From Guido van Rossum himself: Why Python is called Python

Guido van Rossum explains that Python was named after Monty Python's Flying Circus, not the snake. He chose this name as a rebellion against pretentious naming conventions in programming languages, which typically used acronyms (like FORTRAN, ALGOL) or historical figures (like Pascal, Eiffel). The Amoeba project team had a habit of naming utilities after TV shows, and "Python" was short, easy to pronounce, and the opposite of pretentious.