Alexis Ohanian Reveals How He Named Reddit Despite Opposition: 'Everyone Said It Was Horrible'

Alexis Ohanian has revealed that everyone thought 'Reddit' was a horrible name for his company. In a social media post on Thursday (Oct 22), the Reddit co-founder stated that 21 years ago, when the social media platform was still in its infancy, he overrode his partners and used his CEO privilege to name the company that has become one of the most recognisable brands in the world.

Ohanian was responding to a pun-laden post by the official Reddit account on X (formerly Twitter). “I'd tell you a joke, but you've probably already Reddit," read the post.

Sharing the story behind the 'Reddit' name, Ohanian said he was adamant about it and believed that one day, people would use the phrase "I read it on Reddit" in everyday speech.

"21 years ago I named "Reddit" and everyone said it was a horrible name, but I insisted one day people would say "I read it on Reddit" and used my CEO-privilege to overrule everyone + kept the name. Now the company Twitter account (unbeknownst to them) is making the joke. Heh," said Ohanian.

As the post went viral, social media users applauded Ohanian for staying firm and powering through while others stood in his way, knowing it was the right choice for the company.

"I believe in people who stand by their ideas regardless of the naysayers around them," said one user while another added: "A joke, 21 years in the making. Lol."

A third commented: "When I started my entrepreneurial arc I was all about everything being democratic and driven by the “voices of the employees”. Quickly realized that seeking group consensus makes for terrible startups. You need founder vision strong enough to just steamroll through even if everybody disagrees."

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Reddit was founded in June 2005 by Ohanian and Steve Huffman, who were roommates at the University of Virginia. The platform was part of Y Combinator's first batch of start-ups and was sold to Conde Nast in 2006. Ohanian later returned to the company and served as executive chairman before resigning from the board in 2020.

Reddit went public in March 2024 and is now one of the most widely used social media platforms.