Rune is a masculine given name used in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is derived from Old Norse rún meaning "secret lore, rune." The name directly echoes the ancient runic script, a system of writing and divination used by Germanic peoples long before the adoption of the Latin alphabet. Runology, the scholarly study of these inscriptions, forms a branch of Germanic philology. According to Tacitus, writing around AD 98, Germanic tribes used runes for divination, a practice that preceded the earliest secure runic inscriptions from around AD 150. The name Rune thus evokes a deep connection to pre-Christian Norse tradition and the mystique of written symbols believed to hold magical properties. By the end of the Viking age, around AD 1100 in northern Europe, runes were largely replaced by the Latin alphabet as Christianity spread. In modern Scandinavia, Rune remains a fairly common given name, often associated with tradition and a desire to honor ancestral heritage. Notable bearers include Rune Brych, a Danish athlete; Olympic medalists like Rune Høydahl, a Norwegian cyclist; and several soccer players. The feminine form Runa exists as a female counterpart in Swedish, and the Old Norse variant Rúni reflects the name's roots.