Birth year
Chinese zodiac calculator
Enter a birth date. The animal comes from the Chinese lunar year, which starts on Chinese New Year, not on January 1. A baby born in January, or in early February, often still belongs to the previous animal.
How the year is counted
The twelve animals repeat in a fixed order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The cycle is anchored so that 2020 is a Rat year. Subtracting 4 from the lunar year and taking the remainder 12 lands on the same animal.
Chinese New Year falls between January 21 and February 20. This calculator stores that date from 1924 through 2032. If the birthday is earlier than Chinese New Year in its calendar year, the result steps back one lunar year. Outside that range, the animal follows the calendar year only, and the page says so.
The twelve animals
- Rat. Quick, social, and hard to pin down. A Rat year favors names that are short to say.
- Ox. Steady and patient. Ox years often suit names that sound solid next to a surname.
- Tiger. Bold and direct. A Tiger year is a good moment to test a name out loud, because quiet names can disappear.
- Rabbit. Gentle and alert. Rabbit years pair well with names that stay soft without turning vague.
- Dragon. Lively and hard to ignore. Dragon years can carry a longer name if the surname is short.
- Snake. Calm and observant. Snake years reward names you still like after a week, not only on the first hearing.
- Horse. Restless and open. Horse years suit names that are easy for other people to spell.
- Goat. Mild and artistic. Also called the Sheep or the Ram. Goat years suit names with a clear nickname.
- Monkey. Playful and quick. Monkey years are a reason to check initials, because a clever name can still spell something awkward.
- Rooster. Precise and proud. Rooster years suit names you are willing to correct once, then leave alone.
- Dog. Loyal and plain-spoken. Dog years suit names that work in more than one country if family lives abroad.
- Pig. Warm and easy company. Pig years suit names that feel kind when a child has to hear them every day.
The animal is a tradition, not a naming rule. If you want a name that fits the child in ordinary life, start with boy names, girl names, or the random name generator.