The Secret of the Bluetooth Logo; A Symbol Derived from the Name of a Viking King

The Bluetooth logo is seen on billions of phones, headphones, laptops, and electronic devices, but the unique shape of this symbol is not a coincidence. The origin of the name and logo of Bluetooth goes back over a thousand years to one of the kings of the Viking era.

The name of this technology is inspired by Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, the King of Denmark in the 10th century; a figure whose name is intertwined with the unification of Denmark and the expansion of his influence over Norway.

The National Museum of Denmark also cites a text from the era of Harald regarding the famous Jelling stone, which speaks of his acquisition of Denmark and Norway.

Where Did the Bluetooth Logo Come From?

The secret of the Bluetooth logo lies in ancient Scandinavian letters.

This symbol is made from the combination of two letters in the Younger Futhark runic alphabet: the rune Hagall (ᚼ), representing the letter H, and the rune Bjarkan (ᛒ), representing the letter B.

H and B are actually the initials of the name Harald Bluetooth. The designers combined these two runes to create a symbol that is now recognized worldwide as the Bluetooth logo.

Therefore, contrary to some common narratives, this logo is not Harald's “real signature”; rather, it is a Bind Rune or a symbol made from the combination of two runes related to his name.

Why Did a Viking King Become the Name of a Modern Technology?

Harald's connection to Bluetooth technology goes back to the idea of “connection and integration.”

According to the official Bluetooth SIG narrative, in 1996, representatives from Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia collaborated to plan the standardization of a short-range wireless communication technology.

During this collaboration, Jim Kardach from Intel suggested the name Bluetooth as a temporary name for the project.

The reason for this choice was symbolic: just as Harald Bluetooth was known in history for uniting lands, the new technology was supposed to enable communication between the world of computers and mobile devices.

A Temporary Name That Lasted Forever

Initially, Bluetooth was not supposed to be the final name of this technology. Options like PAN, short for Personal Area Networking, and RadioWire were also proposed for the final name.

However, according to Bluetooth SIG explanations, the widespread use of PAN at that time and the unpreparedness of the trademark review for RadioWire caused Bluetooth to effectively become the remaining option.

This name quickly became established in the technology industry and before a replacement could be chosen, it turned into a well-known name for short-range wireless communication.

Where Did the Nickname “Bluetooth” Come From?

Bluetooth SIG states in its official narrative that the nickname “Bluetooth” for Harald is attributed to a tooth that had a dark blue or grayish color.

More than a thousand years after this king's era, his name is now seen not only in history books but also on one of the most recognized communication technologies in the world.

Every time you see the Bluetooth icon on your phone or another device, you are actually looking at a symbol whose design is inspired by two runes from over a thousand years ago.

Sources: Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), National Museum of Denmark