Was the phrase "hello" popularized because of the name of Alexander Graham Bell's wife/girlfriend "Margaret Hello"? This is a popular explanation of the etymology of the word hello, seen in many email forwards: > When you lift the phone, you say "Hello". > > Do you know what is the real meaning of "Hello" It is the name of a girl. > > Yes .... and do you know who is that girl > > Margaret Hello. She was the girlfriend of Graham bell who invented the telephone. One can forget the name of Graham bell but not his girlfriend - that is Love !!!! or whatever.... > > Now you know ... well it is much better that pick up the phone and say "Margaret". Was Bell involved with a woman named Margaret Hello and is that the reason the word "hello" was popularized?

**No**.

Thomas Edison is in fact credited with the first use of the word Hello on the telephone, and the etymology of the word is well documented.

Furthermore, Graham Bell was engaged to Mabel Gardiner Hubbard at the time of the first phone call (and in fact had been courting her for some time), who he eventually went on to marry.

There is, in fact, a Snopes article on this hoax.