Short answer: On Windows, hold Alt and type the symbol’s code on the numeric keypad — for example 10013 for the cross ✝, 10017 for the Star of David ✡, or 9770 for the star and crescent ☪. In Word, type the hex (271D for ✝) and press Alt + X. On a Mac or phone, copy the symbol you need from the tool below.
Tap to copy a religious symbol
Religious and spiritual symbols appear in messages, documents, memorials, study notes and profiles. This is a plain-text reference for the most widely used ones across traditions, with the code for each on every platform. These are sacred symbols to the communities that use them, so it’s worth using them thoughtfully and in the right context. This guide is part of the Stars & Hearts collection.
Major faith symbols
| Symbol | Name | Tradition | Windows | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✝ | Latin cross | Christianity | Alt + 10013 | U+271D |
| ☦ | Orthodox cross | Eastern Orthodoxy | Alt + 9766 | U+2626 |
| ✡ | Star of David | Judaism | Alt + 10017 | U+2721 |
| ☪ | Star and crescent | Islam | Alt + 9770 | U+262A |
| ☸ | Wheel of Dharma | Buddhism | Alt + 9784 | U+2638 |
| ॐ | Om | Hinduism | Alt + 2384 | U+0950 |
| ☬ | Khanda (Adi Shakti) | Sikhism | Alt + 9772 | U+262C |
| ☯ | Yin yang (Taijitu) | Taoism | Alt + 9775 | U+262F |
| ☥ | Ankh | Ancient Egypt | Alt + 9765 | U+2625 |
| ☮ | Peace symbol | Secular | Alt + 9774 | U+262E |
In Word, use the hex + Alt + X instead (271D → ✝, 2721 → ✡, 262A → ☪, and so on).
Windows
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type the code on the numeric keypad (not the top-row numbers). Most of these are Unicode decimal codes — Alt + 10013 ✝, Alt + 10017 ✡, Alt + 9770 ☪, Alt + 9784 ☸, Alt + 9775 ☯ — and work in Unicode-aware apps.
No numeric keypad? Press Win + . to open the emoji and symbols panel and search a word like cross, religion, temple or the specific name. If a code returns the wrong character, you’re on the number row — see why Alt codes don’t work.
Mac
macOS has no dedicated Option shortcut for these. Two routes:
- Character Viewer: press Control + Command + Space, search cross, star of david, crescent, dharma or yin yang, and double-click to insert.
- Unicode Hex Input: with that source enabled, hold Option and type the four-digit hex — Option + 271D gives ✝. (This handles four-digit codes; five-digit emoji forms still need the Character Viewer.)
iPhone and Android
The default keyboards don’t include these as plain text symbols. The quickest route is the emoji keyboard: open it and search cross, religion, temple, mosque, hindu or buddhist — most phones include ✝️ ☦️ ☪️ ✡️ ☸️ ☯️ 🕉️ and buildings like ⛪ 🕌 🕍 🛕. You can also copy the plain text symbols from the tool above. Search terms vary by phone, so if one word fails, try a related one.
Word and Google Docs
Microsoft Word: type the hex and press Alt + X — 271D → ✝, 2626 → ☦, 2721 → ✡, 262A → ☪, 2638 → ☸, 262F → ☯, 0950 → ॐ. If a symbol looks wrong, select it and switch the font to Segoe UI Symbol. You can also browse Insert → Symbol → More Symbols to compare similar shapes, such as the different crosses.
Google Docs: go to Insert → Special characters and search the name (cross, star of david, om).
Chromebook
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, release, type the hex (271D for ✝), then Enter. Or open the emoji/symbol picker with Launcher + Shift + Space and search a religious term.
Linux
In most GTK/IBus apps, press Ctrl + Shift + U, type the hex (271D, 2721, 262A…), then Enter or Space to commit it. If that shortcut isn’t enabled, open the Characters / gucharmap app and search the name. These symbols have no Compose-key sequence, so the Unicode-entry method is the reliable one.
HTML, CSS and code
Religious symbols use numeric HTML entities (there aren’t standard named ones): ✝ ✝, ✡ ✡, ☪ ☪, ☸ ☸, ☯ ☯, ☥ ☥. In CSS use the escaped point, e.g. content:"\271D"; in JavaScript use "\u271D". Storing the numeric entity (rather than pasting the raw character) keeps the intended symbol consistent across databases and email templates.
The symbols and their traditions
A short, respectful guide to what each represents, and a few distinctions worth getting right:
- The cross has many forms. ✝ is the Latin cross (Christianity); ☦ is the Orthodox cross with its slanted lower bar (Eastern Orthodoxy); other encoded crosses include the Chi Rho ☧, the Cross of Lorraine ☨ and the Cross of Jerusalem ☩. There are also outlined variants ✞ ✟.
- ✡ Star of David (Magen David) represents Judaism.
- ☪ Star and crescent is widely associated with Islam. Note it’s a different character from the astronomy crescent moon ☽.
- ☸ Wheel of Dharma (Dharmachakra) represents Buddhism; its eight spokes stand for the Eightfold Path.
- ॐ Om represents Hinduism (and is meaningful in Buddhism and Jainism). Technically it’s a Devanagari ligature (U+0950). There’s also a separate, script-independent Om symbol 🕉 (U+1F549) that renders as an emoji.
- ☬ Khanda is the central emblem of Sikhism; its Unicode name is “Adi Shakti” (U+262C). A newer dedicated Khanda emoji 🪯 (U+1FAAF) also exists, with less font support.
- ☯ Yin yang (Taijitu) comes from Taoism, representing balance between complementary forces.
- ☥ Ankh is the ancient Egyptian symbol of life.
- ☮ Peace symbol is often grouped here, but it’s secular — it originated with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, not a religion.
Text vs emoji: several of these (✝ ☪ ✡ ☸ ☯) can render as flat monochrome text or, when a device applies emoji styling (often via a variation selector), as a colour emoji. Use the text form for documents and the emoji for casual, colourful contexts.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Alt + 10013 does nothing | Num Lock off, or you used the top-row numbers. Use the numeric keypad. |
| Laptop has no numpad | Use Win + . (search the name), Word’s 271D + Alt + X, or copy from above. |
| Symbol shows in colour | The device applied emoji styling. Use it in a plain-text field for the flat version, or accept the emoji — it’s the same character. |
| Om ॐ won’t type with an Alt code | It’s a Devanagari character (U+0950); use 0950 + Alt + X in Word, or copy it. |
| Symbol shows as a box ▯ | The font lacks the glyph. Select it and switch to Segoe UI Symbol, Arial or a similar font. More: symbol showing as a box. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you type the cross ✝ and other religious symbols on Windows?
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type the code on the numeric keypad: 10013 for the cross ✝, 10017 for the Star of David ✡, 9770 for the star and crescent ☪, or 9784 for the wheel of dharma ☸. In Word you can instead type the hex (271D for ✝) and press Alt + X.
How do you type religious symbols on a Mac?
There’s no dedicated Option shortcut. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search a name like “cross”, “star of david” or “yin yang”, and double-click it. With Unicode Hex Input enabled, you can also hold Option and type the four-digit hex, such as Option + 271D for ✝.
What are the main religious symbols and the traditions they represent?
Common ones include the Latin cross ✝ (Christianity), the Orthodox cross ☦ (Eastern Orthodoxy), the Star of David ✡ (Judaism), the star and crescent ☪ (Islam), the wheel of dharma ☸ (Buddhism), Om ॐ (Hinduism), the Khanda ☬ (Sikhism), yin yang ☯ (Taoism) and the ankh ☥ (ancient Egypt). The peace symbol ☮ is secular.
What is the difference between the cross symbols?
✝ is the Latin cross used broadly in Christianity, while ☦ is the Orthodox cross with an extra slanted lower bar. Unicode also encodes the Chi Rho ☧, the Cross of Lorraine ☨, the Cross of Jerusalem ☩ and outlined variants ✞ ✟, so you can pick the exact style you need.
How do you type the Om ॐ and Khanda ☬ symbols?
Om ॐ is a Devanagari character (U+0950) — type 0950 then Alt + X in Word, or copy it; there’s also a separate Om emoji 🕉 (U+1F549). The Khanda ☬ (named “Adi Shakti”, U+262C) is Alt + 9772 or 262C then Alt + X, with a newer Khanda emoji 🪯 (U+1FAAF) that has less font support.
What are the Unicode code points and HTML entities for religious symbols?
✝ is U+271D (✝), ✡ is U+2721 (✡), ☪ is U+262A (☪), ☸ is U+2638 (☸), ☯ is U+262F (☯) and ☥ is U+2625 (☥).
Recap
- Windows → Alt + 10013 ✝, 10017 ✡, 9770 ☪, 9784 ☸, 9775 ☯ (keypad); Word: hex + Alt + X.
- Mac / phone → Character Viewer, emoji search, or copy from the tool above.
- Crosses vary — Latin ✝, Orthodox ☦, and more.
- ☮ peace is secular, not a religious symbol.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Linux, Word and Google Docs. Last updated July 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.