Boy name · Old Norse
Rune
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: secret loreRune is a boy's name that comes from Old Norse and means "secret lore". It is used in Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- Secret lore
- Origin
- Old Norse
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1789 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Rune
As a boy's name, Rune comes from Old Norse and means "secret lore". It is used in Scandinavian.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Rune on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Rune on 3 lists.
“A letter of the old Germanic alphabets, used in magic lore”
From Black cat names, spooky and witchy black cat names
“The crossed symbol looks like two blades”
From Sweaty Fortnite names, sweaty names with symbols
“Secret lore; Old Norse, also the word for Viking letters”
From Unique boy names, short unique boy names
How popular is Rune?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,789
- 90 babies, 53 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,789 in 2025
- 90 babies that year
- Babies since 2001
- At least 713
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 0 per million |
| 2000s | 6 per million |
| 2010s | 11 per million |
| 2020s | 36 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,099 | #4,209 | #3,159 | #3,783 | #3,331 | #3,350 | #2,235 | #2,288 | #1,933 | #1,789 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Rune
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- GudrunGod's secret lore (Old Norse, girl)
- HeidrunBright secret lore (Old Norse, girl)
- LeofrunDear secret (Old English, girl)
- LirazMy secret (Hebrew, unisex)
- NajwaSecret, whisper or confidential talk (Arabic, girl)
- OrtrunPoint and secret lore (Germanic, girl)
- RazSecret (Hebrew, unisex)
- RazielaMy secret is God (Hebrew, girl)
- RunaSecret lore (Old Norse, girl)
- SigrunVictory and secret (Old Norse, girl)
Middle names for Rune
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old Norse
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- SvenBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
- BjörnA bear (Old Norse, boy)
- HaraldArmy ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- HolgerIsland spear (Old Norse, boy)
- IngolfIng's wolf (Old Norse, boy)
- IvorYew warrior (Old Norse, boy)
- OdinFrenzy, inspiration (Old Norse, boy)
- RaghnallCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RonaldCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
Rune: common questions
What does the name Rune mean?
Rune comes from Old Norse and means "secret lore".
Is Rune a boy or girl name?
Rune is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 29 girls and 90 boys in the US were named Rune, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Rune come from?
Rune comes from Old Norse and means "secret lore". Today it is used in Scandinavian.
How popular is the name Rune?
Rune ranked #1,789 in the US in 2025, with 90 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Rune?
Names spelled like Rune include Rene, Ruben, Rudy, Rafe and Ran.
What middle names go with Rune?
Middle names that flow well with Rune include Augustus, Evander, Everett, George and Leopold. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.