Etymology

hashtag

H4A1S1H4T1A1G2

Today it means: A metadata tag, signaled by a preceding hash sign (#), used to label content. Full definition →

First used 2007
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The story

From earlier hash tag, from hash (sign) + tag. The hash sign # was initially proposed as tag hash by Chris Messina to create groups on Twitter, modeled after the IRC channel prefix. First published use as hash tag by Stowe Boyd in 2007.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 2007 A metadata tag, signaled by a preceding hash sign (#), used to label content.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.