Git is a self-insult
Did you know Linus named Git after himself, as an insult?
· Linus Torvalds · 21-sec read
"I'm an egotistical bastard, and I name all my projects after myself. First 'Linux', now 'Git'."
The Git FAQ quotes Torvalds: "I'm an egotistical bastard, and I name all my projects after myself. First 'Linux', now 'Git'." In British slang a git is a pig-headed, argumentative person. Git's very first README calls it "the stupid content tracker" and lists moods: "global information tracker" when it works, and something unprintable when it breaks.
Why it matters
Self-deprecating, short, pronounceable and unused by any common Unix command: a good CLI name checklist.
Sources
High confidenceChecked October 20, 2026.
- Git FAQ: Why the 'Git' name? (kernel.org wiki archive) archive.kernel.org
- Git's first commit README (GitHub) github.com