What is the dagger symbol used for?

The dagger (†), also called an obelisk, is a footnote marker used after the asterisk when a page needs a second note. It also appears next to a name to indicate a death date in genealogy charts, biographies, and obituaries.

What is the Unicode code point for the dagger?

The dagger sign is U+2020 in Unicode, part of the General Punctuation block.

How do I type the dagger on a Mac?

Press Option + T on a Mac keyboard to type † directly.

How do I type the dagger on Windows?

Hold Alt and type 0134 on the numeric keypad, with Num Lock on.

What is the HTML entity for the dagger?

Use &dagger; or the numeric entity † to render † in HTML.

What order do footnote symbols follow?

The usual order is asterisk (*), dagger (†), double dagger (‡) and section sign (§). The Chicago Manual of Style continues with parallels (‖) and the number sign (#). After that the marks are doubled (**, ††, ‡‡) if a page needs more notes.

Is the dagger the same as the double dagger?

No. The dagger (†) has a single crossbar and marks the first extra footnote after the asterisk. The double dagger (‡) has two crossbars and marks the next one after that. They are different Unicode characters.

How do I type the double dagger ‡?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0135 on the number pad. On a Mac, press Option + Shift + 7. In HTML use &Dagger; or ‡, and in LaTeX use \ddag in text or \ddagger in math. This page copies the single dagger † only.

Is the dagger † the same as the cross symbol ✝?

No. The dagger (U+2020) is a punctuation mark used for footnotes and death dates. The Latin cross ✝ (U+271D) is a religious symbol from the Dingbats block. They can look alike in some fonts, but they are different characters, so search and screen readers treat them differently.

Dagger Symbol

Click the dagger (†) to copy it, or grab its Unicode, HTML entity, and OS keyboard shortcut.

The dagger symbol is † (U+2020).

Dagger Symbol

†

Codes & Entities

Unicode

U+2020

HTML entity (named)

&dagger;

HTML entity (numeric)

†

CSS content value

content: '\2020';

JavaScript escape

\u2020

LaTeX (text mode)

\dag

Keyboard Shortcut

Copied!

Quick answer

The dagger symbol is † (U+2020). Click Copy Symbol on this page, or type it with Alt + 0134 on Windows or Option + T on a Mac. The double dagger ‡ (U+2021) is Alt + 0135 or Option + Shift + 7.

Examples

Where	How to type †
Windows	Alt + 0134 on the number pad
Mac	Option + T
Word	Type 2020, then press Alt + X
HTML	&dagger; or †
LaTeX	\dag (text) or \dagger (math)
Excel or Google Sheets	=UNICHAR(8224)
Linux	Ctrl + Shift + U, 2020, Enter

Click Copy Symbol.

Summary

The dagger (†), also called an obelisk, marks a second footnote after the asterisk, flags a death date in genealogy and obituaries, and appears in academic citations and historical texts. This tool shows the symbol at large size for a quick one-click copy, alongside its Unicode code point, HTML/CSS entity codes, and the keyboard shortcut for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

How it works

The dagger (†) is shown at large size in the preview panel.
Click "Copy Symbol" to copy † to your clipboard.
Click any code row (Unicode, HTML entity, CSS, or JavaScript escape) to copy that specific value.
Switch the OS tab to see the matching keyboard shortcut for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Use cases

Add a second footnote marker after an asterisk in a manuscript or paper.
Mark a death date next to a name in a genealogy chart or obituary.
Cite a footnote or endnote in an academic paper following asterisk, dagger, double dagger order.
Copy the HTML entity for use in web page markup.
Look up the Alt code or keyboard shortcut for typing † directly.
Grab the CSS content value for a pseudo-element marker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu

Dagger Symbol

Use the Dagger Symbol

Dagger Symbol

Codes & Entities

Keyboard Shortcut

Quick answer

Examples

Summary

How it works

Use cases

Frequently Asked Questions