Old Hungarian runic script is a genuine, ancient Hungarian writing system, and if you want to wear your own name or a short word on your skin in this script, getting the transliteration right depends on breaking the word down into sounds rather than thinking about it letter by letter. The sounds sz, cs, gy, ly, ny, ty and zs each have their own dedicated character in the script, while the distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters is a modern convention unknown in traditional writing. Before getting anything tattooed, it’s worth checking the transliteration on paper against a reliable source and trying it first as a temporary or semi-permanent tattoo to see how the design looks at the intended size and placement.
- The sounds sz, cs, gy, ly, ny, ty and zs each have their own letter in Old Hungarian runic script; they should not be represented by writing two Latin letters side by side.
- The use of uppercase letters is a modern innovation; traditional Old Hungarian runic script had no systematic distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters.
- The way the sounds ö and ü are represented varies among different runic traditions. This is a genuine, recognized uncertainty in transliteration, not a mistake on your part.
- Before getting anything tattooed on your skin, check the transliteration against a reliable source and look at it on paper or as a temporary tattoo before making it permanent.
What is Old Hungarian runic script, and why do people try it as a tattoo?
Old Hungarian runic script, formally known as the Székely–Hungarian runic script, is a genuine historical writing system with archaeological evidence dating back to the 10th century (source: Old Hungarian script – Wikipedia). After Latin script became official, runic writing continued to be used in certain occupations and among the Székely people in Transylvania, traditionally written from right to left and carved into sticks. The writing system received its official encoding, named “Old Hungarian,” in 2015 with Unicode version 8.0, in the U+10C80–U+10CFF range (source: The Unicode Standard – Old Hungarian).
This article deliberately focuses on the practical side of the writing system: how its letters are formed and how to correctly write a name or word in them. Since a runic inscription can easily become illegible or take on a different meaning because of a mistyped letter or reversed writing direction, many people try it first as a temporary or semi-permanent tattoo before getting it permanently tattooed on their skin. This lets you see the finished design at actual size and on the intended part of your body before making any permanent decision.
The letters of Old Hungarian runic script and how they are formed
The distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters in Old Hungarian runic script is a modern innovation; in traditional writing, at most, the first letter of a proper name was written slightly larger, but there was no systematic rule for this (source: The Unicode Standard – Old Hungarian). So when you look at the Old Hungarian runic version of your own name, don’t be surprised if a reliable source makes no clear distinction between uppercase and lowercase forms.
The Hungarian sounds sz, cs, gy, ly, ny, ty and zs each have their own individual letter in Old Hungarian runic script; they should not be represented by writing two basic letters side by side. The official Unicode chart lists each of them as a separate character, so in a correct transliteration, a word consists of as many runic characters as it has sounds, not as many as it has Latin letters (source: The Unicode Standard – Old Hungarian).
Why are there sometimes multiple characters for the same sound?
The way the sounds ö and ü are represented varies among different Old Hungarian runic spelling traditions, such as the Nikolsburg Alphabet, the Rudimenta and the system developed by Sándor Forrai: in some, the same character is used for both sounds, while in others they have separate characters (source: The Unicode Standard – Old Hungarian). This means that two equally reliable sources may give slightly different transliterations of the same name. This is a genuine, recognized uncertainty, and it’s worth knowing about before deciding which version to choose for your tattoo.
How to write your name or a word correctly in Old Hungarian runic script
The first step in transliteration is to break the word down into sounds rather than thinking about it letter by letter: “sz” is one sound, not an s followed by a z, and likewise, cs, gy, ly, ny, ty and zs each represent a single sound, so each gets one runic letter. If your name contains any of these sounds, it’s worth marking them out first before looking up the runic characters one by one.
Writing direction matters too: traditional Old Hungarian runic script was written from right to left, but both directions are used in modern tattoo and inscription design. So it’s worth agreeing in advance with whoever is creating the design which direction the text will run, to make sure the final result isn’t in the wrong order or mirrored.
Accented vowels (á, é, í, ó, ő, ú, ű, ö, ü) also have their own characters in Old Hungarian runic script. They must not be left out or replaced with unaccented letters, because that changes how the word sounds and, in many cases, how readable it is.
An example of the logic behind transliterating a short name (for illustration, not a ready-made template)
Take the name “Zsófia” as an illustration: the “zs” sound at the beginning of the word gets a single runic letter, not a z followed by an s, while the sounds “f,” “i” and “a” each get their own separate character, taking care not to replace the accented vowel with an unaccented Latin letter. The same logic—breaking a word down into sounds, then finding one runic character for each sound—works for any name or word, but it’s always worth checking the exact characters and any ö/ü variations with a source that genuinely specializes in Old Hungarian runic script before anything is finalized.
The most common mistakes with Old Hungarian runic tattoos
- Mirrored letters or incorrect writing direction: since traditional runic script was written from right to left, a design copied in reverse or in the wrong order can become illegible or take on a different meaning.
- Representing the sounds sz, cs, gy, ly, ny, ty and zs with two separate letters instead of one dedicated character: this is the most common beginner’s mistake, because it applies a way of thinking based on Latin letters to a writing system built differently.
- Using fonts from unchecked online generators: not every free converter uses an accurate or up-to-date set of characters, and an outdated or faulty font will also show up in the printed design.
- Mixing different Old Hungarian runic traditions within a single word: if a word includes both Nikolsburg and Forrai characters, the result is inconsistent and difficult to read, even if every individual character is correct in itself.
How to check the spelling before getting it tattooed
Before getting any Old Hungarian runic design tattooed on your skin, ask for confirmation from a source or community that genuinely works with the script, rather than relying solely on the result from a single automatic transliteration tool. For example, the Rovás Infó website maintains a standardized, modern Székely–Hungarian runic alphabet, downloadable fonts and educational materials that you can use to compare with your own transliteration.
Look at the transliteration on paper or in print before anything goes on your skin. This makes it easier to spot if a letter is missing or out of order, or if the writing direction doesn’t produce the result you expected.
A temporary or semi-permanent tattoo is ideal for this kind of test: it shows you how your transliterated name or word looks at the intended size and placement before any permanent decision is made. It’s important to note that this test is only about trying out the design, size and placement—it doesn’t predict how a permanent tattoo with the same text will feel, heal or look exactly.
If you’d rather picture the size in another style, such as fine-line, the Infinit design provides another visual reference, also in Latin letters, not Old Hungarian runic script. If you’d prefer a word or quote in Latin letters instead of Old Hungarian runic script, our article about words and quotes may be a useful starting point, and you can also browse our collection of word- and quote-based designs.
If you’re still unsure how to choose the size or placement of your first tattoo, it’s also worth reading our article about choosing your first tattoo. Once you’ve settled on the correct spelling and checked it with a reliable source, a custom temporary tattoo—whose ordering process is explained in this article—shows you how the transliterated name or word will look at the intended size and placement before any permanent decision is made.
If you’re also interested in Hungarian historical and national symbols connected with Old Hungarian runic script, such as the turul, we explore this topic in a separate article.
