CockroachDB is a distributed relational database system designed for high availability, scalability, and consistency. It is named after the resilient cockroach because it is engineered to be extremely resilient to failures. CockroachDB is based on the ideas presented in the Google Spanner paper and employs a distributed, scalable architecture model that replicates data across multiple nodes and data centers.

Written in Go, this database provides a SQL interface, making it accessible to many developers who are already familiar with SQL. CockroachDB aims to combine the scalability and fault tolerance of NoSQL databases with the relational integrity and query capability of SQL databases. It is a popular choice for applications requiring a highly available database with horizontal scalability, such as web applications, e-commerce platforms, and IoT solutions.