More than just gamers know the popular brand Sony. Find out how the Japanese multinational corporation came up with the name and what it means.
Everyone has probably heard of Sony at some point. Whether it's gaming consoles, televisions, or speakers, Sony is one of the leading companies in the entertainment electronics industry.
Originally founded under a different name, the company has been at the forefront of gaming, audio, cameras, and more for years. But have you ever wondered what the name Sony means?
How Sony Got Its Name And What It Means
We have all been faced with the task of naming a team, a character, or at least an account. Such decisions are never easy, and surprisingly, Sony faced the same challenge.
In 1946, entrepreneurs Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita founded a small electronics store in Tokyo called "Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo," which basically translates to "Tokyo Communication Industry Company." Not exactly a memorable name. But that was about to change:
- First attempt: In order to have a more international presence, the decision-makers wanted to find a shorter and more concise name, but they encountered difficulties. The abbreviation of the name, something like TTK, seemed like an option. However, another company in Tokyo already used this abbreviation, so a new name had to be found.
- Second attempt: The two entrepreneurs tried a different approach by rearranging the first syllables of each word. This transformed "Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo" into the name "Totsuko." However, during a business trip to the United States, they quickly realized that Americans couldn't pronounce the name correctly, so it was rejected.
- Third attempt: Finally, they decided to derive the name from a foreign language. One suggestion was Sony, derived from the Latin words "sonus" (sound) and "sonny boys" (a Japanese loan word for smart and presentable young men).
Ibuka and Morita wanted their company name to be written in Latin letters, not Kanji. Why was this a problem? Well, it was the early 1950s, and memories of World War II were still fresh in people's minds. For Japan, the war ended traumatically with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many Japanese people were shocked that the two entrepreneurs used "American" fonts, sparking a public debate. But Ibuka and Morita stood by their decision, and the Sony name has endured to this day.