logo Credit: Paula Scher

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have turned to alternative ways to keep in touch with our friends and family. One of the most popular ways is by using video chat services like FaceTime and Skype. While it is easy to understand a name like FaceTime, the same is not true for a name like Skype, which has an interesting history.

The Origin of the Business Name Skype

The most recognizable part of the word “Skype” is “sky,” but the origins of this business name have nothing to do with the sky. In reality, the company was trying to find a name that described what the service could do—virtually allow people to communicate from across the world. “Sky peer-to-peer” was used internally to describe how the service worked, and they initially wanted to shorten it to Skyper. Unfortunately, numerous domain names that contained “skyper” were already owned, so the company decided to remove the letter “r” and shorten it to Skype.

Some people also believe that the use of the word sky in Skype is actually a nod to the Scandinavian founders, as the word has roots in Old Norse. Instead of other tech start-ups, whose business names often are derived from Latin, Skype stands out. It remains an effective name today because it is simple and memorable. It does not sound like anything else on the market, and it’s hard to confuse with any other tech company.

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