People are only just realising clever meaning of Tinder and its former name

27 July 2023 , 14:47

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Tinder started out under the name Matchbox (Image: Photothek via Getty Images)

It has an estimated 75 billion users worldwide - but hopeful romantics are only just realising the 'secret' meaning behind its name. Founded by Sean Rad, Justin Mateen and Whitney Wolfe, Tinder has been connecting singles with matches for 11 years.

The dating app prompts users to 'swipe right' to like or 'swipe left' to dislike other users' profiles in an attempt to match them up with 'the one'. However, it didn't start out as the Tinder known today, as it was established under the name MatchBox in 2012.

However, its co-founders changed its name after realising how similar it was to Match.com, another rival dating service. Taking to Quora, one confused user asked: "What does the word 'Tinder' mean?" Another user added: "How did the app Tinder get its name?"

The app is really popular for young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 (SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

According to Brit+Co, the co-founders started brainstorming names similar to MatchBox when they came across Tinder. A statement reads: What started out as Matchbox eventually became Tinder after the founders consulted a thesaurus. They stuck with the fire theme, liking the idea that their app could create a romantic spark."

Explaining this further, one clued-up user said: "The word 'tinder' refers to the start of a fire, drawing form the procedure of using small items that can be ignited to start things up - another word would be 'kindling'.

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"So then Tinder is the perfect name because a relationship needs small pieces of wood, twigs, branches to get things going. Tinder is used to start the fire, but if the fire continues to burn that fire will need more than the kick-start by Tinder."

Seconding this, another user added: "The word 'tinder' is something that is used to ignite and preserve a fire. Could be kindling, could be some sort of magic gun powder, could be any flammable object or substance. So, the association is clear. Tinder is the flammable substance to ignite the flames of sex and love between two people. Clever name."

Paige Freshwater