Do you want to know what a linguist/name analyst thinks of brand names and company names? If so, head on over to The Name Inspector blog from linguist Christopher Johnson [via John Cook's Venture Blog].
Here’s part of the entry for Youtube:
Like many good names, YouTube evokes sound-alike phrases that activate appropriate associations in our minds. First, of course, it’s built on the pattern of boob tube, and sets up an implicit contrast with this comically derisive term (“This isn’t the boob tube, this is the YOU tube!”). The use of tube to refer to video is a little retro and ironic, which makes it kind of fun. YouTube also suggests the phrase you too, as in, for example, “You too can be a star!”. These expressions and their meanings resonate in the background, making this an excellent name for a video service featuring user-generated content.
YouTube is also strong phonetically. It has no consonant clusters, so it’s very easy and pleasant to say . . . .
I thought of the you too, but not the “we’re better than the boob tube” implication. There are increasing numbers of people watching lots of videos on Youtube and its ilk instead of watching TV. “O brave new world . . . .”