The Bluetooth Name and History

Bluetooth is notable in the high-technology industry in several respects, but in particular its name garners much attention. Most new industry initiatives are known by a name which describes their associated technology or its application and often they quickly become known by an acronym describing the full name. Why wasn't the technology called, for example, "Short-Range Wireless Radio," or SRWR, or some other descriptive name? The answer lies in the heritage (and perhaps the whimsy) of the original inventors. There are numerous histories and accounts of the Bluetooth namesake and how that name came to be chosen; the generally accepted story and facts are cited here.

Harald Blåtand was King of Denmark from approximately A.D. 940 to 985. During his reign King Harald is reported to have united Denmark and Norway and to have brought Christianity to Scandinavia. Apparently "Blåtand" translates, at least loosely, to "Blue Tooth." The origins of this name are uncertain, although it was relatively common during this time for kings to have a distinguishing name (some histories say that the name is attributed to Harald's dark complexion; some accounts even indicate that King Harald was known for teeth of a bluish hue resulting from his fondness for blueberries, although this is probably folklore). For a technology with its origins in Scandinavia, it seemed appropriate to the SIG founders to name the organization that was intended to unify multinational companies after a Scandinavian king who united countries. Thus was born the Bluetooth name, which initially was an unofficial code name for the project but today has become the trademark name (see footnote 1 on page 3) of the technology and the special interest group. Figure 1.1 shows the Bluetooth logo, inspired by the initials "H B" for Harald Bluetooth.