The Enneagram symbol is best known as representing a system of nine personality types.

However, the earliest recorded use of the symbol comes from Gurdjieff, his students and the subsequent fourth way school. This earlier use had nothing to do with personality types, but was instead applied to understanding universal processes.

Speculation has elements of the symbol dating to ancient times yet no supporting record reveals any symbol that matches today's popularized Enneagram.

In the late 13th century, an interesting alternative to today's Enneagram appeared when Ramon Llull used circles divided into nine parts as tools for logically debating philosophical and religious issues.