What was Google's original project name, and why was it later changed to Google?

Google's original name was actually Backrub, which literally translates to "back massage" in Chinese.

It sounds a bit odd, doesn't it? But it actually had a profound meaning. The core technology of this search engine was to rank websites by analyzing their "backlinks." Simply put, the more other websites linked to a particular site, the more important it was considered, much like having someone "backing you up." Hence the name Backrub.

However, Backrub didn't quite sound like a company destined to change the world. So, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin decided they wanted a grander name.

The new name they came up with was "Googol" (Googolplex) – a mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, representing an immense quantity. This word perfectly embodied their ambitious goal of "organizing the world's vast information."

So, why did it eventually become the "Google" we know today? There's a widely circulated anecdote about this. It's said that during a fundraising round or domain registration, a typo occurred, changing "Googol" to "Google." As it turned out, everyone found this misspelled name not only usable but also quite appealing, so they decided to stick with the accidental change.

Thus, the birth of the name "Google" is quite interesting, stemming from both grand ideals and a touch of accidental good fortune.