How a name number is worked out
In the Chaldean system each letter carries a value from 1 to 8: A, I, J, Q and Y are 1; B, K and R are 2; C, G, L and S are 3; D, M and T are 4; E, H, N and X are 5; U, V and W are 6; O and Z are 7; F and P are 8. The number 9 is never assigned to a letter, as it is considered sacred. Add every letter, then reduce to a single digit. The Pythagorean system instead runs A to I as 1 to 9 and repeats.
What matters is the fit
A name number is neither good nor bad on its own. What practitioners check is whether it is friendly with your driver and conductor numbers, using the planetary friendship table. That is why this calculator lists the totals that suit your birth date, rather than declaring a number lucky in the abstract.
Before you change a spelling
Name changes are the most expensive advice in numerology, because documents, signatures and reputation all follow the old spelling. If a change appeals to you, try the new spelling informally for a few months first, and be wary of anyone charging heavily to pick a letter for you.
Business names are read the same way, usually against the founder's birth date.
Questions people ask
Which system should I use, Chaldean or Pythagorean?
Chaldean is the usual choice in India. It assigns letters values from 1 to 8 based on sound rather than alphabetical order, and never uses 9 for a letter.
Does changing the spelling of my name change the number?
Yes. Adding or removing a letter changes the total, which is why numerologists suggest spelling tweaks rather than an entirely new name.
Should I use my full legal name or my calling name?
Most practitioners use the name you are actually called by day to day, since that is the one in constant use.