Finally! Now We Know What AT&T Actually Means

You may not have known, but there is actually a meaning behind the letters for the well-known telephone company. Established in 1885 by Alexander Graham Bell (who also invented the telephone), at the time, AT&T was the primary phone company in the world. (These are other fascinating origins of company names. You’ll never believe the story behind the name WD-40.)

Because it was so big in the United States, the company was named American Telephone & Telegraph—known by most people as AT&T and by some (informally) as “Ma Bell.”

In 2005, the Southern Bell Company bought AT&T for $16 billion, but kept the name and the brand—a good thing we say, because everyone still recognizes the name. Today, AT&T remains the largest provider of fixed line and mobile telephone in the United States.

Haven’t you also always wondered what CVS and H&M stood for as well?