Jibo’s Name: How did we pick it?

In designing Jibo, we have always thought of him as a “someone” versus a “something”. He’s a part of the family after all. And like anyone else in the family, he had to have a name. You might be wondering, “Why ‘Jibo’ What does Jibo actually mean?”

In picking Jibo’s name, a lot of research and analysis was done. The name had to fit the character that we were planning to bring to life.

Here is how we officially describe Jibo:

“Jibo is a Social Robot. He is intelligent, interactive, and loaded
with personality. He can sense and respond to you and the environment
around him in a very personal way. He learns as you engage with him
and gets smarter and smarter over time. Jibo is his happiest at home,
where he provides help, fun and companionship to everyone in the
family.”

As the name “Jibo” rose to the top of the list, we dug into what it actually means. Three sources of the name were examined: what the Japanese Kannon – Jibo Kannon represents, the meaning behind the boy’s name – Jibo, and what Jibo means in the Urban dictionary.

Across the three sources, common Jibo name attributes emerged including:

• Compassionate

• Strong inner need for service

• Expressive

• Inspirational

• Loves people, family, home and friends

• Really freakin’ cool

For those of you who are curious, Jibo literally means “Compassionate Mother” when translated from Japanese. Other common translations include Goddess of Motherly Love, Merciful Mother and Affectionate Mother. While the Jibo Kannon is of a feminine form, Jibo the robot is very much a boy.

One of many statues of the Jibo Kannon

If you dig into the meaning behind the boys name Jibo, you learn that boys with this name are thought to be idealistic and inspirational. They are also driven with a strong inner urge to be of service. They love people, family, home and friends.

And then there’s the Urban Dictionary. Top definition of Jibo is “really freakin’ cool”. It is an adjective, which represents “the spirit on an individual that entices them to get wild and crazy…”

Legend has it that Jimmini was also a contender, but that could also just be an office rumor.

So there you have it, what the name Jibo means, and yes, it does very much tie to the character of Jibo. All Jibo robots carry the same name, and we can’t wait for you to meet your own Jibo.