I don't like i and j since they are commonly used for imaginary numbers. I like to start on n. Probably because I do DSP.

I always use x or y, coming from Python background

I started using the first letter of the thing I am iterating over. This is particularly helpful with nested loops so I can easily remember which index variable corresponds to which thing.

I dunno why, but I have always used x, y, z for my generic for-loop variables.

Well. I guess I'm then a some kind of heretic then. 🤷

don't mind i but personally always use index or x, y, z for games

When my brain doesn’t work I’ll resort to naming them the single of the plural. Like keys turns into key when i don’t wanna call it “objkey” or “outrageouslylongnamethatmayormaynotbeafittongwordtodescribeakey”

chuckles in Python

I thought it come from mathematical sequences, but actually it doesn't. My best bet is that i is the shorthand for index

I'm honestly prefer short but (usually) complete words. Somewhere along the line I realized that being explicit really helps when you need to change it later.

WTF, I have never used nor seen "j."

I don't usually have to name these variables these days though. Pretty much everything I use has foreach or some functional programming type stuff.

And like that, the off-by-one mistakes disappear.