If you think all programming languages were created by men — think again. While it’s true that the tech and software industries have historically been male-dominated, women have played a crucial role in shaping the foundations of computer programming.
From designing the first assembly language to developing some of the most influential high-level languages still in use today, these women were true pioneers. Their contributions helped make programming more accessible, structured, and powerful — leaving a lasting impact on the entire software industry.
Let’s take a look at the top five programming languages created by women, and how each of them changed the way we code today.
1. ARC Assembly – Kathleen Booth
Kathleen Booth created the world’s first assembly language, known as ARC (Automatic Relay Calculator), in 1950.
Before assembly languages existed, programmers had to write instructions entirely in machine code — a tedious process of typing long strings of 0s and 1s that only computers could understand.
Booth’s innovation changed everything. ARC introduced mnemonics — symbolic names that made programming much more readable and efficient. Instead of manually writing binary code, programmers could now write instructions in human-readable form, and the assembler would translate them into machine code.
Her pioneering work laid the foundation for all modern assembly languages that followed.
2. COBOL – Grace Hopper
Nine years later, in 1959, Grace Hopper revolutionized programming again with COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) — a language designed for business and data processing.
While working on the UNIVAC system, Hopper envisioned a programming language that could be read and understood by people without a deep technical background. Her goal was to make computers more user-friendly and accessible to businesses — and COBOL did exactly that.
She’s also credited with creating the world’s first compiler, the A-0 System, and later developed FLOW-MATIC (B-0) — the first programming language to use English-like commands. These innovations directly influenced the creation of COBOL.
Grace Hopper’s vision made it possible for programming to move beyond scientific use and enter the business world — a milestone that shaped modern computing.
3. FORMAC – Jean E. Sammet
In 1962, Jean E. Sammet, working at IBM, designed FORMAC (FORmula MAnipulation Compiler) — an extension of FORTRAN, one of the earliest high-level programming languages.
FORMAC was the first widely used language for symbolic mathematical computation, allowing programmers to handle complex algebraic formulas and symbolic processing efficiently.
Jean Sammet’s work not only advanced mathematical programming but also paved the way for modern computer algebra systems. She was also one of the few early advocates for documenting and standardizing programming languages, contributing significantly to the organization of computer science as a discipline.
4. Logo – Cynthia Solomon
In 1967, Cynthia Solomon, along with Seymour Papert and Wally Feurzeig, co-created Logo, a programming language designed to teach children how to code.
Logo was revolutionary because it introduced programming concepts in a way that was visual and easy to understand. Instead of abstract numbers and syntax, children could write simple commands to move a “turtle” robot on the screen, drawing shapes and patterns as it moved.
Solomon’s work with Logo made programming approachable and fun — an idea that inspired countless educational programming tools, from Scratch to Blockly.
5. CLU – Barbara Liskov
Finally, we have CLU, developed in 1974 at MIT by Barbara Liskov — one of the most influential women in computer science history.
CLU was one of the first programming languages to introduce object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts such as abstract data types, iterators, and exception handling — ideas that became fundamental to modern languages like Java, C++, and Python.
Barbara Liskov was also the first woman in the U.S. to earn a Ph.D. in computer science, and her contributions to programming methodology and system design remain highly influential today.
Conclusion
Women have played a foundational role in shaping the world of programming — often ahead of their time and against societal odds. From Kathleen Booth’s assembly language to Barbara Liskov’s object-oriented breakthroughs, their innovations continue to power modern computing.
These trailblazing women not only created programming languages — they created opportunities for generations of developers to come.
Fun fact: Grace Hopper once said, “The most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” That mindset perfectly captures the spirit of every woman on this list.
