Before we discuss where Kubernetes came from, we should quickly discuss what Kubernetes is. It is pronounced koo-ber-net-eez and sometimes referred to as K8s. Kubernetes is the Greek name for a helmsman or pilot of a ship, which is apt when you consider what Kubernetes is designed to do. The project's website, which you can find at https://kubernetes.io/, describes it as:
"An open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications."
The project has its roots in an internal project at Google called Borg. Google has been a longtime user of container technology, long before Docker made a splash.