Downwards Two Headed Arrow
Block: Arrows
- Symbol
- ↡
- Unicode
U+21A1- Unicode name
- DOWNWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW
- Block
- Arrows
- Category
- Symbol, Other
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Downwards Two Headed Arrow (↡) is encoded as U+21A1 and has the formal Unicode name DOWNWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW. Unicode classifies it as Symbol, Other in the Arrows block. Its name places it in the arrow/directional family, which gives the page a narrower identity than the glyph alone. Separately encoded named neighbors include ↟ Upwards Two Headed Arrow (U+219F); those records should be compared by name and code point rather than merged because their shapes or terminology are related.
How Context Narrows the Meaning of ↡
↡ is encoded as U+21A1 and classified as Symbol, Other. Its formal name narrows it to the arrow/directional family rather than leaving the mark as an unidentified shape.
The Unicode identity and the surrounding document answer different questions: the code point tells you which character is present, while the surrounding formula, interface, document, or notation system determines the local interpretation. Keeping those layers separate prevents a visual guess from being treated as a character definition.
For a different unknown mark, try what symbol is ↡? and identify the character from its glyph, Unicode value, or appearance.
Code-Point and UTF-8 Forms for ↡
U+21A1 = decimal 8609 = HTML ↡ / ↡. A Unicode escape-style form is u21A1. Its UTF-8 bytes are E2 86 A1.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.
Do Not Collapse Downwards Two Headed Arrow Into Nearby Named Variants
Unicode stores ↡ as U+21A1, while nearby records include ↟ Upwards Two Headed Arrow (U+219F). These are separate encoded identities, not alternate font drawings of one character.
The comparison is useful because a shared word in the name, a mirrored direction, or a similar outline can make two symbols appear interchangeable. When the distinction matters, compare the complete Unicode name and code point before replacing one record with another.