Amazon was initially called Cadabra before adopting the name Amazon in 1994.
Jeff Bezos incorporated the company in July 1994 under the name Cadabra, shortened from the magical phrase “abracadabra.” The name was changed after lawyer confusion with the word “cadaver,” which sounded similar when spoken. Bezos then chose Amazon, evoking the immense Amazon River and suggesting a business of very large scale.
The company launched its website in 1995 as an online bookstore. Although books were the starting point, the business quickly expanded into many product categories and later into cloud computing, streaming, devices, logistics, and advertising. That diversification helped Amazon become one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies.
Amazon also briefly considered the name Relentless. The domain relentless.com has historically redirected to Amazon, but Relentless was not the company’s final corporate name. Amazon’s stock began trading publicly in 1997, several years after the original incorporation.