What was Amazon's original name?
Quick answer
Amazon was originally incorporated in July 1994 as Cadabra, Inc., as in “abracadabra.” Founder Jeff Bezos changed the name after a lawyer misheard it as “cadaver.” He chose Amazon, after the world’s largest river by volume, and the online bookstore launched as Amazon.com in July 1995.
Key facts
- Original name
- Cadabra, Inc.
- Founded
- July 1994, in Bellevue, Washington
- Launched online
- July 1995
- Founder
- Jeff Bezos
Why “Amazon”?
Bezos reportedly went through the dictionary looking for a name starting with “A,” so it would appear near the top of alphabetical website lists. He liked that the Amazon River was the biggest in the world, matching his goal of creating the biggest bookstore. Another name he considered, Relentless.com, still redirects to Amazon’s website. See the largest rainforest in the world for the Amazon region.
Starting in a garage
Bezos left a Wall Street job in 1994 and drove to Seattle with his wife, MacKenzie, writing the business plan on the way. Amazon started in the garage of their rented house in Bellevue, Washington. Early desks were made from wooden doors on legs, a frugal symbol the company still celebrates with its “Door Desk Award.”
Early days
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1995 | First book sold: Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies |
| 1997 | Amazon goes public |
| 1998 | Adds music and videos |
| 2005 | Amazon Prime launches |
| 2006 | Amazon Web Services (AWS) begins offering cloud computing |
| 2007 | First Kindle e-reader |
Early on, a bell rang in the office every time an order came in; it was soon switched off because orders came too fast.
Amazon today
Amazon is one of the world’s largest companies, selling almost everything online and running a huge cloud computing business. Bezos stepped down as CEO in 2021, handing the role to Andy Jassy, and focused on his space company, Blue Origin.
Other original company names
| Company | Original name |
|---|---|
| Nike | Blue Ribbon Sports; see the company once called Blue Ribbon Sports |
| BackRub; see Google’s original name | |
| Pepsi | Brad’s Drink |
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