Free tool
Name your child
Naming by the Four Pillars builds the child's chart and looks for the missing element to supply through the name. The year pillar turns at the start of spring rather than at Tết, so which stem-branch year a child born between those two points belongs to needs care. Picking the favourable element is itself one reading among several, so what you get here is a direction, not a verdict.
Builds the child's Four Pillars with the month pillar set by solar terms and the year turning at Start of Spring, shows every step, and admits the useful-god step is one reading of many.
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Naming your child: the chart is built from solar terms, and why that changes the result
The first step of this tool is to build the child's Four Pillars from their solar birth date and time, because every statement about a missing or needed element flows from that chart. The three conventions below are exactly where online tools tend to differ, so this site states all three rather than leaving you to guess.
First convention: the MONTH pillar follows the SOLAR TERMS, not the lunar month. Solar terms divide the year by the sun's apparent position, and the month pillar turns at the twelve major terms, not on the first day of a lunar month. Most online astrology tools take the lunar month directly as the month pillar, so every chart born near a term boundary is off by one pillar, and one wrong pillar is a quarter of the chart wrong.
Second convention: the YEAR pillar turns at START OF SPRING, not at Lunar New Year. A child born on the second day of Tết but before the Start of Spring moment still carries the previous year's stem and branch. This is why the result sometimes differs from the zodiac animal a family already uses, so the page states which stem-branch year the year pillar actually used.
Third convention: the DAY pillar turns at 23:00, the start of the Rat hour, rather than at midnight. This is a point where schools GENUINELY DISAGREE, in the long-running debate over the early and late Rat hour: some practitioners keep the old day until midnight. This site uses 23:00 because it is the more common treatment in Zi Ping texts, and it states that choice so you can reconcile it with other sources.
With all four pillars in place, the page counts the five elements across the eight characters, with the month branch given DOUBLE WEIGHT because the month command shapes a chart's energy more strongly than the other positions. That doubling is this site's own convention rather than a universal standard, but it is simple and countable by hand so you can verify each step. From those counts the page compares support against drain to decide whether the day master is strong or weak.
The step that picks the useful god is ONE READING AMONG MANY, and this is the most important thing to understand before using the result. There is no single mathematically correct formula here; real Bazi practitioners can derive different useful gods from the same chart. The rule this site applies is stated outright in the result: a strong day master takes a draining element, a weak one takes a reinforcing element, and within the fitting group it picks whichever element is thinnest in the chart. The underlying figures are printed so you can check rather than simply believe.
Finally, a name's element is only one criterion among many when naming a child, and usually not the most important one. What the name means, how it sounds with the family name, how it is written without diacritics on documents, and avoiding the names of elders in the family are practical considerations no chart can replace. This is traditional knowledge offered as cultural reference, not scientifically verified, and it should not be the sole basis for a decision your child carries for life.
| Solar term | Solar longitude | Approximate solar 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 (Rabbit) |
| Clear and Bright | 15 degrees | Apr 4 to 5 | Thìn (Dragon) |
| Start of Summer | 45 degrees | May 5 to 6 | Tị (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
Why does the month pillar follow solar terms instead of the lunar month?
Because in Zi Ping astrology the month pillar changes at the twelve major solar terms, which track the sun's apparent position, not on the first day of a lunar month. Using the lunar month directly shifts the pillar by one for any child born near a term boundary.
My child was born after Tết, so why does the chart show the previous year?
Because the year pillar turns at the Start of Spring term, not at Lunar New Year, and that term usually falls around February 3 to 5. A child born after Tết but before it still belongs to the previous stem-branch year.
If a child is born at 23:30, which day counts?
Under this site's convention the day pillar turns at 23:00, so a birth at 23:30 carries the next day's stem and branch. Schools disagree here: some keep the old day until midnight, so bear that in mind when comparing with other sources.
Is the useful god shown here the single correct answer?
No. Choosing a useful god is one reading among many, with no single mathematically correct formula, and practitioners can derive different answers from the same chart. The page states the rule it used and prints the figures so you can check.
What if the child's birth time is unknown?
The chart then has only three pillars and the element count loses one pair of characters, so the conclusion about missing elements can change once a time is added. For a newborn the time is usually on the birth record, so enter it if you have it.
Why is the month branch counted twice?
Because in Zi Ping astrology the month command, the month pillar's branch, shapes a chart's energy far more than the other positions. Doubling it is the crudest way to reflect that while staying countable by hand, and it is this site's own convention rather than a universal standard.
Should a name be chosen on element suitability alone?
No. The element is only one criterion; what the name means, how it sounds with the family name, how it appears without diacritics on documents, and avoiding elders' names in the family all matter just as much and no chart can settle them.
Is this result professional advice?
No. This is traditional knowledge offered as cultural reference, not scientifically verified, and it does not replace professional advice or the legal considerations of registering a child's birth.