If Python does overtake Java, it would mark the first time since Tiobe began its programming language popularity index in 2001 that Java would be outside the top two spots.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto JavaScript, Python, Java, TypeScript and C# are the most widely used programming languages in GitHub projects, according to GitHub's 2022 Octoverse report.

To start out, you learn C, the foundational language needed to build a robust programming skillset, and then you’ll be able to jump into other essential languages like Java, Python, and C++.