Why is Silicon Valley called Silicon Valley?

But when did we start calling Silicon Valley "Silicon Valley"? And what does the "silicon" part refer to, anyways? Turns out, the southern region of the San Francisco Bay now known as Silicon Valley used to have a different name entirely. read more

First off, Silicon Valley is a true valley. We have the Santa Cruz mountains to the west and the Diablo Range to the east. The 'silicon' portion of the moniker came about because of the many semiconductor companies that used to exist here, plus the resulting tech enclave that is still thriving. read more

The geographical boundaries of Silicon Valley have changed over the years, traditionally Silicon Valley is known as Santa Clara County, southern San Mateo County and southern Alameda county. read more

This history byte is a Weekly What Is dedicated to the why and where of a technology name. When learning the geography of the American West Coast one realizes fairly quickly there are a lot of valleys. The San Fernando Valley, San read more