Why Is Python Called Python? The other day I was playing Name, Place, Animal, Thing with my nephew. We were engrossed in it and I was feeling nostalgic playing it. I still start smiling remembering how we used to write weird things, words that were new in our dictionary in our early teens.  

In one of the random rounds, I wrote Python in the Thing column, to which my nephew started screaming. As I tried to make him understand that it is also the name of a programming language. He asked very softly -And I too wondered

Why Python? Why is Python called Python?

So if you are wondering why it was named so, Here are some very interesting facts about one of the most popular Programming languages.

So, one fine day,  Guido van Rossum, the finest implementer of Python, started reading the published scripts from Flying Circus (Just as you scroll down the Instagram feed every 2 hours), and was highly inspired by the same.

Now, let me tell you that Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC Comedy TV series from the year 1969. It is one of the most highly admired TV series and has an 8.8 IMDB rating to its name.

Coming back to 2023, today it is one of the most popular languages used by developers. It is an exclusive yet integrated language that has a wardrobe of tools that complement efficient coding and statistical tools. It has varied libraries to operate on complex Math problems, data mining, exploration of data sets, comparison, visualization, and machine learning tools.

Also, it is really fun to read Python documentation that has cited examples from the Monty Python comedy series. In many instances, it refers to spam, eggs, knights, and lumberjacks.

So you might have guessed by now, how it got its name. 

Python = Inspired By Monty Python

Monty Python’s Flying Circus was known for the following –

1. Experimental –

The series was considered an experimental comedy. It had a wonderful plot that touched the audience’s daily life instances. Similarly, It is a great language for projects that require quick experiments with a concept thus ensuring product launch more effortlessly in the market.

2. Plot and structure–

The series is based on a somewhat random plot. It covers diverse situations, and relationships that are displayed creatively on the screen. On the other hand, as a programming language, it is a structured platform that is inspired by many languages. Its control and data structures are inspired by ABC and Its identifiers, strings, and %-string formats are from the C language, while its regular expressions are taken from Perl.

3.  Interesting and Surprising to the audience–

The series is a fun-to-watch creative series that has an exciting plot that surprises the audience with laughter. On the other hand, it is such a diverse language that never fails to surprise its ardent users. It is used for solving complex mathematical problems, Statistical analysis, and data evaluation.

So, Guido van Rossum was so mesmerized by the beauty of the series, he chose to name the programming language – Python. He wanted a name that was somewhat unique, short, easy to memorize, and mysterious at the same time. So he named it after Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

I wonder if someone in the world might be working on a new platform, he would definitely name it Squid after Squid game as it was one of the most highly rated series in 2021. What do you think?