Where did the name Skype actually come from? Is it really a Chuvash word that means “talking for free”?

Like most brands, a large part of the mobile VoIP software’s popularity is in its very name. Skype, like a sacred incantation, garners the attention of mobile phone geeks, budget-minded consumers and frugal businessmen alike.

The truth behind this ingenious word is that it wasn’t strategically forged in a branding master plan. (Nor is it a word from the Russian language known as Chuvash.)

When Skype was invented by Kazaa founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, they were originally going to call it Sky Peer-to-Peer, shortened to Skyper. It was only an accident of fate that would result in dropping the R - it happened that the domain name Skyper was taken, but Skype was still available.

The name itself isn’t particularly descriptive of the services it provides, but simply uttering it can make the post-Christmas blues go away. Especially if you’re actually using its Skype-Out service to save a bundle on long distance cell phone calls.