The Danish king behind the nickname.
Jim Kardach suggests it as a temporary code name.
The placeholder becomes a global technology name.
A temporary technology codename borrowed a Viking king’s nickname — and never left.
The king behind the name
Harald Gormsson, remembered as Harald “Bluetooth”, ruled in tenth-century Scandinavia. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group connects his nickname with a dark or discoloured tooth. The precise historical origin of the royal nickname is less certain than the modern branding story.
A meeting in 1996
Engineers from Intel, Ericsson and Nokia were working towards a shared short-range wireless standard. Intel’s Jim Kardach proposed Bluetooth as a temporary codename, invoking Harald’s reputation for bringing groups together. The analogy was about connecting different devices and industries.
The placeholder that won
Other proposed names included RadioWire and PAN (“personal area networking”). According to the Bluetooth organisation’s account, practical naming and trademark difficulties meant the codename remained. A name from medieval history became a global technology label.
The logo is another history lesson
The Bluetooth symbol combines two Younger Futhark runes: ᚼ (Hagall) and ᛒ (Bjarkan), corresponding to Harald Bluetooth’s initials. It is not a mysterious radio-wave symbol: it is a deliberately designed monogram.
Does Bluetooth stand for a technical phrase?
No. It is neither an acronym nor an engineering term. The name refers to Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson; the logo draws on runes associated with his initials.
Check the evidence
Dates are approximate and reflect recorded evidence, not the moment a word was first spoken. Read our research approach.
Editorial review: October 2026. Report a correction.