Why is Bluetooth called "Bluetooth"?

Did you know Bluetooth, the technology, is named after blueberries and teeth from a thousand years ago.

Have you ever listened to music from your phone through speakers connected via Bluetooth and thought, 'Why in the world is this technology called "Bluetooth"?'

Well, you're not alone. The strange name of the beloved wireless technology has left many techies and non-techies alike scratching their heads. Fortunately, there's actually an interesting story behind why it’s called that. Let’s dive in and find out!

A Brief History of Bluetooth

The roots of Bluetooth as a technology can be traced back to 1994 when Ericsson—a Swedish telecom company at the time—developed a plan to create a short-range wireless link between different devices. In 1998, Nokia, IBM, Toshiba, and Intel joined forces with Ericsson to form the “Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)” which was responsible for further developing the standard. It was during this period that they chose the name “Bluetooth”. But why did they choose such an odd name?

Who Was King Harald "Bluetooth"?

The answer lies with a 10th-century Danish king named Harald Gormson who was known for uniting Denmark and Norway into one kingdom during his reign from 958–987 CE. He earned his nickname “Blåtand” which literally translates to “blue tooth” due to his dead tooth being stained blue from all the blueberries he ate! The founders of Bluetooth SIG chose this unique name to honor King Harald Gormson since just like him, their technology was intended to unite people from different backgrounds and cultures just like him.

What does Bluetooth have in common with King Harald Gormson?

Interestingly enough, King Harold Gormson had quite a few things in common with modern day Bluetooth connections! For starters, he united two kingdoms (Denmark & Norway) much like how two devices can connect over short-range distance using Bluetooth connections. Plus, both technologies were designed to work together no matter what their differences were – whether those differences were language barriers or compatibility issues between two different device types. Just like how two people speaking different languages can understand each other by communicating through a third language or translator; two devices can exchange data by connecting over a wireless network powered by Bluetooth technology!