Topic summary
Horus name
srḫ
serekh
facade (of the palace)
The Horus name is the oldest known and used crest of ancient Egyptian rulers. It belongs to the "great five names" of an Egyptian pharaoh. However, modern Egyptologists and linguists are starting to prefer the more neutral term "serekh name". This is because not every pharaoh placed the falcon, which symbolizes the deity Horus, atop his (or in some cases, her) serekh. It changed its meaning during the Ptolemaic period, when it was still used by pharaohs, but was also adopted by some of queens consorts.