Chaldean numerology calculator
The older-style chart: letters valued 1 to 8 by their sound, no 9, and a compound number read before it is reduced.
The Chaldean chart
Where the Pythagorean chart simply counts through the alphabet, the Chaldean chart groups letters by the vibration of their sound, which is why A, I, J, Q and Y share the value 1. The number 9 is reserved.
| 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 |
Compare the two systems
Type a name above, then flip between Pythagorean and Chaldean to see which letters change value.
- M4
- A1
- Y1
- A1
- C3
- A1
- R2
- T4
- E5
- R2
Chaldean name number
4 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 5 + 2 = 24 → 6
Chaldean values run 1–8 and follow sound rather than alphabet order. 9 is left out as sacred. The compound total before reduction is read too.
Where Chaldean numerology comes from
The Chaldeans were a people of southern Mesopotamia whose astronomer-priests became a byword in the classical world for star-lore and divination. The system that carries their name today, however, was largely shaped by Cheiro (William John Warner), an Irish palmist and astrologer whose Book of Numbers (1926) set out the 1–8 chart and the compound meanings still quoted in most Chaldean calculators.
Modern Pythagorean numerology, built on the simpler 1–9 chart, was developed in roughly the same period, largely through the work of L. Dow Balliett and later Juno Jordan. So both systems, as practised today, are about a century old, with much older roots in number symbolism.
Questions people ask
What is Chaldean numerology?
A system of letter values named after the Chaldeans of ancient Babylon, though the chart used today was set out mainly by the palmist Cheiro in the early 20th century. It assigns values 1 to 8 by sound rather than alphabet order, and reads both the single-digit root and the unreduced compound number.
Why is there no 9 in the Chaldean chart?
In the tradition 9 is considered sacred or complete, so no letter is given the value 9. A name can still total 9 or a multiple of it once the letters are added.
Chaldean vs Pythagorean: which is more accurate?
Neither can be tested for accuracy; they are different symbolic systems. Pythagorean is simpler and far more common in modern books and apps. Chaldean is older in spirit, uses sound-based values, and gives extra weight to the compound number. Many people look at both.
Which name should I use in Chaldean numerology?
Unlike Pythagorean practice, Chaldean numerologists usually use the name you are best known by today, since it is the name whose sound you carry into the world.
What is a compound number?
The total before it is reduced to one digit, for example 32 before 3 + 2 = 5. Cheiro gave each compound from 10 to 52 its own symbol, so two names that both reduce to 5 can be read quite differently.