Where did the name Kodak come from?
Kodak remains today the most recognizable brand name in the world (tied with Coca-Cola). George Eastman made up the name in 1888. He remarked to a magazine editor in 1920, The letter K has been a favorite with me. It seems a strong, incisive sort of letter. It is also believed that the letter K was chosen in homage to his mother’s maiden name, Kilbourn. With his mother, Mr. Eastman tried a number of letter combinations, creating words that started and ended with the letter K. Eventually, he settled on Kodak, a name universally identifiable and not translatable to any other meaning in any other language (an important aspect for marketing and patenting). On safari in Africa however, Eastman visited a native village called Kodok.
