It seems like the name Silicon Valley has come to mean so much more than just a physical location. Synonymous with all things technology, social media, and start-up, now Silicon Valley is even the name of a hit television show. But how did this peninsula town get its name?

Silicon Valley first appeared 45 years ago in a newspaper headline. The print article was about the booming semiconductor industry in the Santa Clara Valley. It is a play on the fact that silicon can be used as a semiconductor in transistors, which is an active component in most electronics.

Stanford University is mainly responsible for turning the local nickname into an international phenomenon. Professor Fredrick Terman is widely considered the "Father of Silicon Valley" for being a champion of the high-tech industry as well as for encouraging his students to start their own technology companies in the area, instead of joining established ones on the east coast.

With a name rooted in technology and a focus on start-up creation over the traditional tech giant, Silicon Valley was born—and industry has never been the same.