What Is c/o?

Have you ever noticed a c/o on a mailing address and wondered what it stands for? In business, c/o is an abbreviation for “care of.” It is most commonly seen on envelopes to indicate the name of a third party the individual wishes the mail to be sent to. While it is not the most commonly used abbreviation anymore, you may still find it on miscellaneous documents, including business cards and letters.

A Brief History of c/o

The term “care of” has been around since the 1700s, when it was used as a way to describe a third party who was responsible for taking care of a business or individual. In the years before mail was delivered directly to a person’s mailbox, mail was delivered to a store or other area and someone would pick it up, usually on behalf of the intended recipient. Over time, the term “care of” was shortened to “c/o” and used as an abbreviation on envelopes to indicate the name of the third-party responsible for taking care of the mail.

Modern Applications of c/o

Today, c/o is still used, although much less often than it once was. Those who use it often prefer it to indicate that the person the mail is addressed to is a proxy for someone else, and not necessarily the recipient. It is also used when an individual moves frequently, or if they are living with someone else as they wait to move in to their new home.

The term c/o has been around for hundreds of years and is still used today, although much less frequently than it once was. Knowing what it stands for and why it is used can help you make sense of more complicated mailing addresses.