Gothic letter Nauths

It is the Gothic alphabet’s letter for n.

The Gothic alphabet was created for a Bible translation in the 4th century, traditionally linked to Wulfila, a bishop. This letter marked the n sound inside Gothic words.

The surviving manuscripts are later copies, mostly from the late 5th to mid-6th century.

Is 𐌽 a rune, or does it mean need?

It is a letter, not a rune or a symbol for need.

The Gothic alphabet follows Greek order; scholars also propose Latin and runic input for some forms, and the origins of particular letters remain debated.

A manuscript from the 9th century writes the Gothic letter name as “noicz”; modern accounts reconstruct it as “nauþs.” The separate n-rune has a reconstructed name glossed “need” or “distress.” That name history does not make 𐌽 a pictogram in Gothic writing.

Why does 𐌽 look different in different fonts?

The character stays the same; its drawn shape depends on the font.

Unicode’s reference drawing is not a required design, so fonts can vary the width, angles, and stroke treatment. If a font lacks the character, it may show a box or fallback symbol; that display is not a new character.