U+0023 "#" Number Sign Unicode Character
Unicode Version 17.0
#
U+0023 "#" Number Sign is a typographic symbol commonly known as the hash, pound, or number sign, encoded in the Basic Latin block since Unicode 1.0. It originated as a shorthand for the Latin word libra pondo, meaning pound weight, and later evolved into a versatile symbol used in computing and telecommunications. In modern contexts, it serves as the octothorpe for indicating numbers in lists, the sharp in musical notation, a prefix for hashtags in social media to group topics, and a character for special commands in programming languages and markup.
General Properties
| Code Point | U+0023 |
| Version Added | 1.1 |
| Name | Number Sign |
| Block | Basic Latin |
| General Category | Other Punctuation |
| Canonical Combining Class | Not Reordered |
| Bidirectional Class | European Terminator |
Encodings
| HTML Decimal Encoding | # |
| HTML Hex Encoding | # |
| UTF-8 Encoding | 0x23 |
| UTF-16 Encoding | 0x0023 |
| UTF-32 Encoding | 0x00000023 |
| C/C++/Java Escape | \u0023 |