Short answer: Name numerology turns each letter of your name into a number, adds them up and brings the total down to one digit from 1 to 9. In the Chaldean system, which I use, letters carry values from 1 to 8 by their sound. In the Pythagorean system they run 1 to 9 in alphabet order. Example: PRIYA is 8 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 13, and 1 + 3 = 4 in Chaldean. That name number is then read against your birth number before anyone touches the spelling.
How name numerology works
Every digit from 1 to 9 stands for one of the nine planets of Jyotish: 1 the Sun, 2 the Moon, 3 Jupiter, 4 Rahu, 5 Mercury, 6 Venus, 7 Ketu, 8 Saturn and 9 Mars. Your name, added up, lands on one of those nine. So when I say your name number is 4, what I really mean is that the name keeps calling on Rahu every time someone says it or you sign it.
On its own, a name number is neither good nor bad. It starts to mean something when I put it next to the two numbers that come from your date of birth: the birth number, from the day of the month, and the destiny number, from the whole date. Your date of birth cannot change. Your name, or at least its everyday spelling, can. That is why people come to name numerology at all.
Chaldean or Pythagorean: which one I use, and why
There are two charts in common use, and they give different answers for the same name. If two websites disagree about your name number, this is almost always why.
Chaldean is the older chart. It groups letters by how they sound, gives values only from 1 to 8, and keeps 9 out of the letter chart altogether. Pythagorean is newer and simpler. It writes the alphabet in rows of nine, so A is 1, I is 9 and J starts again at 1.
I use Chaldean for names, for two plain reasons. A name lives in sound, in how people call you across a room, and Chaldean was built around sound. And it is the chart most Indian numerologists work with, so what I tell you will match what an elder in the family has heard elsewhere. I want to be honest about one thing too: neither chart has been proven better than the other in any test. They are two traditions. What matters is that you pick one and stay with it, because mixing them gives nonsense.
Name numerology letter values: both charts
The Chaldean chart I work with:
| Chaldean value | Letters |
|---|---|
| 1 | A, I, J, Q, Y |
| 2 | B, K, R |
| 3 | C, G, L, S |
| 4 | D, M, T |
| 5 | E, H, N, X |
| 6 | U, V, W |
| 7 | O, Z |
| 8 | F, P |
The Pythagorean chart, for comparison:
| Pythagorean value | Letters |
|---|---|
| 1 | A, J, S |
| 2 | B, K, T |
| 3 | C, L, U |
| 4 | D, M, V |
| 5 | E, N, W |
| 6 | F, O, X |
| 7 | G, P, Y |
| 8 | H, Q, Z |
| 9 | I, R |
Run PRIYA through both and you see the problem at once. Chaldean gives 13, which reduces to 4. Pythagorean gives 7 + 9 + 9 + 7 + 1 = 33, which reduces to 6. Same girl, same name, two different planets. Everything below uses Chaldean.
A fully worked example, start to finish
This is a made-up example to show the method. Mehul Shah is not a client, and the date is invented.
Say a man called Mehul Shah was born on 21 November 1993. He signs his emails and cheques as Mehul, and that is what everyone calls him.
Step 1: his two date numbers
- Birth number: the day is 21, so 2 + 1 = 3, Jupiter.
- Destiny number: 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 3 = 27, and 2 + 7 = 9, Mars. The method for this one is on my destiny number guide.
Step 2: his name number
- MEHUL: M 4, E 5, H 5, U 6, L 3. Total 23, and 2 + 3 = 5, Mercury.
- MEHUL SHAH: SHAH is 3 + 5 + 1 + 5 = 14, so the full name is 23 + 14 = 37, and 3 + 7 = 10, then 1, the Sun.
Step 3: do the planets get on?
I judge this by the natural friendships of the planets, the same table a Jyotishi uses for a kundli. Jupiter counts Mercury as an enemy. Mars does too. So Mehul’s everyday name, a 5, clashes with both his birth number and his destiny number. That is the one case where I suggest a change. His full name, a 1, is fine, because the Sun is a friend of both Jupiter and Mars.
Step 4: try spellings that keep the sound
| Spelling | Total | Number and planet | With Jupiter (3) and Mars (9) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEHUL | 23 | 5, Mercury | Clashes with both |
| MEHULL | 26 | 8, Saturn | Neutral, not ideal |
| MEHHUL | 28 | 1, Sun | Friendly with both |
| MEHUUL | 29 | 2, Moon | Friendly with both |
Numbers alone would pick MEHHUL or MEHUUL. Then I ask the human questions. Does it still read as Mehul to a stranger? MEHUUL can be read as “Mehool”, so I would drop it. MEHHUL still sounds the same and looks close to the original. So in this example I would suggest MEHHUL for his signature, email, visiting card and social profiles, and leave every legal document exactly as it is. His full name on paper stays a 1, which already suits him.
Step 5: check it against the chart
Before I settle any spelling, I look at the kundli. If Jupiter or the Sun is badly placed in the chart, or he is about to start a hard period of one of them, I may go with a different option. The number is one layer; the birth chart has the final say.
How I decide a spelling change against the birth number
The birth number gets the most weight in my reading, because it describes how you meet the world day to day. The destiny number comes next. My rule is short:
- If the name number is friendly or neutral with the birth number, I leave the name alone.
- If it clashes with the birth number but sits well with the destiny number, I usually still leave it, and tell you so.
- Only when it clashes with both do I look at spellings.
- Among the spellings that fix the numbers, I choose the one that changes the look and sound the least: a doubled letter, one vowel, or an initial in front.
- I check the shortlist against the kundli before giving you a final answer.
When not to change your name
I say no to name changes more often than yes. These are the cases where I would leave a name as it is:
- When it already sits well with one of your date numbers. A neutral match is enough. Chasing a “perfect” number is not worth the confusion.
- When the change would only be on paper. If you will keep signing and introducing yourself the old way, the new spelling does nothing. The name in daily use is the one that counts.
- When it means touching legal documents. A legal change brings affidavits, a gazette notice and mismatches across passport, PAN, degrees and bank records. I do not suggest that for numerology alone.
- When the real issue is timing. If the chart shows you are in a hard dasha, a new spelling will not shift that. I would rather tell you what the period asks of you.
- When you don’t like the new spelling. If it embarrasses you, you will drop it within a month. A name has to feel like yours.
What each name number suggests
| Name number | Planet | How the name tends to come across |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun | Noticed quickly, independent, expected to lead |
| 2 | Moon | Gentle, easy to approach, good at working with others |
| 3 | Jupiter | Respected, sought out for advice, a teacher’s tone |
| 4 | Rahu | Unusual, inventive, sometimes misread by others |
| 5 | Mercury | Quick, talkative, at home in trade and networking |
| 6 | Venus | Warm, artistic, family minded, pleasant to be around |
| 7 | Ketu | Private, thoughtful, drawn to depth over display |
| 8 | Saturn | Serious, steady, success that builds slowly |
| 9 | Mars | Bold, active, protective, quick to act |
Choosing a baby name before the naming ceremony
Many families settle the name before the naming ceremony, often held on the 11th or 12th day. Bring your shortlist a few days before, with the baby’s date, time and place of birth, so each name can be checked calmly and not on the morning of the function.
I start with the birth chart. The baby’s nakshatra gives the first syllable of the name, and the syllables for each nakshatra are on my rashi by name page. I share that syllable with the parents and ask for names they like that start with it. Then numerology settles the spelling: I add up each name and compare it with the baby’s birth number. Usually two or three come through, and the family chooses from those.
Your name, your phone and your business
A company or shop name is a separate check, because the owner’s numbers come into it; I cover that in numerology for a business name. Your phone has a total of its own, and checking a mobile number is a five-minute job once you know your birth number. A new car plate is read in my car number report. Every number I work with is listed in my numerology starting guide.
A name number also points to a planet, and every planet has a side of the home. Say a name adds to 3, Jupiter’s number, while the chart shows Jupiter weak and the north-east of the flat holds a toilet. A new spelling alone leaves half of that untouched. For the name, the chart and the home in one sitting, see my Astro-Vastu consultation.
Get your name checked with your kundli
I go through your name with your kundli on a 45-minute astrology call for ₹1,499, online or at my studio in Begur, and you get written notes within 48 hours. If a change is needed, you get spelling options with the reason for each. Book a session, or see how my online astrology consultation works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do numerology websites give me different name numbers?
Most of the time one site uses the Chaldean chart and the other uses Pythagorean. The same letters carry different values in each, so the totals differ. Some sites also add your surname and some don’t. Pick one method, write down which name you used, and compare like with like.
Which name should I use, the one on my certificates or the one people call me?
Work out both. I give more weight to the name you sign with and the one people use every day. The name on your certificates acts as a background number that I read but rarely suggest changing.
Does adding an extra letter to my name really change anything?
It changes the total, and so the planet the name falls under. Whether that changes anything in your life is a fair question. I see a name as one small layer next to your chart and your home, and I would never present a spelling as a cure on its own.
Should a married woman calculate her name with her new surname?
If she now signs and introduces herself with the new surname, yes, that full name becomes the background number. The first name she is called by still carries the most weight. I usually check both the maiden and married versions so she can see how each one reads.
Is name numerology the same as rashi by name?
No. Rashi by name takes only the first syllable and maps it to a nakshatra and a Moon sign. Name numerology adds every letter of the name into one number. Families often use both for a baby: the syllable from the birth star, and numerology for the spelling.