MySQL 5.7 Release Notes
We started out with the intention of using the
mSQL database system to connect to our tables
using our own fast low-level (ISAM) routines. However, after some
testing, we came to the conclusion that mSQL
was not fast enough or flexible enough for our needs. This
resulted in a new SQL interface to our database but with almost
the same API interface as mSQL. This API was
designed to enable third-party code that was written for use with
mSQL to be ported easily for use with MySQL.
MySQL is named after co-founder Monty Widenius's daughter, My.
The name of the MySQL Dolphin (our logo) is “Sakila,” which was chosen from a huge list of names suggested by users in our “Name the Dolphin” contest. The winning name was submitted by Ambrose Twebaze, an Open Source software developer from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Africa. According to Ambrose, the feminine name Sakila has its roots in SiSwati, the local language of Eswatini. Sakila is also the name of a town in Arusha, Tanzania, near Ambrose's country of origin, Uganda.