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How to Write Your Name in Runes: An Elder Futhark Guide

ᚱ · Rune Alphabet

How to Write Your Name in Runes: An Elder Futhark Guide

June 16, 2026·10 min read·Runestone Norway

Learn how to write your name in Elder Futhark runes — and use the Runestone Norway Rune Name Converter to see your name in the Viking runic alphabet instantly.

The Elder Futhark rune alphabet is one of the oldest writing systems of the Germanic peoples. People have carved their names in runes for over 1,500 years. And with a basic understanding of how the runes work, you can do it too.

This guide explains how to write your name in Elder Futhark runes — which runes match which sounds, where the alphabet comes from, and what to watch for when transliterating modern names into the runic system.

If you want to skip straight to seeing your own name, use the Runestone Norway Rune Name Converter — just type in your name and see how it looks in Elder Futhark.

Table of Contents

What Are Runes?

Runes are the letters of the runic alphabets used by Germanic peoples from roughly the 2nd century CE through the late medieval period in Scandinavia. The word rune itself comes from an Old Norse and Proto-Germanic root meaning "secret," "mystery," or "whisper."

Unlike the Latin alphabet, which developed from Greek writing through a long chain of borrowed forms, the runic alphabets developed independently among the Germanic peoples. The oldest runic inscriptions date to around the 2nd or 3rd century CE. They appear on weapons, jewelry, stones, and everyday objects.

Runes were used for writing, but they were never just writing. From the beginning, individual runes carried meaning beyond their phonetic value. Each rune had a name — and that name connected to a concept, an object in the natural world, or a force. The rune Fehu means cattle and wealth. Uruz means aurochs and primal strength. Tiwaz is the sky god Tyr and the concept of justice.

When people wore or carved runes, they were often doing both things at once: writing words and invoking the meanings of the individual letters. That double function is part of what makes runes still feel significant today.

The Elder Futhark Alphabet

The Elder Futhark is the oldest complete runic alphabet we have, containing 24 runes used from roughly the 2nd to 8th centuries CE. Its name comes from the sounds of its first six characters: F, U, Þ (th), A, R, K.

The 24 runes are divided into three groups of eight called aettir (singular: ætt). Each ætt is named after a deity or mythological figure.

Here are all 24 runes with their traditional names and primary phonetic values:

First Ætt (Freyr's Ætt)
ᚠ Fehu — F (cattle, wealth)
ᚢ Uruz — U (aurochs, primal strength)
ᚦ Thurisaz — Th (giant, thorn)
ᚨ Ansuz — A (Aesir god, breath)
ᚱ Raidho — R (ride, journey)
ᚲ Kenaz — K/C (torch, knowledge)
ᚷ Gebo — G (gift)
ᚹ Wunjo — W/V (joy, fellowship)

Second Ætt (Hagal's Ætt)
ᚺ Hagalaz — H (hail, disruption)
ᚾ Nauthiz — N (need, necessity)
ᛁ Isa — I (ice, stillness)
ᛃ Jera — J/Y (year, harvest)
ᛇ Eihwaz — E/I (yew tree, endurance)
ᛈ Perthro — P (uncertain meaning)
ᛉ Algiz — Z/R (elk, protection)
ᛊ Sowilo — S (sun, victory)

Third Ætt (Tyr's Ætt)
ᛏ Tiwaz — T (sky god Tyr, justice)
ᛒ Berkano — B (birch, growth)
ᛖ Ehwaz — E (horse, partnership)
ᛗ Mannaz — M (human, self)
ᛚ Laguz — L (water, flow)
ᛜ Ingwaz — Ng (fertility god Ing)
ᛞ Dagaz — D (day, breakthrough)
ᛟ Othala — O (ancestral home, heritage)

Want a reference to keep close? The Elder Futhark Rune Chart – Printable Poster has all 24 runes with their names, sounds, and meanings on a single printable sheet — download it and print it at home.

For a deeper look at each of these runes and their individual meanings, see our full guide to the Elder Futhark rune alphabet.

How to Write Your Name in Runes

Transliterating a modern name into Elder Futhark means matching each sound in the name to its closest runic equivalent. This is sound-based, not spelling-based — you work from how the name is pronounced, not how it is written.

Key sound-to-rune correspondences for modern English names:

Vowels:
A — ᚨ (Ansuz)
E — ᛖ (Ehwaz) or ᛇ (Eihwaz) depending on the sound
I — ᛁ (Isa)
O — ᛟ (Othala)
U — ᚢ (Uruz)

Consonants:
B — ᛒ (Berkano)
C (hard, as in "cat") — ᚲ (Kenaz)
C (soft, as in "city") — ᛊ (Sowilo)
D — ᛞ (Dagaz)
F — ᚠ (Fehu)
G — ᚷ (Gebo)
H — ᚺ (Hagalaz)
J — ᛃ (Jera)
K — ᚲ (Kenaz)
L — ᛚ (Laguz)
M — ᛗ (Mannaz)
N — ᚾ (Nauthiz)
P — ᛈ (Perthro)
R — ᚱ (Raidho)
S — ᛊ (Sowilo)
T — ᛏ (Tiwaz)
TH — ᚦ (Thurisaz)
V — ᚹ (Wunjo) or ᚠ (Fehu) depending on tradition
W — ᚹ (Wunjo)
X — ᚲᛊ (KS)
Y (consonant) — ᛃ (Jera)
Z — ᛉ (Algiz)

The easiest way to see your exact name in runes is to use the Rune Name Converter at Runestone Norway. Type your name in, and it handles the transliteration for you — sound by sound, following Elder Futhark conventions.

Common Mistakes When Writing Names in Runes

A few issues come up repeatedly when people first try to write names in runes:

Spelling instead of sounding. The most common mistake. Runes represent sounds, not letters. "Matthew" has eight letters but only five distinct sounds: M-A-TH-EW. The runic version would be five runes, not eight.

Doubled letters. Most runic inscriptions do not double consonants. "Emma" becomes E-M-A in runes, not E-M-M-A. Write the sound once.

Silent letters. Silent letters in English are not written in runes. The "k" in "Knight" is silent — it would not appear in the runic version. The "e" at the end of "Anne" is silent — same result.

The CH sound. The Elder Futhark does not have a dedicated rune for the CH sound as in "church." Depending on tradition, this can be rendered as ᚲ (K sound) or handled through combination. The Rune Name Converter makes a consistent choice about this so your name looks intentional rather than uncertain.

Treating it as a one-to-one letter swap. Runes are not a code where each English letter maps to a rune. They are an alphabet for a different language, mapped to modern sounds. The result looks and feels Norse because it is working with a Norse system, not just swapping characters.

Using the Rune Name Converter

The Runestone Norway Rune Name Converter is designed for exactly this purpose. Type your name, and the tool shows you how it looks written in Elder Futhark runes.

It handles the sound-based transliteration automatically. You do not need to work through the alphabet yourself. It is useful for:

Seeing your own name in runes before committing to a tattoo or custom piece. Checking the runic version of a name as a gift for someone. Exploring how different names look in Elder Futhark. Combining the runic name with other Norse symbols for a personal design.

The converter uses Elder Futhark specifically — the oldest and most historically significant runic alphabet. Some sites use Younger Futhark (the Viking Age version with only 16 runes) or Anglo-Saxon Futhorc (an expanded version). Elder Futhark is the most common choice for personal names today because it has more sounds available and feels most connected to the original runic tradition.

Try the Rune Name Converter and see your name in the old alphabet.

Rune Tattoos and Personal Symbols

Writing your name in runes is one of the most personal connections you can make to Norse symbolism. A runic name tattoo carries your identity in an ancient writing system — both meaningful and visually striking.

A few things worth knowing before committing to runic ink:

Get the transliteration verified before the tattoo appointment. Once it is in ink, errors are expensive to fix. Use the Rune Name Converter and cross-reference with the rune table in this guide.

If you want a thorough reference to work through before your appointment, our Write Your Name in Runes – 12-Page Viking Guide covers both Elder Futhark and Younger Futhark transliteration in full, with sound tables, comparison charts, and step-by-step name-writing instructions. Download it, take your time with it, and go in confident.

Decide whether you want Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark, or another runic system. Elder Futhark is the most commonly used for names today. Younger Futhark has only 16 runes and was the system actually used in the Viking Age — it is less versatile for modern names but more historically specific to the Viking period.

Consider the runes as individual symbols, not just letters. Your runic name is made of runes that each have their own traditional meaning. Many people find it meaningful to know what each rune in their name represents beyond its phonetic value. Our full Elder Futhark guide covers all 24 rune meanings in detail.

Rune Chart Downloads

If you want a printable reference for either runic alphabet, these downloads cover both systems in full:

Personalized Rune Gifts

A runic name is a meaningful, personal gift. Runestone Norway's personalized rune gifts collection includes pieces where a name — yours or someone else's — can be rendered in Elder Futhark as part of the design.

For people with a genuine connection to Norse heritage and symbolism, a piece that carries their name in runes means more than a generic Viking-themed item. It is specific to them.

Our runes and rune meanings collection also has a wide range of rune-inspired pieces for those drawn to the tradition as a whole. And if you're looking for meaningful Norse gifts, our Viking gifts collection has pieces for every occasion.

Want more guides to the Elder Futhark, rune meanings, and Norse symbolism? Join the Rune Circle and receive new Rune Library articles and Norse heritage content from Runestone Norway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I write my name in Viking runes?
Yes. The Elder Futhark is the oldest runic alphabet and the most commonly used for writing modern names in runes. Use the Rune Name Converter to see your name in Elder Futhark instantly.

Is it accurate to write modern names in runes?
It is a form of transliteration — mapping the sounds of a modern name to runic characters. The Vikings did write names in runes (their own Old Norse names). Applying runes to modern English names is a creative extension of that tradition, not a historical practice in itself. It works best when done sound-by-sound rather than letter-by-letter.

What is the difference between Elder Futhark and Younger Futhark?
Elder Futhark is the oldest runic alphabet, with 24 runes, used from roughly the 2nd to 8th centuries. Younger Futhark is the version used during the Viking Age with only 16 runes. Elder Futhark is the more common choice for personal names today because it handles modern sounds better. If you want printable reference charts for both, see our Elder Futhark Rune Chart and Younger Futhark Rune Chart.

What rune represents my letter?
Runes correspond to sounds, not letters. See the sound-to-rune table in this guide, or use the Rune Name Converter to get your full name transliterated automatically.

Is there an "old Norse translator"?
Old Norse is a language — translating into it would mean converting your words into the Old Norse language itself, which is different from writing your modern name in runic characters. What most people are looking for is a runic transliterator: a tool that writes a modern name using runic letters. The Rune Name Converter does exactly that.

Can I get my name in runes on a product?
Yes. Runestone Norway's personalized rune gifts collection includes pieces where your name can be incorporated as a runic design.

Are runes still used today?
Elder Futhark runes are widely used today in jewelry, tattoos, art, and spiritual practice. Modern Norse paganism (Asatru) uses runes for meditation, divination, and personal symbolism. The tradition of rune meaning and rune reading is a living practice, not a purely historical one.

What does my name mean in runes?
Each rune in your name carries its own traditional meaning beyond its phonetic value. Once you see your name in Elder Futhark using the Rune Name Converter, you can look up each rune in our Elder Futhark guide to find out what each one represents.