Use case

Baby name API: the name syllable from the birth star

The baby name API from API for Astrology (apiforastrology.com) gives the first syllable of a baby's name, called the naamakshar, from the birth star (nakshatra) and its quarter (pada). Send the baby's birth date, time and place, and you get the Moon's nakshatra, its pada and the traditional syllable, such as Va for Rohini pada 2. Many Hindu families choose a name that starts with this syllable. Pick names from your own list, or get them from the Numerology API on the same key.

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Updated Nov 3, 2026

How it works

1New parents enter their baby's birth date, time and place in a baby name app.
2The API finds the birth star, the nakshatra the Moon was in, and the quarter (pada) of it.
3It returns the traditional name syllable for that quarter, and the app shows names from its own list that start with it.

POST /v1/reading/section/birth-details200 OK

{
  "birth_details": {
    "nakshatra": "Mrigashira",
    "pada": 1,
    "moon_sign": "Taurus",
    "varna": "Vaishya",
    "vashya": "Chatushpada",
    "yoni": "Serpent",
    "gana": "Deva",
    "nadi": "Madhya",
    "rajju": "Siro",
    "naamakshar": "Ve"
  }
}

John Doe's avakhada chakra: the birth nakshatra and Moon sign, the six matching traits, and the first syllable suggested for a name. Real output for John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York.

How to suggest baby names by nakshatra

Each step is one call, linked to its page in the API reference. Where a card shows values, they are real API output. Planet positions come from NASA JPL planet data (DE440). We check them against NASA JPL Horizons. On 25,571 positions from 1850 to 2149, the Sun and planets agree within 0.001 arc seconds. The Moon agrees within 0.011. An arc second is 1/3,600 of a degree. See how we test accuracy. A practicing astrologer reviews the rules behind these answers. Each rule has an ID in the public rulebook.

01
Find the birth star
POST /v1/planets
Send the baby's birth date, local time, place and time zone. The Moon's entry gives its nakshatra and pada (1 to 4), the two facts the syllable comes from.
positions.1.name
"Moon"
positions.1.nakshatra
"Mrigashira"
positions.1.pada
1
Real output from the example in the API reference.
02
Get the name syllable
POST /v1/reading/section/birth-details
The naamakshar for the Moon's pada, such as Va for Rohini pada 2. It comes with the Moon sign and the rest of the avakhada chakra (the table of birth facts). Send lang=hi for the syllable in Devanagari.
birth_details.nakshatra
"Mrigashira"
birth_details.pada
1
birth_details.naamakshar
"Ve"
Real output for John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York.
03
Explain the birth star
POST /v1/reading/section/nakshatra
A plain reading of the birth star, with its ruling planet, deity and symbol, for a "your baby's star" screen.
blocks.0.nakshatra.name
"Mrigashira"
blocks.0.nakshatra.lord
"Mars"
blocks.0.nakshatra.devata
"Soma"
blocks.0.nakshatra.symbol
"a deer's head"
Real output for John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York.
04
Plan the naming day
GET /v1/panchang/daily
For the naming ceremony: the day's tithi (lunar day), nakshatra, good times and rahu kaal (a time to avoid) in the family's own city.
date
"2026-10-01"
tithi.name
"Shashthi"
auspicious.abhijit_muhurta.starts
"2026-10-01T12:21:46-04:00"
Real output from the example in the API reference.

What you send, what you get, what it costs

You send	The baby's birth date, local time, place and time zone. Add lang=hi for the syllable in Devanagari.
You get	The Moon's nakshatra (birth star) and pada (quarter), the name syllable (naamakshar), a reading of the birth star and the naming day's panchang.
It costs	Steps 1 and 4: 1 call each.Steps 2 and 3: 1 reading credit each.

Costs are for a live key, and failed requests are free. The Free plan includes 2,000 calls and 150 reading credits a month.

Step 1 in code: find the birth star

Send the details as JSON, with your API key in the Authorization header. The other steps work the same way, and each one links to its page in the API reference.

POST /v1/planets

# John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York
curl -X POST "https://apiforastrology.com/api/astrology/v1/planets" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ASTROLOGY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"year":1990,"month":8,"day":15,"hour":10,"minute":30,"second":0,"latitude":40.7128,"longitude":-74.006,"timezone":"America/New_York"}'

Response (lists shortened)200 OK

{
  "meta": {
    "ayanamsa": "lahiri",
    "ayanamsa_value": 23.7260727,
    "julian_day": 2448119.10483,
    "ephemeris": "JPL DE440s",
    "node": "true",
    "timezone": {
      "source": "zone",
      "offset_hours": -4,
      "zone": "America/New_York",
      "abbreviation": "EDT",
      "dst": true,
      "dst_hours": 1,
      "ambiguous_resolved_by_fold": null,
      "note": "read from the IANA tz database at this instant, so daylight saving and historical offset changes are included"
    }
  },
  "ascendant": {
    "name": "Ascendant",
    "longitude": 169.934155,
    "sign": "Virgo",
    "sign_number": 6,
    "degree_in_sign": 19.934155,
    "degree_dms": "19 : 56 : 03",
    "house": 1,
    "nakshatra": "Hast",
    "nakshatra_lord": "Moon",
    "pada": 3,
    "speed": 0,
    "retrograde": false,
    "combust": false,
    "dignity": "n/a",
    "vargottama": false,
    "pushkara": {
      "navamsa": false,
      "navamsa_number": 6,
      "bhaga": false,
      "bhaga_degree": 9,
      "bhaga_by_element": false,
      "bhaga_degree_by_element": 14,
      "sources_agree": true,
      "orb_degrees": 1
    }
  },
  "positions": [
    {
      "name": "Sun",
      "longitude": 118.7753409,
      "sign": "Cancer",
      "sign_number": 4,
      "degree_in_sign": 28.7753409,
      "degree_dms": "28 : 46 : 31",
      "house": 11,
      "nakshatra": "Ashlesha",
      "nakshatra_lord": "Mercury",
      "pada": 4,
      "speed": 0.9610665,
      "retrograde": false,
      "combust": false,
      "dignity": "friend",
      "vargottama": false,
      "pushkara": {
        "navamsa": false,
        "navamsa_number": 9,
        "bhaga": false,
        "bhaga_degree": 8,
        "bhaga_by_element": false,
        "bhaga_degree_by_element": 7,
        "sources_agree": true,
        "orb_degrees": 1
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Moon",
      "longitude": 54.5750352,
      "sign": "Taurus",
      "sign_number": 2,
      "degree_in_sign": 24.5750352,
      "degree_dms": "24 : 34 : 30",
      "house": 9,
      "nakshatra": "Mrigashira",
      "nakshatra_lord": "Mars",
      "pada": 1,
      "speed": 14.258194,
      "retrograde": false,
      "combust": false,
      "dignity": "mulatrikona",
      "vargottama": false,
      "pushkara": {
        "navamsa": false,
        "navamsa_number": 8,
        "bhaga": false,
        "bhaga_degree": 14,
        "bhaga_by_element": false,
        "bhaga_degree_by_element": 14,
        "sources_agree": true,
        "orb_degrees": 1
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Mars",
      "longitude": 27.7149328,
      "sign": "Aries",
      "sign_number": 1,
      "degree_in_sign": 27.7149328,
      "degree_dms": "27 : 42 : 54",
      "house": 8,
      "nakshatra": "Krittika",
      "nakshatra_lord": "Sun",
      "pada": 1,
      "speed": 0.5753266,
      "retrograde": false,
      "combust": false,
      "dignity": "own sign",
      "vargottama": false,
      "pushkara": {
        "navamsa": true,
        "navamsa_number": 9,
        "bhaga": false,
        "bhaga_degree": 21,
        "bhaga_by_element": false,
        "bhaga_degree_by_element": 21,
        "sources_agree": true,
        "orb_degrees": 1
      }
    }
  ],
  "planetary_war": []
}

Add baby names by numerology

The Numerology API can also suggest the names. POST /v1/baby-names returns names from its own list whose number suits the baby's date of birth. It reads each name in Chaldean, the letter values Indian numerology uses. Send the surname, and each name is counted with it, the way the child will carry it.

To join the two traditions, get the syllable from POST /v1/reading/section/birth-details with lang=hi. Send it in syllables, and only names that start with that sound come back. Names come grouped by number, A to Z, and are never ranked. The same key works for both APIs.

01
Find names whose number suits the baby
POST /v1/baby-names
Send the birth date, and the surname if you have it. Narrow the list by gender, by birth-star syllables in Hindi letters, or by English starting letters such as J. Each name comes with its Hindi spelling and its meaning, when the meaning is known.
02
Check the name the parents choose
POST /v1/name
Send the full name and the baby's birth date, with up to 10 other spellings. Each spelling gets its Chaldean number and its fit with the baby's numbers, in the order sent.

The numerology baby name finder

Tips for going live

The Moon moves through one pada in about six hours, so ask for the exact birth time from the birth record. A guessed time can give the wrong syllable.
Always send the birth place's time zone. The birth star depends on the moment of birth, and 11:30 PM in Los Angeles is a different moment from 11:30 PM in New York.
The Astrology API gives one syllable for each pada, not a list of names. Tag the names in your own list by their opening sound, or let the Numerology API's POST /v1/baby-names filter its names by the syllable.
A syllable can be spelled more than one way in English, such as Va or Wa. Match names by sound as well as by spelling.
Some families follow the syllable closely and others loosely. Present it as a tradition the parents can choose, not a rule.

A mother holding her newborn and looking at a phone

What it costs

A baby name app with 1,000 new babies a month uses 1,000 calls for the birth stars and 1,000 reading credits for the name syllables. Starter.

Every plan can call every endpoint: calls for calculations, reading credits for written readings. Test keys are free on every plan, with 1,000 calls a month. Paid plans start at $29 a month, and failed requests are free.

See pricing

Try it free

See an answer first

Nakshatra finder
Your birth star: the Moon's nakshatra, its quarter (pada), its ruler and your Moon sign.
Find my nakshatra

All free tools

Features used here

From the blog

Nov 7, 2026 · 15 min read
Baby Name Numerology: Names by Number and Birth Star
Baby name numerology, worked through with real API answers.
Read

Common questions

All questions

Which field holds the name syllable?

naamakshar, in the birth_details object of POST /v1/reading/section/birth-details. The same object has the nakshatra, its pada, the Moon sign and the rest of the avakhada chakra. POST /v1/planets gives the Moon's nakshatra and pada, but not the syllable.

What the avakhada chakra is

Does the API suggest baby names?

The Astrology API gives the syllable, not names. Your app can match it to names from its own list. Or the Numerology API, on the same key, can suggest names whose number suits the child, starting with that syllable.

What a nakshatra is

How is the syllable chosen?

Each of the 27 nakshatras has four quarters (padas), and tradition gives each quarter its own syllable, 108 in all. The API reads the quarter the Moon was in at birth. For example, Rohini pada 2 gives Va, and Mrigashira pada 1 gives Ve.

Read the rule

Can we show the syllable in Hindi?

Yes. Send lang=hi and the syllable comes back in Devanagari, such as वा for Va, along with the Hindi names of the nakshatra and the Moon sign.

Read the conventions

What if the parents are not sure of the birth time?

Use the time on the birth record. The Moon changes pada about every six hours, so a time that is off can give a different syllable. If the time is uncertain, check a few hours either side, and when the syllable changes, show both to the parents.

Try the nakshatra finder

Is the birth star the same as the baby's zodiac sign?

No. The birth star is the Moon's nakshatra in the Vedic (sidereal) zodiac. It has nothing to do with the Western Sun sign many parents know. The Vedic Moon sign is broader too: each sign holds parts of three nakshatras.

Vedic and Western compared

Astrology API

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Create an account and a test key, then try each step above. Need more than the largest plan? Write to us.

Get a free API key Open the API reference

Your first answer

John Doe, New York

POST /v1/planets200 OK

RisingVirgoHast
SunCancerAshlesha
MoonTaurusMrigashira
MarsAriesKrittika

Real API output. A free test key gets the same answer.

01
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02
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03
Open rules: every rule is published, so you can check any answer

Baby name API: the name syllable from the birth star

How it works

How to suggest baby names by nakshatra

Find the birth star

Get the name syllable

Explain the birth star

Plan the naming day

What you send, what you get, what it costs

Step 1 in code: find the birth star

Add baby names by numerology

Find names whose number suits the baby

Check the name the parents choose