A specific version of the Celtic Cross has its origin as a white supremacist symbol in the 1930s and 1940s. After the Second World War, several white supremacist organization and movements adopted the symbol. It is still used by a variety of white supremacists today. Stormfront, the Internet’s first white supremacist forum, notably used it as part of its logo. Because it is used across different subcultures, not all uses of the Celtic Cross are hateful.

The symbol was originally a sun wheel, but has since been reinterpreted as a crucifix. Not all appearances of Celtic Crosses are hate symbols, and the term can refer to a variety of symbols used by Christians, pagans, and Celtic nationalists featuring a cross encircled by a ring.