'safekeeping' originates from Middle English, combining 'safe' from Old French 'sauf' meaning 'unharmed' and 'keeping' from Old English 'cēpan' meaning 'to seize or hold'.

'safekeeping' evolved from the Middle English term 'safekepinge', which combined the concepts of safety and custody.

Initially, it meant 'the act of keeping something safe', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.