Steve Jobs didn't care for the Siri name but couldn't think of something better

Dag Kittlaus, creator of Siri, recently gave a keynote at Technori Pitch and talked about how much Steve Jobs disliked the name Siri. Only after he couldn't think of a better alternative did he finally succumb to using the name.

Dag insisted the name was great and continued to explain the meaning to Jobs. For those that don't know, Siri actually translates in Norwegian to "beautiful woman who leads you to victory". Kittlaus had previously worked with a woman named Siri when he first learned of the name and the origin. He was particularly fond of the name and even contemplated naming his first daughter Siri. When his first child ended up being a boy, the name didn't quite work out the way he pictured. It did, however, find its way into a product we all know and love today.

Kittlaus had worked with Jobs for about a year before he became sick after Apple decided to purchase Siri.

"...he talked about why Apple was going to win, and we talked about how Siri was doing. And he was very excited about the fact that.. you know, he was very interested in this area in general but, you know, they're patient, they don't jump on anything until they feel they can go after something new and he felt that we cracked it. So that was his attraction.

I ended up very lucky, timing wise. I got to work with him for a year before he got real sick. And he's pretty incredible. The stories are true. All of the stories."

Up until this past October, Kittlaus worked with Apple on Siri in Cupertino. He recently has moved back to Chicago to be a part of other opportunities and be closer to his family. Hit the link below to read more.

Source: iOnApple