Virginia calls it a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) - mostly; a few counties give it variant names. The important point is that it covers only a handgun, and no other form of weapon, like knives, chemical sprays, nunchucks, throwing stars, brass knuckles, blackjacks, etc. From the replies in this thread, you can tell there are two things to consider... Do you need to be precise on a formal name? If so, check which state you are in and use their name. Do you want to communicate the concept in discussions with gun owners, like on this forum? Then CCW seems the most widely used and understood