Name your child
Get name ideas for your child based on the baby's Bát Tự chart. Enter the surname, the baby's sex and birth date and hour, and any names you are weighing; the page finds the element the chart needs, suggests names of that element with a reason for each, and scores the names you came up with.
Where this comes from
The page sets up the child's Bát Tự chart under the conventions of Tử Bình, counts the Five Elements over the stems and branches, and picks an element by a counting rule shown with its figures. A name's element follows the Sino-Vietnamese meaning of the character. The 100-point score on seven axes and its weights are Nhật Nguyệt's own convention, printed in full so they can be re-weighed.
Parents' birth dates score the two “match with father/mother” axes. Leave them blank and those axes are left out of the total rather than scored zero.
Used to flag names that repeat a character from a parent's name, following the custom of not naming a child after an elder.
This tool is part of Numerology. See every tool and article on Numerology.
Classical allusion
“Cư trần lạc đạo thả tuỳ duyên, cơ tắc xan hề khốn tắc miên.”
Translation: Dwell in the world, delight in the Way, and follow what comes: eat when hungry, sleep when tired.
Trần Nhân Tông · Rhapsody on Dwelling in the World and Delighting in the Way
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Bát Tự chart
The names are based on the baby's four pillars. The Bát Tự chart shows all four pillars and the balance of elements.
Open Bát Tự chartWhere the schools differ
When the year turns over
1 more
When the month turns over
What no one has shown
No study has shown that a name's element affects a child's life. Choosing the element is where Bát Tự practitioners differ most, so the suggestions here are one direction, not a conclusion.
Read on
Ask Nhật Nguyệt AI
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How does the page suggest names for a child?
The page casts the baby's Bát Tự (Four Pillars) chart from the birth date and hour, counts the five elements across its stems and branches, picks the element the chart needs, then suggests names whose Sino-Vietnamese meaning belongs to that element. A name's element comes from the meaning of the word, not its sound.
The month pillar turns at the solar terms, not at the lunar month. The year pillar turns at Lập Xuân (Start of Spring), usually 3 to 5 February, so a baby born after Tết but before Lập Xuân still carries the previous year's stem and branch. The day pillar turns at 23:00.
When counting the elements, the month branch counts double. If support outweighs drain, the page picks a draining element; if drain outweighs support, a supporting one; within that group it takes the element there is least of. This step (the useful element) is where Bát Tự practitioners differ most, so the suggestion here is one direction, not the only answer.
Each name is scored out of 100 across seven parts: matching the needed element, numerology of the full name, the relation to the baby's birth-year element, match with the father's year, match with the mother's year, filling a missing element, and an I Ching hexagram cast from the name. Any part without data (such as a missing parent's birth date) is dropped from the scale rather than scored zero. A name that repeats a character from a parent's name loses points, following the custom of avoiding elders' names.
A name's element is only one criterion. Its meaning, how it sounds with the surname, how it looks on official papers and avoiding an elder's name in the family matter just as much.
| Solar term | Solar longitude | Approximate date | Month pillar branch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of Spring | 315 degrees | Feb 3 to 5 | Dần (Tiger) |
| Awakening of Insects | 345 degrees | Mar 5 to 6 | Mão (Cat) |
| Clear and Bright | 15 degrees | Apr 4 to 5 | Thìn (Dragon) |
| Start of Summer | 45 degrees | May 5 to 6 | Tỵ (Snake) |
| Grain in Ear | 75 degrees | Jun 5 to 6 | Ngọ (Horse) |
| Minor Heat | 105 degrees | Jul 6 to 7 | Mùi (Goat) |
| Start of Autumn | 135 degrees | Aug 7 to 8 | Thân (Monkey) |
| White Dew | 165 degrees | Sep 7 to 8 | Dậu (Rooster) |
| Cold Dew | 195 degrees | Oct 8 to 9 | Tuất (Dog) |
| Start of Winter | 225 degrees | Nov 7 to 8 | Hợi (Pig) |
| Major Snow | 255 degrees | Dec 6 to 7 | Tý (Rat) |
| Minor Cold | 285 degrees | Jan 5 to 6 | Sửu (Ox) |
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to enter to get name ideas?
The planned surname, the baby's sex and birth date are enough. Birth hour, the parents' birth dates and names, and any names you are weighing are optional and make the scoring closer.
My baby was born after Tết, so why does the chart show last year?
Because the year pillar turns at Lập Xuân (around 3 to 5 February), not on the first day of Tết. A baby born between the two still belongs to the previous year.
What if we do not know the birth hour yet?
The chart then has three pillars, and the needed element may change once the hour is added. The hour is usually on the birth certificate, so enter it if you have it.
Is the needed element shown here the only right answer?
No. There are several ways to choose it, and another practitioner may reach a different element from the same chart. The page prints the full count so you can check.
Why does a name sharing a character with a parent's name lose points?
Because Vietnamese families usually avoid giving a child the same name as a parent or elder. The page compares word by word, ignoring diacritics.
Should we pick a name just because its element fits?
Better not. The element is one criterion; a name with a good meaning, easy to say, hard to tease and liked by the whole family usually matters more.