The Truth Behind Apple’s Name: Alan Turing, Steve Jobs, and the Roots of a Tech Revolution

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Apple Inc. is one of the most iconic and influential companies in modern history, but behind its simple name lies a rich web of history, myth, and homage. One of the most widely circulated—and poignant—theories is that Steve Jobs named Apple in tribute to British mathematician Alan Turing, the man widely credited with cracking Nazi Germany’s Enigma code during World War II and laying the foundations of modern computing.

This article digs deep into that theory, separates myth from fact, and uncovers the real origins of Apple’s name, while honoring the legacy of Turing and the pioneers who made the personal computer era possible.

The Origin of Apple’s Name: Fact vs. Myth

Did Steve Jobs name Apple after Alan Turing?

This is a popular but unconfirmed theory. The idea stems from the haunting image of Turing’s tragic death: he committed suicide in 1954, allegedly by eating an apple laced with cyanide. Some see Apple’s logo—a bitten apple—as a tribute to him. However, Steve Jobs denied this.

“It’s just a coincidence,” Jobs told writer Walter Isaacson in his 2011 biography Steve Jobs.

“I wish I had thought of it,” he added. “But it didn’t.

So where did the name “Apple” come from?

According to Jobs himself:

  1. He had just returned from an apple farm commune in Oregon (Jobs spent time at the All One Farm, a Zen-like commune inspired by the teachings of Meher Baba and others).
  2. He thought the name “Apple” was fun, spirited, and not intimidating—a stark contrast to the tech-heavy names of the time like IBM or DEC.
  3. It also helped them appear early in phone directories (alphabetical listing).

Jobs and Steve Wozniak needed to name their new company quickly to meet a filing deadline in April 1976. “Apple Computer” was the name that stuck.

The Legacy of Alan Turing: Codebreaker, Genius, Martyr

While not the inspiration for Apple’s name, Alan Turing’s life and legacy remain deeply entwined with computing history.

Early Life

  1. Born: June 23, 1912, in Maida Vale, London.
  2. He studied at King’s College, Cambridge, earning a first-class honors degree in mathematics.
  3. In 1936, he published “On Computable Numbers”, proposing the concept of a theoretical machine—later called the Turing Machine—that became the foundation of modern computer science.

Cracking the Enigma Code

  1. During WWII, Turing worked at Bletchley Park, Britain’s secret code-breaking center.
  2. He developed the Bombe, an electromechanical machine that helped decipher the Enigma messages used by Nazi Germany.
  3. Historians estimate his work shortened the war by 2-4 years, saving millions of lives.

Persecution and Tragic Death

Despite his wartime heroics, Turing was persecuted for being homosexual—a crime in the UK at the time.

  1. In 1952, he was convicted of “gross indecency.”
  2. Given a choice between prison or chemical castration, he chose the latter.
  3. On June 7, 1954, he died from cyanide poisoning at age 41. A half-eaten apple was found at his bedside, leading many to speculate it was the method of suicide—though the apple was never tested.

Official Recognition

  1. In 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued an official apology on behalf of the UK government.
  2. In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II granted Turing a posthumous royal pardon.
  3. In 2021, Turing’s face began appearing on the Bank of England’s £50 note, honoring his enduring contribution to science and society.

The Birth of Apple and the Personal Computer

Founding Apple Inc.

  1. Founded: April 1, 1976
  2. Founders: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne
  3. First product: The Apple I, a single-board computer assembled by Wozniak in Jobs’ parents’ garage

Key Moments

  1. Apple I (1976): Priced at $666.66. It was sold as a motherboard; users had to add their own keyboard and monitor.
  2. Apple II (1977): One of the first successful mass-produced microcomputers. It featured color graphics and an integrated keyboard.
  3. Apple IPO: December 12, 1980. Apple went public, making Jobs and Wozniak multimillionaires.

The Giants Who Made It Possible

Several key figures laid the groundwork for the personal computer revolution:

Steve Wozniak

  1. Nicknamed “Woz,” he was the engineering genius behind the Apple I and II.
  2. Designed the computers almost entirely by himself, pioneering the use of color graphics and a simplified motherboard.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen

  1. Co-founded Microsoft in 1975.
  2. Wrote software (including a BASIC interpreter) for early microcomputers, fueling the software side of the PC boom.

Gary Kildall

  1. Creator of CP/M, an early operating system.
  2. Often regarded as a pioneer whose work was overshadowed by Microsoft’s eventual dominance.

Douglas Engelbart

  1. Invented the mouse and demonstrated early concepts of GUIs in “The Mother of All Demos” (1968).

Xerox PARC Team

  1. Developed key innovations: graphical user interface (GUI), Ethernet, laser printing.
  2. Apple famously “borrowed” GUI concepts after Jobs’ visit to PARC in 1979, leading to the Macintosh.

IBM

  1. Released the IBM PC in 1981, legitimizing personal computing in the corporate world.

Conclusion: A Name Rich in Simplicity, Not Myth

While the story of Apple’s name being a tribute to Alan Turing is deeply poetic, it remains a myth—albeit a compelling one. The real reason is simpler: Steve Jobs liked the sound of it, thought it was approachable, and needed a name quickly.

That doesn’t diminish Turing’s legacy. In fact, the fact that people even want Apple to be a tribute to Turing speaks volumes about his impact on computing and human rights.

Apple Inc., Alan Turing, and the personal computer revolution are threads in the same tapestry: one that transformed the world from mechanical age to digital era.

Sources & References

  1. Isaacson, Walter. Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster, 2011.
  2. Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing: The Enigma. Vintage Books, 2014.
  3. BBC News. “Alan Turing: The Enigma Codebreaker.” Retrieved from BBC archives.
  4. Computer History Museum. General historical data on early computing and Apple. Retrieved from computerhistory.org.
  5. Bletchley Park Trust. Historical overview of Alan Turing’s work during World War II. Retrieved from bletchleypark.org.uk.
  6. Apple Inc. Press Info and Investor Relations documents. Historical company data retrieved from apple.com.
  7. The Guardian. “Queen grants Alan Turing royal pardon.” Published December 24, 2013.
  8. Bank of England. “Alan Turing to feature on the new £50 note.” Announcement and biography released in 2021.

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