Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of Q2 2021. With such a large userbase, Facebook has become a ubiquitous part of many people’s lives for connecting with friends, family, brands, celebrities, causes and more. But where did the name “Facebook” come from and what makes it such an effective and memorable name for the social network? In this article, we’ll explore the origins of Facebook’s name, analyze why it’s an appealing choice, and look at other potential names that could have been chosen instead.
The Meaning Behind the Name Facebook
Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg along with fellow Harvard students. Early on, the site was known as TheFacebook.com to reflect that it was initially created just for Harvard students. The name comes from the physical printed directories of student photos and basic information handed out to new students, known as face books. By taking this common university artifact and translating it online, the name Facebook immediately gave users a sense of what the site was all about – putting faces to names and profiles.
Beyond the initial ties to university face books, the name Facebook works on a few other levels:
- It’s simple and easy to remember.
- It emphasizes photos and faces, which were a core part of the early experience.
- It suggests looking inward towards one’s social circle rather than outward to the whole internet.
- It’s inclusive and universal – everyone has a face!
By 2005, Facebook had expanded beyond just Harvard students and the company dropped the “The” from the name to become simply Facebook.com. The name has remained constant even as Facebook spread worldwide and added many new features beyond profiles.
Alternatives Considered
While Facebook seems like an obvious choice in hindsight, Mark Zuckerberg and team did consider some other name options in the early days. Here are a few of the alternative names that were on the table:
- HouseSystem – A reference to the house system at Harvard that divides students into residential houses.
- Slate – A clean, simple name that hints at Facebook being like a blank slate.
- Sessions – This name highlights the idea of user sessions, similar to how sessions work in computing.
- ConnectU – This name emphasizes connecting users, the core purpose of Facebook.
- Thefacebook – This was Facebook’s original URL, before shortening to Facebook.com.
While these names make sense contextually, none of them seem to have the breadth and memorability of Facebook. Most alternatives were tied more closely to students and education rather than having universal appeal.
Qualities of an Effective Company Name
Facebook’s widespread success underscores why the name works so well. But what makes a good company or product name in general? Here are some key qualities that the name Facebook embodies:
Simplicity
The name Facebook is incredibly simple – just two common English words put together. There’s no invented words or bizarre spellings that could trip people up. The simplicity makes it highly memorable.
Descriptiveness
The name directly calls out the primary purpose of the site – connecting faces and profiles. When users hear the name, it’s immediately clear what the site probably does.
Memorability
The combination of simple, dictionary words, the double letter “oo”, and the “f” alliteration makes Facebook very sticky in memory. Once you hear it, it’s hard to forget.
Universality
While founded at one university originally, Facebook was always meant to allow anyone to connect. The name reflects this universal appeal rather than limiting itself to a certain school or demographic.
Personality
Names carry a subtle personality or tone. Facebook has a casual, friendly, welcoming personality. The word “book” suggests something people can relate to and casually browse, with none of the pretentiousness or seriousness of alternatives like Slate or Sessions.
Distinctiveness
A highly unique name can easily stand out. The double “o” in Facebook makes it visually and phonetically distinct from other company names.
Domain availability
Facebook.com was an unclaimed domain that was easy to obtain early on, making it a pragmatic choice. Choosing an available domain is a challenge for many startups.
Beautiful Alternatives for Facebook
While Facebook is an effective name, let’s have some fun thinking of other beautiful names that could work for the social media giant.
Here are a few beautiful, lyrical alternatives that still summarize the purpose of connecting people together:
Friendscape
This name brings together “friend” and “landscape”, envisioning Facebook as a sprawling map of social connections. The suffix “-scape” evokes a sense of wide, expansive spaces.
Facetribe
Similar to Facebook, this combines “face” and “tribe”, emphasizing the community and tribal feel of the network. The spelling gives it a little visual flair.
Connectery
This creative name puts a new spin on the word “connect”, transforming it into a location by adding the suffix “-ery”. It hints that Facebook is the place to go to connect with others.
VisageVerse
This funky option combines “visage” (face) with “universe”, envisioning Facebook as a whole universe for profiles and socializing. The double V’s add distinctiveness.
Friendverse
Also playing on the universe metaphor, “friendverse” highlights relationships and friendship at the core of the platform. The soft consonants give it a warm, inviting feeling.
Facetopia
The word “utopia” means an imagined perfect place. By using “facetopia”, this name suggests Facebook helps create an ideal world for social connection.
Comparing Top Name Candidates
To conclude, let’s compare some of the top name candidates discussed, looking at their relative pros and cons:
| Name | Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| – Simple and memorable – Distinctive – Describes primary purpose |
– Doesn’t expand beyond initial college context | |
| ConnectU | – Emphasizes core purpose – connecting people – Short and catchy |
– Not as unique or memorable as Facebook |
| Friendverse | – Poetic and lyrical – Suggests wider social universe |
– Loss of descriptive and university context |
| Facetopia | – Clever neologism – Implies ideal world for connections |
– Less intuitive meaning than Facebook |
Conclusion
While alternatives like Friendverse or Facetopia might be more fun and creative, the founders of Facebook made the right choice going with the name Facebook. It’s direct, simple, distinctive and effective at conveying what the platform does – connecting faces and profiles in a social landscape. The ubiquitous name recognition of Facebook worldwide shows the power of an intuitive, descriptive, and catchy brand name.