In this post, we delve into the pandas library's name origin, a topic that many are curious about but often overlook. Have you ever wondered when you first encountered Python's pandas, if the cute panda bear was the inspiration behind its name? The answer is "partly yes, and partly no!"

Cute panda illustration wearing a Python t-shirt


pandas Name Revelation!

🐼 pandas is derived from 'Panel Data'.

The name pandas comes from the statistical term "panel data". 'Panel data' refers to a multidimensional data structure, commonly used in economics and social sciences to analyze data that changes over time or across groups.

For example, the following data types are representative examples of panel data:

  • Monthly sales changes of Company A

  • Yearly GDP trends of various countries

  • Changes in daily visitor counts of each store

To efficiently handle such panel data, a system known as the "panel data system" was created, which was subsequently shortened to pandas.

🐼 So where did the panda bear come from?

By shortening the name, it serendipitously became 'pandas', and since this word evokes the cute and memorable 'panda bear', it was adopted as the logo and mascot. Thus, the mascot was a marketing decision, but the true essence of the name is rooted in statistics.


pandas Creator and Purpose

pandas is an open-source library created by a developer named Wes McKinney in 2008. At that time, he wanted to perform Excel-like data processing using Python at a financial company, and out of this necessity, pandas was developed. Hence, pandas was designed from the outset to be optimized for business data, time series data, and report generation.


Summary

Item Description
Name Origin Panel Data System → pandas
Mascot Coincidentally associated with 'panda bear' → Adopted because it's cute
Purpose To easily perform statistical data analysis in Python

So, every time you do import pandas as pd, remember not only the cute panda bear but also the powerful force of statistics and automation that pandas possesses! 😎