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Name numerology calculator: Chaldean and Pythagorean

The name numerology calculator from API for Astrology (apiforastrology.com) gives a name's number in two systems, Chaldean and Pythagorean. Chaldean is the system Indian numerology uses, and Pythagorean is the one most Western books use. Add other spellings to compare them, each checked against the mulank and bhagyank from the birth date.

The mulank is the birth day number and the bhagyank the destiny number. We do not store the details you enter.

Updated Oct 28, 2026

Sample, not your result: John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990

Each word of the name adds up on its own, then the words are added together, in both letter systems. Your own result shows under the form.

Name numerology calculator at a glance

What the name numerology calculator takes, gives back and costs
You send	A name, other spellings to compare and a birth date
You get	Each spelling's Chaldean and Pythagorean numbers and how well it fits
The API call behind it	`POST /v1/name` on the Numerology API
What it costs	Free on this page. In your app, 1 reading credit per answer. The Free plan has 150 reading credits a month.

How the name number is worked out

Each letter of the name gets a number, and the numbers are added. In the Chaldean system, letters take values from 1 to 8, and no letter is worth 9. In the Pythagorean system, the alphabet runs from 1 to 9 in order and then starts again. So one name often gives two different numbers.

Only the Chaldean number is read. A total from 10 to 52 is also returned as the compound number, which is not read. The tool then checks how the name number gets on with the person's mulank and bhagyank. It uses the friendship of their planets. A friend and no enemy is a good fit. An enemy and no friend is difficult, one of each is mixed, and neither is neutral.

Spellings come back in the order you typed them, and they are never ranked. The choice of a name stays with the person. With your own API key, POST /v1/name checks a name and up to 10 other spellings at once.

Worked example: John Doe and Jon Doe

John Doe adds up to 34 in Chaldean, and 3 + 4 = 7. In Pythagorean he adds up to 35, and 3 + 5 = 8. So the same name gives 7 in one system and 8 in the other. He was born on August 15, 1990, so his mulank and bhagyank are both 6. The planets of 6 and 7 are neither friends nor enemies, so the fit is neutral.

Drop one letter and the number changes. Jon Doe adds up to 29 in Chaldean, which gives 2. That is why the tool checks each spelling on its own.

Method and sources

Every number here comes from simple counting on the name and date you enter. So the same details always give the same result. The letter values and the counting rules are on the numerology conventions page.

The Chaldean letter values, with no letter worth 9, follow the table in Cheiro's Book of Numbers (1926). The Pythagorean letter values, 1 to 9 in alphabet order, match the table in L. Dow Balliett's The Philosophy of Numbers (1908).

Words used here, explained in the glossary: Name number, Chaldean numerology, Pythagorean numerology, Compound number, Friendly numbers, Name correction, Mulank, Bhagyank.

We do not store the details you enter. Results are for information and entertainment, not advice.

Build this into your app

This tool runs on our Numerology API. Here is the request behind it and the answer, for our sample: John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, with two other spellings. Read about the name checker API.

POST /v1/name

# John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, with two other spellings
curl -X POST "https://apiforastrology.com/api/numerology/v1/name" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ASTROLOGY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"John Doe","birth_date":"1990-08-15","variants":["Jon Doe","John Dow"]}'

Answer (lists cut to two items)200 OK

{
  "person": {
    "birth_date": "1990-08-15",
    "mulank": 6,
    "bhagyank": 6
  },
  "system": "chaldean",
  "about": "A name is read from its letters.",
  "spellings": [
    {
      "name": "John Doe",
      "chaldean": {
        "total": 34,
        "compound": 34,
        "number": 7,
        "master": false,
        "words": [
          {
            "word": "John",
            "total": 18,
            "number": 9
          },
          {
            "word": "Doe",
            "total": 16,
            "number": 7
          }
        ]
      },
      "pythagorean": {
        "total": 35,
        "number": 8,
        "master": false
      },
      "planet": "Ketu",
      "planet_name": "Ketu",
      "fit": {
        "number": 7,
        "links": [
          {
            "from": "mulank",
            "from_number": 6,
            "to_number": 7,
            "relation": "neutral",
            "via": [
              "Ketu"
            ],
            "from_name": "mulank",
            "relation_name": "neutral"
          },
          {
            "from": "bhagyank",
            "from_number": 6,
            "to_number": 7,
            "relation": "neutral",
            "via": [
              "Ketu"
            ],
            "from_name": "bhagyank",
            "relation_name": "neutral"
          }
        ],
        "outcome": "neutral",
        "outcome_name": "Neutral",
        "reading": "This number is neutral to your own numbers. It neither helps nor gets in the way much."
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Jon Doe",
      "chaldean": {
        "total": 29,
        "compound": 29,
        "number": 2,
        "master": true,
        "words": [
          {
            "word": "Jon",
            "total": 13,
            "number": 4
          },
          {
            "word": "Doe",
            "total": 16,
            "number": 7
          }
        ]
      },
      "pythagorean": {
        "total": 27,
        "number": 9,
        "master": false
      },
      "planet": "Moon",
      "planet_name": "Moon",
      "fit": {
        "number": 2,
        "links": [
          {
            "from": "mulank",
            "from_number": 6,
            "to_number": 2,
            "relation": "enemy",
            "via": [],
            "from_name": "mulank",
            "relation_name": "unfriendly"
          },
          {
            "from": "bhagyank",
            "from_number": 6,
            "to_number": 2,
            "relation": "enemy",
            "via": [],
            "from_name": "bhagyank",
            "relation_name": "unfriendly"
          }
        ],
        "outcome": "difficult",
        "outcome_name": "Not a good fit",
        "reading": "This number does not get along with your own numbers. It may get in your way more than it helps."
      }
    }
  ],
  "ranked": false,
  "not_claimed": "Numbers describe tendencies, not fixed events. Use them as a guide, not a rule.",
  "localization": {
    "lang": "en",
    "detail": "standard",
    "fell_back_to_en": [],
    "fell_back_to_standard": []
  }
}

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From the blog

Common questions

All questions

Which system should I use, Chaldean or Pythagorean?

Use Chaldean for Indian numerology. It is the default here, and it is the only one the API reads. Use Pythagorean if you follow Western numerology. The tool shows both, labelled, and never mixes them in one number.

Chaldean numerology in the glossary

Why does my name give two different numbers?

The two systems give letters different values. O is 7 in Chaldean but 6 in Pythagorean, for example, and no letter is 9 in Chaldean. So the same letters can add up to different totals.

How the two systems differ

Does a small spelling change really change the number?

Yes. Every added or dropped letter changes the total. John Doe gives 7 in Chaldean, while Jon Doe gives 2. That is why the API reads only English letters and never converts a name from another script.

What if no spelling is a good fit?

A fit is a guide only. The API reports each spelling's fit and the reason behind it, and leaves the choice to the person. An app can also call POST /v1/name/suggest. It finds spellings that sound the same but reach a number that suits the person.

About the name checker API

Can I add a name checker to my own app?

Yes. Sent with your own API key, POST /v1/name checks a name and up to 10 other spellings. It reads each one against one birth date and returns the numbers and the fit as JSON. One live call uses 1 reading credit.

Numerology API pricing

Numerology API

Put this in your own app

Create a free test key and call the same endpoint with your users' details. Or try a request in the API reference first.

Get a free API key Open the API reference

Your first answer

John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990

POST /v1/profile200 OK

Mulank6Venus
Bhagyank6Destiny number
Name number7Ketu

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

01
Test key: 1,000 test calls a month to build with
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Free plan: 2,000 live calls a month, no card needed
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One key: the same key, plan and reading credits as the Astrology API

Name numerology calculator: Chaldean and Pythagorean

Name numerology calculator at a glance

How the name number is worked out

Worked example: John Doe and Jon Doe

Method and sources

Build this into your app

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From the blog

Baby Name Numerology: Names by Number and Birth Star

Name Correction Numerology: How Spelling Suggestions Work

Chaldean vs Pythagorean Numerology: What Changes in Code

Common questions

Put this in your own app