What was Uber's original name when it launched?

Uber’s original name was UberCab. Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick developed the company in 2009 around the idea of requesting a premium car through a smartphone, and the early startup used the UberCab name to describe that service.

The first concept centered on booking black cars rather than summoning ordinary taxis. A small beta service began in San Francisco in 2010, and the company’s mobile service then expanded publicly. The “Cab” part of the name reflected the original transportation focus, but it also created regulatory and branding complications because the business was not simply a conventional taxi company.

The company shortened its name to Uber as it expanded. That change helped the brand move beyond the narrow image of a cab-booking service and later accommodate products such as lower-cost rides, carpooling, bikes, scooters, and food delivery.

UberCab is therefore the historical answer, while UberX and UberPool are later product names. They describe particular ride options, not the company’s original corporate identity.