Origins of names
Myth-buster
Nobody agrees who named Java
Did you know nobody agrees who named Java?
· 26-sec read
Sun's language was called Oak until lawyers found the name was already trademarked by Oak Technologies. A brainstorm around January 1995 produced about a dozen names; Java, DNA and Silk cleared legal, and Java won. In a 1996 JavaWorld group interview, product manager Kim Polese says she named it, Arthur van Hoff credits Chris Warth over a cup of Peet's Java, and Warth says he can't recall who said it first.
Popular version vs. what really happened
Popular version
Popular version: one person (often Gosling) named it after his coffee.
What really happened
Reality: a group brainstorm, and the people in the room disagree about who said it first.
Why it matters
Trademark search is a blocking dependency: check it before your team falls in love with a name.
Sources
High confidenceChecked October 20, 2026.