What do wireless earbuds and Vikings have in common?
Bluetooth, the wireless technology that connects devices over short distances, owes its name to a 10th-century Danish king. Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson was known for uniting Denmark and parts of Norway, bringing together warring tribes under a single rule. Similarly, Bluetooth technology was developed to unify communication protocols among different devices (such as like phones, computers, and headphones) across manufacturers.
The name was suggested in 1997 by Jim Kardach of Intel, who was reading The Long Ships, a book on Viking history, while helping develop the technology. Harald’s nickname, “Bluetooth,” came from a prominent discolored tooth that appeared blue or dark. Another version suggests he was fond of blueberries, but this is more anecdotal and less widely accepted.
The Bluetooth logo combines the Nordic runes (the alphabet used by ancient Germanic and Viking people before modern letters) for the letters H (ᚼ) and B (ᛒ), forming a single symbol that honors the king. The name reflects a shared goal: bringing together separate entities to communicate as one.
