XOXO Meaning: Why X Is a Kiss and O Is a Hug (and How to Use Them)
Here's the short answer on XOXO meaning: it stands for "hugs and kisses." The X is a kiss and the O is a hug, so XOXO reads like a little row of kiss, hug, kiss, hug at the bottom of a note. Dictionary.com's guide to xoxo sums it up the same way: today the string is widely understood as "hugs and kisses," and it works as a warm sign-off in letters, cards, texts and emails.
The longer answer is more interesting. The X has a paper trail that runs back through church history, medieval signatures and an 18th-century letter from an English country parson. The O is a genuine mystery, with one popular story that historians have carefully taken apart. And the way people use XOXO today depends a lot on who you're writing to and where you live. This guide covers all of it, with tables you can scan, the myths to skip, and plenty of examples you can borrow.
XOXO Meaning at a Glance
Before the history, here's the quick reference. If you only need to know what someone meant when they signed off with a string of letters, this table has you covered.
| What you see | What it usually means | Typical feel |
|---|---|---|
| X | A kiss | Light and friendly, especially in the UK |
| O | A hug | Almost never used alone |
| XO | A hug and a kiss | Warm, short, easy to send |
| XOXO | Hugs and kisses | Affectionate, a bit playful |
| XX or XXX | Kisses | Common British sign-off; strength grows with each X |
| OXOX | Hugs and kisses, hug first | Same meaning, just a different order |
One thing that surprises people: there's no rule about the order. XOXO and OXOX mean the same thing. Nobody is grading you on which letter comes first. The meaning lives in the pairing, not the sequence.
Another surprise is how much the tone shifts depending on who sends it. XOXO from a grandparent on a birthday card feels cozy. XOXO from a coworker on a work email can feel a little too familiar. From a partner, it can be sweet, flirty or simply habit. We'll get to those situations later, but keep in mind that the letters stay the same while the relationship sets the temperature.
Where the X Came From: Crosses, Signatures and Faith
The X is the older half of the pair, and its story starts long before anyone used it as a kiss. Several threads come together here, and it helps to take them one at a time.
The X as a Christian symbol
In Greek, the word for Christ begins with the letter chi, which looks like our X. Early Christians combined chi with rho (the Greek letter that looks like a P) to make a monogram called the Chi-Rho. Both Dictionary.com and Moment Magazine's history of X and O point to this monogram as one root of the X's sacred meaning. That's also why "Xmas" isn't a lazy way to cross Christ out of Christmas. The X there is the Greek chi standing in for the name.
Because the X carried that meaning, it showed up as a mark of faith and sincerity. When someone drew an X, they weren't just making a scribble. They were, in a sense, swearing by something they held sacred.
The X as a signature
For most of history, many people never had the chance to learn to write. When a legal paper needed a signature, they made a mark instead, very often an X, and someone who could write noted whose mark it was. Moment Magazine traces how the X became a seal and signature in the Middle Ages.
This practice lasted a very long time. When the US National Archives opened its 2014 exhibit "Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures," its press release described a range of signatures from its holdings, starting with an X made by an enslaved person who had never been allowed to learn to write and running all the way to a real John Hancock. It's a sobering reminder that the humble X has carried the weight of real lives and real legal promises.
From sacred mark to kiss
Here's where things get fuzzy. A popular explanation says people kissed the X after signing, the way someone might kiss a cross, to show they meant what they'd signed. Dictionary.com mentions this "seal with a kiss" idea, and it also mentions a simpler theory: an X looks a bit like two puckered lips meeting.
Both ideas are plausible, and neither can be proven. What we can do is look at when the X shows up in writing clearly meaning a kiss. That's the next part of the story, and it involves a famous naturalist.
When X First Meant a Kiss on Paper
Dictionaries trace word meanings through dated examples called citations. A citation is just a real quote from a real document, with its date, used as evidence that a word or symbol meant something at a certain time. For the X-as-kiss sense, the citations tell a surprisingly patchy story.
Gilbert White's 1763 letter
The Oxford English Dictionary, the biggest historical dictionary of English, lists a 1763 letter by Gilbert White as its earliest evidence for X meaning a kiss. White was an English clergyman and naturalist. The letter ends, as quoted in a 2008 post to the American Dialect Society mailing list, with "many a xxxxxxx and many a Pater noster and Ave Maria."
That sounds like a clear case, but look closer. The X's sit right next to two prayers: the Pater Noster (the Lord's Prayer) and the Ave Maria (the Hail Mary). Stephen Goranson, the researcher who posted the quote, argued that the X's in White's letter could possibly mean kisses, but that it's more likely they meant blessings, as in little crosses. Given the X's long life as a Christian symbol, that reading makes a lot of sense.
The long gap, then a rush of kisses
After 1763, the OED's next citation, as Goranson quoted it, comes from 1894: a letter signed "xxx WSC," with the note "(Many kisses.)" The WSC is Winston S. Churchill, writing as a young man. There's no doubt about that one. He even spelled out what the X's meant.
That leaves a gap of more than 130 years between the two citations (1894 minus 1763 is 131). Goranson noted that he found no clearly kiss-related uses from the 1700s, but several from the late 1800s. Moment Magazine reaches the same conclusion: clear kiss usage appears from around 1880 on.
So the honest version of the history goes like this. The X was a sacred mark and a signature for centuries. It may have been kissed. It may have looked like a kiss. But on paper, it clearly meant a kiss by the late 1800s, and that's the safest date to give.
The Mystery of the O
If the X has a patchy record, the O has almost none. Every reputable source agrees that its origin is uncertain. Here's what's actually known, and what isn't.
The earliest O found so far
According to Moment Magazine, the linguist Ben Zimmer found the earliest mention of O for hugs in a 1905 Missouri Supreme Court case, State v. James E. Kelley, which involved a letter signed "X O." That's well over a century after Gilbert White's X's, and it makes the O the newcomer of the pair.
Dictionary.com adds that pairing O with X as a sign-off became widespread in the 1960s. So the X had a head start of several generations, and XOXO as a fixed, everyday sign-off is fairly modern.
Theories about why O means a hug
Without a clear record, people have come up with explanations. Here are the main ones, with a note on how much weight each can bear.
| Theory | The idea | How solid is it? |
|---|---|---|
| The shape | An O looks like two arms wrapped around someone | Reasonable and simple; no way to prove it |
| Tic-tac-toe | X and O already traveled together in the game, so O tagged along | Plausible association; no direct evidence |
| Immigrant signatures | Jewish immigrants who couldn't write signed with an O instead of a cross-shaped X | Popular but not supported by records; see below |
The Ellis Island story, and why historians doubt it
The most famous O theory comes from Leo Rosten's 1968 book The Joys of Yiddish. Rosten suggested that Jewish immigrants who couldn't write in the Latin alphabet refused to sign entry forms with an X, because it looked like a cross, and drew an O instead. He tied the story to the origin of an ethnic slur and credited it to an Ellis Island inspector named Philip Cowen.
Moment Magazine looked into it and couldn't verify it. Several historians called the story apocryphal, meaning it's been passed around but isn't backed by evidence. Cowen didn't mention it in his own 1932 autobiography. And Ellis Island researcher Barry Moreno said there are no records showing that entry forms required signatures at all. If you see this story presented as fact, you can politely set it aside.
The takeaway is simple: nobody knows for sure why O means a hug. The shape theory is the easiest to believe, but it's a guess, not a finding.
From Letters to Texts: How XOXO Spread
Once X and O settled into their roles, the sign-off moved through every new way people found to write to each other.
Letters and cards
Handwritten letters were the first home of the X. By the late 1800s, people were adding X's to letters to family and sweethearts, as Churchill's "xxx WSC" shows. Greeting cards, love notes and postcards kept the habit alive through the 20th century. Kids still learn it by writing "XOXO, Grandma" thank-you notes, and it's often one of the first secret codes a child decodes.
Pop culture
Television gave XOXO a boost. Dictionary.com notes that the series Gossip Girl popularized it, since each episode ended with the narrator signing off "XOXO, Gossip Girl." For a whole generation, XOXO became a catchphrase as much as a sign-off: affectionate, a little knowing, and maybe a bit sly.
Texts, email and social media
Texting made sign-offs short, and XO and XOXO fit perfectly. They take a second to type and add warmth without needing a full sentence. That's part of why they survive alongside emoji. If you like playing with short, affectionate words in texts, our guide to texting nicknames pairs nicely with this one.
A transatlantic difference
Where you live changes the default. Dictionary.com notes that in the UK, XX is a popular sign-off, while North Americans more often use XOXO. In Britain, a single x at the end of a text between friends or relatives is common and not necessarily romantic. In the US, an X on its own can feel more intimate than it's meant to, simply because it's less common. If you're curious about other British habits of affection, take a look at our list of British terms of endearment, where "love" and "pet" can be just as casual.
A Timeline of X and O
It's easy to lose track of the dates, so here they are in one place. Every entry comes from the sources cited above, and the gaps between them are part of the story.
| When | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Early Christian era | The Chi-Rho monogram uses the Greek letter chi, shaped like X, for Christ | Gives the X its sacred meaning |
| Middle Ages | The X serves as a seal and a signature for people who can't write | Makes the X a mark of sincerity and promise |
| 1763 | Gilbert White ends a letter with "many a xxxxxxx" next to two prayers | The OED's earliest example of X as a kiss, though it may mean blessings |
| Around 1880 on | Clear uses of X as a kiss appear in writing | The kiss meaning is now beyond doubt |
| 1894 | Young Winston Churchill signs a letter "xxx WSC (Many kisses.)" | A clear, dated kiss with its meaning spelled out |
| 1905 | A Missouri Supreme Court case involves a letter signed "X O" | The earliest known O for a hug |
| 1960s | Pairing O with X becomes a widespread sign-off | XOXO enters everyday use |
| 1968 | Leo Rosten publishes the Ellis Island theory of the O | A popular story historians later doubt |
| 2010 | The kiss mark and face blowing a kiss are approved in Unicode 6.0 | Kisses get their own emoji |
Look at that table and one thing stands out: the confident-sounding claim that "X has meant a kiss for a thousand years" doesn't hold up. The X has meant something serious for a very long time, but the playful kiss we know is a 19th-century development, and the hug is a 20th-century one.
How to Read XOXO, XO, XX and Their Cousins
Reading a sign-off isn't a science, but some patterns hold up well. Here are the variations you'll see most, with practical notes on how they tend to land.
Capital or lowercase?
There's no official rule. Many people use lowercase (xo, xx) because it looks softer and less shouty. Capitals (XO, XOXO) look a bit more deliberate, like a stamp. Some people feel a capital X is a bigger kiss than a lowercase x, but that's personal style, not grammar.
How many X's?
More X's usually means more warmth. A single x is a light touch, xx is friendly, and xxx is fond. Past that, it starts to feel playful or extra-loving. Long strings like xoxoxoxo are mostly used with partners, close family and best friends.
Is XOXO romantic?
Not necessarily. XOXO is affectionate, but plenty of people sign off to their parents, siblings and close friends with it. Context does the heavy lifting. A text from your partner signed XOXO is sweet. A birthday card from your aunt signed XOXO is family warmth. An email from someone you just met signed XOXO is probably a habit, and you shouldn't read too much into it.
Do people say XOXO out loud?
Sometimes, yes. You'll hear people say "ex-oh, ex-oh" or "ex-oh" at the end of a phone call or voice message, usually with a smile, because saying the letters aloud is a bit of a joke in itself. It's the spoken version of a wink. Most of the time, though, if you mean it out loud, "hugs and kisses" or "love you" sounds warmer than spelling out the code.
What about XOXO in a signature line?
Some people put XOXO permanently in their email or text signature. That's fine for personal accounts, but remember it will go to everyone, including the dentist's office and the plumber. A signature line can't read the room, so many people keep XOXO for messages they type by hand.
Does XOXO mean "I love you"?
It can sit next to "I love you," but it doesn't replace it. Think of XOXO as a hug at the door, not a declaration. If you're unsure where a new relationship stands, a single XOXO isn't a clue worth decoding. Our guide on when to start using pet names covers the same kind of timing question for nicknames, and the advice carries over.
Who Can You Send XOXO To? A Practical Guide
Sign-offs are about fit. The same letters that feel lovely in one setting can feel strange in another. Here's a guide built from common sense about relationships, not hard rules.
| Recipient | XOXO works? | Safer alternative if unsure |
|---|---|---|
| Partner or spouse | Yes, any time | Add their nickname for extra warmth |
| Parents, grandparents, kids | Yes, very common | "Love you" or "Love, Mom" |
| Close friends | Usually, especially in the UK | A single x or "Talk soon" |
| Someone you're just getting to know | Maybe; it can feel forward | A smiley or "Have a great night" |
| Coworkers or clients | Usually not | "Best," "Thanks," or "Cheers" |
| Teachers, doctors, service providers | No | "Thank you" or "Kind regards" |
A good rule of thumb: mirror the other person. If they sign off with xx, you can send xx back. If they sign off with "Best," keep it professional. Matching the other person's style is one of the easiest ways to avoid an awkward moment.
Special cases
- Group chats. XOXO in a family group chat is usually fine. In a group with coworkers or acquaintances, it can read oddly, so save it for one-on-one messages.
- After an argument. A quick "Sorry about earlier. XO" can soften things, but it doesn't replace a real conversation. Letters can't do the repair work for you.
- Long-distance relationships. Little rituals matter more when you can't hug in person. Many couples end every night's message with the same sign-off, and XOXO is a classic choice.
- Cards for kids. Children love decoding XOXO. Explaining that X is a kiss and O is a hug can turn a card into a small game.
Common Mix-Ups and Myths About XOXO
Because XOXO is so familiar, a lot of half-remembered facts cling to it. Here are the ones worth correcting.
Myth: "X stood for a kiss in the Middle Ages"
The X was a signature and a Christian symbol in the Middle Ages, and people may have kissed it. But the clear written use of X as a kiss comes from the late 1800s. Even the 1763 Gilbert White letter, the OED's earliest example, might be about blessings rather than kisses.
Myth: "The O comes from Ellis Island"
As covered above, historians haven't found evidence for this, and the records needed to support it don't seem to exist. It's a good story, not a good source.
Myth: "X is the hug and O is the kiss"
People mix these up all the time, and some even argue the O looks like puckered lips from the front. But the standard reading, as dictionaries present it, is X for kiss and O for hug. If you want a memory trick, think of the O as arms in a circle.
Myth: "XOXO is always flirty"
It isn't. It's used across families and friendships every day. Flirty depends on context and tone, not the letters themselves.
Mix-up: Gossip Girl invented it
The show made XOXO famous for a new generation, but the sign-off was already widespread decades earlier. The show borrowed a habit; it didn't create one.
XOXO in the Age of Emoji
Emoji didn't replace XOXO. They gave it company. Two of the most common kiss emoji have been around for over a decade, and both show up right next to X's and O's in everyday texts.
The kiss mark, a lipstick print, was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015, according to Emojipedia's kiss mark entry. Unicode is the international standard that makes sure a character looks like the same character on every phone and computer. Emojipedia describes the kiss mark as a way to send a kiss or to stand in for "xxx."
The face blowing a kiss, a winking face with a little heart, has the same history: approved in Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and part of Emoji 1.0 in 2015. Emojipedia notes it was originally named "Face Throwing a Kiss" before getting its current name.
So which should you use? Here's a quick way to think about it:
- XOXO works anywhere text works: cards, letters, email, texts, even a sticky note on the fridge.
- Kiss emoji only work on screens, and they can look slightly different from one phone to another.
- Both together are common with partners and close friends, and there's no rule against it.
Letters also have an advantage that emoji don't: they can be handwritten. A row of X's in your own handwriting on a lunchbox note carries a warmth no font can copy.
Try It Yourself: Sign-Offs for Every Situation
The examples below are illustrative, written to show how XOXO and its cousins fit different moments. Change the names and details to suit your own life.
For a partner
- "Have the best day, sunshine. XOXO"
- "Can't wait to see you Friday. XO, me"
- "Thanks for making dinner tonight. You're my favorite person. xoxo"
- "Good luck on your presentation. You've got this. XXX"
Pairing a sign-off with a nickname makes it feel personal. If you're looking for one, our lists of cute nicknames for your boyfriend and cute nicknames for your girlfriend have hundreds of ideas.
For family
- "Happy birthday, Grandpa. We miss you. XOXO, Maya and Leo"
- "Made it home safe. Love you. xo"
- "Don't forget your lunch. XOXO, Mom"
For friends
- "So proud of you. Celebrate tonight. xx"
- "Thinking of you this week. Call anytime. x"
- "Best road trip ever. Same time next year? XO"
For a card or letter
Handwritten sign-offs give you room to play. A few ideas:
- Write the X's and O's in a circle around your name, like a little wreath.
- Draw a tiny tic-tac-toe grid and fill it entirely with X's and O's so every row "wins."
- Write "XOXO" and then add a short key at the bottom: "X = kiss, O = hug." Kids especially love this.
- Count out the X's to match something meaningful, like one for each year you've been together.
A quick self-check before you send
Ask yourself three questions: Who is this going to? Would they sign off this way to me? Would I be comfortable if this message were read aloud? If all three answers feel right, send it with confidence.
Decoding Sign-Offs: Worked Examples
Sometimes the question isn't what XOXO means in general, but what it means in this one message. These scenarios are illustrative, with made-up people, to show how to think it through.
Example 1: The new acquaintance
Jordan meets Priya at a pottery class. After swapping numbers, Priya texts, "So fun meeting you! See you next week xo." Is Priya flirting? Probably not, or at least not on the strength of two letters. Some people sign off with xo to everyone. The better clue is the rest of her messages over time. A sensible reply mirrors her warmth without escalating: "Same here! See you Tuesday x" or simply "Same here, see you Tuesday."
Example 2: The partner who stopped signing off
Sam has signed every good-night text to Alex with "xoxo" for two years. This week, the messages just say "night." Should Alex worry? A missing sign-off is a small signal at most. People get tired, busy or distracted. The kind move is to ask gently in person, not to treat two letters as a verdict on the relationship.
Example 3: The transatlantic friendship
Emma in Manchester ends every message to her new American friend Dana with "xx." Dana wonders if it means something special. It almost certainly doesn't. As Dictionary.com notes, xx is a common British sign-off. Dana can reply with xx, xo, or nothing at all, and Emma won't think twice.
Example 4: The card from a grandparent
Six-year-old Leo gets a birthday card signed "XOXOXOXO, Grandma." He asks what the letters mean. This is the perfect chance to explain: X is a kiss and O is a hug, so Grandma just sent four kisses and four hugs. Kids often start using the code themselves right away.
The common thread in all four examples: read the relationship first and the letters second. XOXO amplifies a feeling that's already there. It rarely creates one from nothing.
Other Ways to Sign Off With Love
XOXO is lovely, but it's not the only option. If you want variety, or if XOXO feels too playful for the moment, try one of these. They range from formal to cozy.
- Love, The classic. Works for family and partners, and never goes out of style.
- All my love, A step warmer, good for cards and long letters.
- Yours, Old-fashioned and romantic, especially in handwritten notes.
- Always, Quietly devoted; lovely in an anniversary card.
- Hugs, Friendly and comforting, good for a friend going through a hard time.
- Thinking of you, Gentle and caring when someone is grieving or unwell.
- Your [nickname], Signing with the name your partner calls you makes it personal and private.
You can also combine them: "All my love, xo" or "Yours always, XOXO." Mixing a word and a symbol lets you set the tone with the word and add warmth with the letters.
Why Small Words of Affection Matter
XOXO is tiny, but it does real work. It turns "See you later" into "See you later, and I care about you." It's part of a whole family of small, affectionate signals, like nicknames and terms of endearment, that couples and families use to say "you matter to me" without making a speech.
Our article on the psychology of pet names looks at why these little private signals feel so good, and our guide to terms of endearment covers the long history of words like "dear," "darling" and "sweetheart." XOXO belongs in that same tradition, just written in a code anyone can learn.
There's something charming about the fact that a symbol once used for solemn signatures and prayers ended up meaning a kiss. It went from the most serious mark a person could make to the most affectionate one. That's quite a journey for a single letter.
Wrapping Up
XOXO means hugs and kisses, with X for a kiss and O for a hug. The X grew out of a sacred symbol and a stand-in signature, and it clearly meant a kiss on paper by the late 1800s. The O came later, with its first known use as a hug in 1905 and its origin still unknown. Today XOXO works for partners, family and close friends, and it's best skipped in professional messages.
If you'd like a sweet name to go with your sign-off, try the free nickname generator on our homepage. You pick who it's for, from boyfriend or girlfriend to husband, wife, fiancé(e), crush or partner, choose a vibe like cute and sweet, romantic or funny, and see each suggestion with a short "why it works" note. You can save favorites to a shortlist, and the Couple Name Mixer blends your two names into one.
Love, Yours, Always and Hugs Compared
This table sets the sign-offs from the article side by side, so you can pick the one that fits the note you're writing.
| Sign-off | How it feels | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Love, | The classic; never goes out of style | Family and partners |
| All my love, | A step warmer | Cards and long letters |
| Yours, | Old-fashioned and romantic | Handwritten notes |
| Always, | Quietly devoted | An anniversary card |
| Hugs, | Friendly and comforting | A friend going through a hard time |
| Thinking of you, | Gentle and caring | When someone is grieving or unwell |
| Your [nickname], | Personal and private | A partner who calls you by that name |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does XOXO mean in a text?
In a text, XOXO means hugs and kisses. The X stands for a kiss and the O stands for a hug, so the string reads like kiss, hug, kiss, hug. It's an affectionate sign-off, not a formal one. People use it with partners, family and close friends. How romantic it feels depends on the relationship. From a partner it can be sweet or flirty, while from a parent or best friend it's simply warm. If someone you barely know uses it, it's often just their habit, so don't read too much into a single message.
Is X a kiss or a hug?
X is the kiss and O is the hug. People mix them up constantly, and some argue the O looks like puckered lips from the front, but dictionaries present the standard reading as X for kiss and O for hug. A handy memory trick is to picture the O as two arms wrapped around someone in a circle. The X has a much longer history as a written symbol, first as a Christian mark and a signature, and it clearly meant a kiss in letters by the late 1800s.
Where did XOXO come from?
The X came first. It was a Christian symbol, because the Greek word for Christ begins with chi, and it served for centuries as a signature for people who couldn't write. The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest example of X as a kiss is a 1763 letter by Gilbert White, though some researchers think those X's meant blessings. Clear kiss use appears from around 1880. The O as a hug turns up much later, in a 1905 Missouri court case, and the pairing became a widespread sign-off in the 1960s.
Is it weird to sign off XOXO to a friend?
Not at all, as long as it fits the friendship. Many people sign off to close friends with XO or XOXO, and in the UK a single x between friends is very common. The safest approach is to mirror the other person. If your friend signs off with xx, you can send xx back. If you're writing to a newer friend or someone who keeps things brief, a smiley or a simple 'talk soon' might feel more natural. Context matters more than the letters themselves.
Should I use XOXO in a work email?
Usually not. In most workplaces, XOXO reads as too personal for colleagues, clients or managers, even if you mean it in a friendly way. Professional sign-offs like 'Best,' 'Thanks,' or 'Kind regards' are safer. There are exceptions. If you work closely with someone who has become a real friend and they sign off with x's to you, mirroring them in a casual note is probably fine. When in doubt, keep XOXO for personal messages, cards and texts, where it lands the way you intend.
What is the difference between XO and XOXO?
XO is one kiss and one hug, while XOXO is two of each. In practice they carry nearly the same meaning: affection. XO is quicker and a bit more understated, so many people use it as an everyday sign-off with family or a partner. XOXO feels slightly more playful and generous. Longer strings like xoxoxo add even more warmth. Neither is more correct than the other. Pick whichever matches your style and the person you're writing to.
Does XX mean the same as XOXO?
Close, but not quite. XX means kisses only, with no hugs. It's an especially popular sign-off in the UK, where a single x or a double xx is a routine friendly way to end a text, even between people who aren't romantically involved. North Americans more often use XOXO. So if a British friend signs off with xx, it's usually a casual, friendly gesture. If an American friend does, it may feel a touch more affectionate, simply because it's less common there.
Did the O in XOXO come from Jewish immigrants at Ellis Island?
Probably not. Leo Rosten suggested this in his 1968 book The Joys of Yiddish, claiming immigrants drew an O instead of a cross-shaped X when signing entry forms. But historians have called the story apocryphal. The inspector Rosten credited didn't mention it in his own 1932 autobiography, and an Ellis Island researcher said no records show that entry forms required signatures. The honest answer is that nobody knows for sure why O came to mean a hug.
How many X's should I put at the end of a message?
There's no rule, but more X's usually signals more warmth. One x is light and friendly, two feel fond, and three or more feel extra loving or playful. Many people match the number the other person uses, which is an easy way to keep things balanced. With a partner, long strings are perfectly normal. With a newer friend or acquaintance, a single x or none at all keeps things comfortable while you get a feel for each other's style.
Sources
We checked every source below while writing this guide. Last reviewed October 30, 2026, by Joan Ramos.
- What Does XOXO Mean? (Dictionary.com)
- The Secret History of X and O (Moment Magazine)
- X's, crosses as kisses and as blessings (Stephen Goranson, quoting the OED) (American Dialect Society mailing list (ADS-L))
- Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures (press release, March 6, 2014) (US National Archives)
- Kiss Mark emoji (Emojipedia)
- Face Blowing a Kiss emoji (Emojipedia)
