Just as Steve Jobs originally (and dubiously) thought “Bicycle” was a good name for the original Macintosh or “MacMan” for the first iMac, the late Apple CEO almost went with the name “Freedom” for its Web browser. Former retired Apple programmer Don Melton writes on his blog that other names on the table included “Alexander” and “iBrowse,” but in the end Jobs chose “Safari.“ Melton says Jobs “started saying some names out loud — I suppose trying them out to see how they felt in his mouth and to his ears” and “Freedom” popped out of his mouth. While Melton isn’t sure who actually chose the name “Safari,” he quickly felt it was perfect for Apple’s first Web browser. “I liked the name,” writes Melton. “Really liked it. I was committed. I could imagine seeing ‘Safari’ in the Mac OS X dock.”
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.