The Fascinating Journey of the Octothorpe: More Than Just a Pound Sign The symbol on the "pound" key (#), commonly referred to as the octothorpe, has an interesting and somewhat debated origin story that adds to its uniqueness in the realm of typographical symbols. The term "octothorpe" is believed to have emerged in the late 1960s, particularly within telecommunications circles and the Bell Labs community. One popular anecdote attributes the name to a playful brainstorming session where an engi