What was eBay's original name from 1995 to 1997?

eBay’s original name from 1995 to 1997 was AuctionWeb.

Pierre Omidyar launched the service in California on September 3, 1995, initially as a hobby project. It was designed as an online marketplace where users could list items and buyers could compete through auctions. One early sale was a broken laser pointer, which sold for $14.83.

The service used the name AuctionWeb until September 1997, when the company adopted the eBay name. “eBay” came from Echo Bay Technology Group, Omidyar’s consulting firm. The echobay.com domain was unavailable because it had already been registered by Echo Bay Mines, so the name was shortened.

The change did not mean the auction model disappeared; auctions remained central to eBay’s identity. Beanie Babies became especially prominent on the platform in 1997, accounting for about 10% of listings. A common mistake is treating eBay as the original name rather than the later brand name.