EAX x86 register: meaning and history

Usually, x86 tutorials don't spend much time explaining the historical perspective of design and naming decisions. When learning x86 assembly, you're usually told something along the lines: Here's EAX. It's a register. Use it.

So, what exactly do those letters stand for? E-A-X.

I'm afraid there's no short answer! We'll have to go back to 1972"

I love digital archeology.