People have been carving names in runes for well over a thousand years, and you can write yours too. It only takes a little knowledge of how the runic alphabet works.
This guide shows you which rune matches which sound, how to work through a name step by step, and where people usually go wrong. If you'd rather see the result straight away, type your name into our Rune Name Converter.
A quick word on runes
Runes were the letters used by Germanic peoples from roughly the 2nd century CE into the late Middle Ages in Scandinavia. The word comes from a Proto-Germanic root linked to "secret" or "whisper". The oldest inscriptions we know of date to around the 2nd or 3rd century and turn up on weapons, jewellery, stones and everyday objects.
Each rune also had a name, such as Fehu (cattle, wealth) or Uruz (aurochs). Those names come to us mostly through the later rune poems, and they are why people today often read a meaning into each letter. When you write your name in runes, you're spelling it and picking up those traditional associations at the same time.
We learned the Elder Futhark as children, and we used it letter for letter, without thinking about what the runes meant. Very few people in Scandinavia can write in runes today, but they're still part of our culture in other ways. Letter for letter is a fun way to start, though going by sound, as below, gives you a more accurate result.
The Elder Futhark
The Elder Futhark is the oldest full runic alphabet, with 24 runes in use from about the 2nd to the 8th century. The name comes from the sounds of its first six runes: F, U, Þ (th), A, R, K. The 24 runes are traditionally split into three rows of eight called ættir. The names we use for those rows (Freyr's, Hagal's and Tyr's) come from later tradition, so don't read them as something the earliest rune carvers called them.
Here is the full set with the sound it usually stands for and its traditional name meaning.
First ætt
ᚠ Fehu, F (cattle, wealth)
ᚢ Uruz, U (aurochs)
ᚦ Thurisaz, Th (giant, thorn)
ᚨ Ansuz, A (a god, breath)
ᚱ Raidho, R (ride)
ᚲ Kenaz, K (torch)
ᚷ Gebo, G (gift)
ᚹ Wunjo, W (joy)
Second ætt
ᚺ Hagalaz, H (hail)
ᚾ Nauthiz, N (need)
ᛁ Isa, I (ice)
ᛃ Jera, J or Y (year, harvest)
ᛇ Eihwaz, a vowel sound scholars still debate (yew)
ᛈ Perthro, P (meaning uncertain)
ᛉ Algiz, Z (elk, protection)
ᛊ Sowilo, S (sun)
Third ætt
ᛏ Tiwaz, T (the god Tyr)
ᛒ Berkano, B (birch)
ᛖ Ehwaz, E (horse)
ᛗ Mannaz, M (human)
ᛚ Laguz, L (water)
ᛜ Ingwaz, Ng (the god Ing)
ᛞ Dagaz, D (day)
ᛟ Othala, O (inherited land)
If you'd like all 24 on one sheet to keep beside you, the Elder Futhark Rune Chart is a printable poster with names, sounds and meanings. For what each rune means in more depth, start at our rune hub.
How to write your name
The trick is to go by sound. Say your name out loud, split it into sounds, and match each sound to the nearest rune. Spelling doesn't matter much, because the Elder Futhark was built for the sounds of an early Germanic language, and we're borrowing it for modern names.
Here is the usual matching for English names. Treat it as a convention, since there is no single official system for modern names.
Vowels: A is ᚨ, E is ᛖ, I is ᛁ, O is ᛟ, U is ᚢ.
Consonants: B ᛒ, D ᛞ, F ᚠ, G ᚷ, H ᚺ, J ᛃ, K ᚲ, L ᛚ, M ᛗ, N ᚾ, P ᛈ, R ᚱ, S ᛊ, T ᛏ, TH ᚦ, W ᚹ, Z ᛉ. A hard C (cat) uses ᚲ and a soft C (city) uses ᛊ. V is usually ᚹ or ᚠ, depending on who you ask. Y as a consonant is ᛃ. X is written as two runes, ᚲ and ᛊ.
Some sounds need a workaround. Q becomes KW, the NG sound uses Ingwaz (ᛜ), and a long "oo" as in moon is usually written with Uruz (ᚢ).
Worked examples
Here are a few names done step by step.
Sara. Sounds: S, A, R, A. Runes: ᛊ ᚨ ᚱ ᚨ. The final H in the spelling "Sarah" is silent, so it gets no rune.
Erik. Sounds: E, R, I, K. Runes: ᛖ ᚱ ᛁ ᚲ.
Emma. Sounds: E, M, A. Runes: ᛖ ᛗ ᚨ. The double M is one sound, so it appears once.
Christopher. Sounds: K, R, I, S, T, O, F, E, R. Runes: ᚲ ᚱ ᛁ ᛊ ᛏ ᛟ ᚠ ᛖ ᚱ. The CH sounds like K and the PH sounds like F.
Our Rune Name Converter follows the same approach, so you can use it to check your own work.
Mistakes to avoid
Going letter by letter. This is the most common slip. "Matthew" has seven letters but fewer sounds, so the runic version is shorter than the spelling.
Doubling consonants. Runic inscriptions generally write a doubled sound once, so Emma has one M.
Writing silent letters. The K in Knight and the final E in Anne are silent, so they get no runes.
Forgetting that names vary. Two people can pronounce the same name differently, and a name from another language may need its own sounds. Say your own version aloud and write what you hear.
Treating it as a code. Runes were an alphabet for a Germanic language. Mapping modern English onto them is a modern convenience, and it works best when you stay sound by sound.
Elder or Younger Futhark?
The Younger Futhark has only 16 runes and is the alphabet people used across the Viking Age. That makes it the more historically specific choice for the 9th to 11th centuries, but with fewer runes it blurs many sounds together, so it handles modern names less well. Most people writing their name today use the Elder Futhark because it has more distinct sounds to work with. If you'd like to compare, we have a Younger Futhark chart too, and our 12-page name-writing guide covers both alphabets with sound tables and step-by-step instructions.
Vikings did write their own names in runes. Writing a modern English name in runes is a creative extension of that, and we think it's a good one, as long as we're honest that it's a modern habit.
Thinking of a rune tattoo?
Check your transliteration before the appointment, because fixing a mistake in ink is hard. Run your name through the converter, compare it with the table above, and ask someone who knows runes to look it over if you can. Our guide to rune tattoos and what each symbol means covers the rest of what to think about first.
Rune charts and name gifts
If you want something to print, the Elder Futhark chart, the Younger Futhark chart and the name-writing guide are all digital downloads.
A name in runes also makes a good gift. Our personalized rune gifts collection has pieces where a name can be written in Elder Futhark. The Personalized Viking Hoodie lets you pick Vegvisir, Mjölnir or Yggdrasil and add your name or a word in runes, and the Elder Futhark Ornament is a small keepsake for Yule. You can also browse the runes and rune meanings collection or our Viking gifts. We ship worldwide, with free shipping on every US order.
New guides and designs go out to the Rune Circle first, so join us if you'd like them in your inbox.
FAQ
Can I write my name in Viking runes?
Yes. Use the Elder Futhark for the widest range of sounds, or the Younger Futhark if you want the Viking Age alphabet. The Rune Name Converter will show you the Elder Futhark version straight away.
Is it accurate to write modern names in runes?
It's a transliteration, which means matching the sounds of a modern name to runic letters. Vikings wrote Old Norse names in runes, but writing modern English names this way is a modern practice. It works best when you go by sound.
What is the difference between Elder and Younger Futhark?
The Elder Futhark has 24 runes and was used from about the 2nd to the 8th century. The Younger Futhark has 16 runes and is the alphabet of the Viking Age. Younger Futhark runes often cover several sounds each.
What rune is my letter?
Runes stand for sounds, so check how your name sounds first, then use the table above or the converter.
Is there an Old Norse translator?
Old Norse is a language, so translating into it means changing your words, not just the letters. Writing your name in runes is transliteration. The converter does that, and it won't translate a sentence into Old Norse.
Can I get my name in runes on a product?
Yes. Our personalized rune gifts include designs where a name is written in runes.
Are runes still used today?
Yes, in jewellery, tattoos, art and in modern Heathen practice, where some people use them for reflection or divination. Those uses are modern, built on what the old sources tell us.
What does my name mean in runes?
Each rune has a traditional name and meaning, drawn mostly from the rune poems. Look yours up in our rune hub and read the letters one by one.