The name "Kubernetes" is commonly abbreviated as "K8s," where the "8" represents the eight letters between the "K" and the "s." This abbreviation is known as numeronym, a word or phrase that is shortened by replacing some letters with numbers.

The idea of using numeronyms as abbreviations is not specific to Kubernetes. It has been a common practice in various fields, especially in the tech industry, to create shorter and more convenient names for long words or phrases. Numeronyms can help save typing time, reduce character count, and make the term easier to remember and pronounce.

In the case of Kubernetes, which is a container orchestration platform developed by Google, the abbreviation "K8s" has gained popularity and widespread usage among developers, sysadmins, and the Kubernetes community. It has become a kind of shorthand to refer to Kubernetes in a concise and recognizable way.