Numerology API for Every Alphabet: Complete International Guide 2026

Your user enters "Александр" in Russian. Or "محمد" in Arabic. Or "明" in Chinese.

How do you calculate their numerology number?

Different alphabets require completely different calculation systems. Get it wrong, and your app produces meaningless results for millions of potential users.

This guide covers every major numerology system worldwide. You'll learn exactly how each alphabet converts to numbers, why the systems differ, and how to implement them correctly.

TL;DR - What You Need to Know

Your numerology calculator works for "Sarah" but breaks for "Сара" (Russian), "سارة" (Arabic), or "שרה" (Hebrew). Same name, different alphabets, completely different calculation systems required.

• For astrologers: Your international clients deserve culturally correct calculations
• For app builders: One API call handles all alphabets automatically
• For entrepreneurs: International support = competitive advantage
• Chaldean vs Pythagorean: Practitioners are divided; offer both options
• Master numbers 11, 22, 33: Never reduce these to single digits
• Beijing Olympics: Started 8/8/08 at 8:08:08pm (8 = wealth in Chinese)
• Phone number 8888-8888: Sold for $1.5 million in China

What the Numbers Actually Mean

Before diving into systems, here's what your clients care about - the meanings:

• 11: The Intuitive - heightened spiritual awareness, visionary
• 22: The Master Builder - turns dreams into reality, practical visionary
• 33: The Master Teacher - healer, guide, selfless service

These meanings stay the same across systems. What changes is HOW you get to the number from a name.

Why Different Alphabets Need Different Systems

Numerology isn't just math. It's linguistics, history, and culture compressed into numbers.

The Pythagorean system works for Latin alphabets because Pythagoras assigned values based on Greek letter order. But Hebrew letters carry inherent numerical meaning dating back 3,000 years. Arabic letters preserve Phoenician numerical traditions. Chinese doesn't use an alphabet at all.

Each system evolved from its culture's understanding of how sounds, symbols, and numbers connect.

Using Pythagorean calculations for Arabic names is like translating poetry with Google Translate. Technically possible, culturally meaningless.

Pythagorean Numerology: The Western Standard

The most common system for English and Latin alphabets. Named after the Greek mathematician who believed numbers were the foundation of reality.

How Pythagorean Calculation Works

Each letter maps to a number 1-9:

S=1, A=1, R=9, A=1, H=8

1 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 8 = 20

Master Numbers

Pythagorean numerology recognizes special "master numbers" that don't reduce:

• 11: The Visionary/Psychic Master. Blends initiative (1) with intuition (2). High spiritual awareness.
• 22: The Master Builder. Supercharged version of 4 (the builder). Dreams big, manifests in reality.
• 33: The Master Teacher. Pure love and light. Guides others toward healing and enlightenment.

If your calculation reaches 11, 22, or 33 before final reduction, you keep it. These numbers form the "Triangle of Enlightenment" and vibrate at higher frequencies than single digits.

Soul Urge vs. Personality Number

Name numerology separates vowels and consonants for different insights:

Add only the vowels in the full birth name. This reveals inner motivations, heart's desire, and the "tender you" - love, caring, vulnerability.

Vowels are pronounced with free-flowing breath, representing spirit and formless essence.

Add only the consonants. This shows how others perceive you, your public personality, the traits you reveal to the world.

Consonants have sharp edges and definitive sounds - they're the containers for expression.

J=1, A=1, C=3, K=2

1 + 1 + 3 + 2 = 7 (no master number, stays as 7)

O=6, L=3, I=9, V=4, I=9, A=1

6 + 3 + 9 + 4 + 9 + 1 = 32

3 + 2 = 5 (no master number at 32)

Pythagorean via API

1const response = await fetch('https://api.astrology-api.io/v1/numerology/name', {
2  method: 'POST',
3  headers: {
4    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
5    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
6  },
7  body: JSON.stringify({
8    name: 'Sarah',
9    system: 'pythagorean',
10    include_master_numbers: true
11  })
12});
13
14// Response includes name number, destiny number, and interpretation

Chaldean Numerology: The Ancient Sound System

Older than Pythagorean by centuries. Developed in ancient Babylon (modern Iraq). Based on sound vibrations rather than alphabetical order.

Key Differences from Pythagorean

1. Uses only 1-8: The number 9 is considered sacred and never assigned to letters
2. Sound-based mapping: Letters with similar sounds share numbers
3. Different assignments: Same letter, different value than Pythagorean

Chaldean Alphabet Chart

Notice: No letter equals 9. The assignments seem random but follow phonetic logic.

Chaldean Calculation Example: "SARAH"

S=3, A=1, R=2, A=1, H=5

3 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 5 = 12

The Great Debate: Which System is More Accurate?

Numerology practitioners are genuinely divided on this question.

• Older system (predates Pythagorean by centuries)
• Based on sound vibrations, not arbitrary alphabetical order
• Famous practitioners like Cheiro and Linda Goodman used Chaldean
• Provides "deeper and more nuanced insights" according to practitioners
• Connected to Vedic principles and planetary influences

• Simpler and more consistent
• Easier to teach and verify
• More widely used in Western countries
• Better documentation and resources available

When to Use Each System

• Birth name analysis (uses everyday name, not legal name)
• Business name selection
• Personal compatibility readings
• Users interested in sound/vibration-based analysis

• Quick calculations
• Western audience apps
• Standardized reports
• Users wanting birth certificate name analysis

Hebrew Gematria: Letters as Numbers

Hebrew doesn't separate letters and numbers. Each letter IS a number. This isn't a conversion system. It's how Hebrew works.

Standard Gematria Values

How Gematria Calculation Works

Unlike Pythagorean, gematria often preserves the full sum for analysis.

ש (Shin) = 300 ל (Lamed) = 30 ו (Vav) = 6 ם (Mem final) = 40

Gematria in Practice

Gematria finds connections between words with equal values. Words sharing a number are considered spiritually linked.

Famous example:

• אהבה (Ahava, "love") = 1 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 13
• אחד (Echad, "one") = 1 + 8 + 4 = 13

Love and oneness share the same number. Not coincidence to Kabbalists.

Final Letter Forms

Five Hebrew letters have different forms when appearing at word's end:

Some systems use these extended values, others use standard values for finals.

Arabic Abjad Numerology

Arabic numerology predates Islam, originating from Phoenician merchants who needed numerical shorthand. The system is called "Abjad" after the first four letters in the old order.

Abjad Letter Values

Arabic uses 28 letters with values following the original Phoenician sequence:

The Famous 786: A Cultural Phenomenon

The most recognized Arabic numerology example:

"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

This number appears on Islamic art, jewelry, and architecture worldwide. Many Muslims use 786 as shorthand for the full phrase.

Arabic Name Calculation

م (Mim) = 40 ح (Ha) = 8 م (Mim) = 40 د (Dal) = 4

Greek Isopsephy: The Original System

Isopsephy predates both Pythagorean numerology and Hebrew gematria in written form. The Greeks used letters as numbers for centuries before Arabic numerals arrived.

Greek Letter Values

Note: Numbers 6 and 90 used archaic letters (Digamma and Koppa) no longer in standard Greek.

Greek Calculation Example

Σ (Sigma) = 200 Ο (Omicron) = 70 Φ (Phi) = 500 Ι (Iota) = 10 Α (Alpha) = 1

Ancient Greeks searched for words with matching isopsephy values, believing them connected by divine design.

Vedic Numerology: The Sanskrit Connection

Indian numerology draws from Sanskrit, the ancient language of Hindu scriptures. It shares roots with Chaldean numerology through ancient trade routes.

Vedic Number Assignments

Like Chaldean, Vedic numerology typically excludes 9:

Sanskrit Syllable System

Traditional Vedic calculation uses Sanskrit consonant-vowel combinations (aksharas):

Vedic Calculation Example

र (Ra) = 6 हु (Hu) = 7 ल (La) = 6

6 + 7 + 6 = 19

Chinese Numerology: Beyond Alphabets

Chinese doesn't use an alphabet. Each character is a logograph carrying its own meaning. Chinese numerology works completely differently.

Sound-Based Chinese Numerology

Numbers matter by their pronunciation's similarity to other words:

Number Combinations and Business Impact

Chinese numerology directly affects business decisions:

• 88: Double prosperity (囍 resembles "double happiness")
• 168: "All the way to prosperity" (一路发)
• 518: "I will prosper"
• 888: Triple fortune (common Red Envelope amount)
• 1314: "Forever" (一生一世) - popular for weddings
• 4: Actively avoided everywhere

Many Chinese buildings skip floors 4, 14, 24, 34, 40-49. A "50th floor" button might take you to the actual 35th floor.

Products are priced ending in 8 or 9, never 4. Your numerology app serving Chinese users must flag 4-heavy results as potentially problematic.

Stroke Count Numerology

Alternative method: count strokes in a Chinese name.

王 = 4 strokes 明 = 8 strokes

Cyrillic Numerology: Russian and Ukrainian

Russian and Ukrainian use the same script but different letter sets. Your API must detect and handle them separately.

Russian Cyrillic (33 letters)

Based on Alexandrov and Kovalevskaya system:

Ukrainian Cyrillic (33 letters)

Different letter set with unique characters:

Auto-Detection Logic

The API detects language by checking for unique letters:

1RUSSIAN_UNIQUE = {'Ы', 'Ъ', 'Э', 'Ё'}
2UKRAINIAN_UNIQUE = {'І', 'Ї', 'Є', 'Ґ'}
3
4def detect_slavic_language(name):
5    has_russian = any(c in RUSSIAN_UNIQUE for c in name)
6    has_ukrainian = any(c in UKRAINIAN_UNIQUE for c in name)
7
8    if has_ukrainian and not has_russian:
9        return 'ukrainian'
10    return 'russian'  # Default for ambiguous

Cyrillic Calculation Example

О=8, Л=5, Е=7, К=4, С=1, А=1, Н=7, Д=6, Р=1

8 + 5 + 7 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 7 + 6 + 1 = 40

А=1, Л=4, Е=6, К=3, С=1, А=1, Н=6, Д=5, Р=9

1 + 4 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 6 + 5 + 9 = 36

Same name, different results because Ukrainian and Russian use different letter-value mappings.

Turkish Modern Numerology

Turkish uses a modified Latin alphabet with 29 letters. Standard Pythagorean won't work because Turkish has unique letters.

Turkish Alphabet Order

A, B, C, Ç, D, E, F, G, Ğ, H, I, İ, J, K, L, M, N, O, Ö, P, R, S, Ş, T, U, Ü, V, Y, Z

Note: Turkish distinguishes between dotted İ/i and dotless I/ı.

Turkish Letter Values

Turkish Calculation Example

M=7, E=6, H=1, M=7, E=6, T=6

7 + 6 + 1 + 7 + 6 + 6 = 33 (master number)

Why Turkish Needs Special Handling

Using Pythagorean for Turkish names ignores Ç, Ğ, İ, Ö, Ş, Ü entirely. The name "Özgür" would calculate as "zgr" - missing half the letters.

Persian Abjad Numerology

Persian (Farsi) uses Arabic script plus four additional letters. Standard Arabic Abjad misses these.

Persian-Specific Letters

Persian Calculation

Persian uses Arabic Abjad values for shared letters, plus values for the four unique letters.

پ (Pe) = 2 ر (Ra) = 200 و (Vav) = 6 ی (Ya) = 10 ز (Za) = 7

Detecting Persian vs Arabic

Check for Persian-unique letters:

1PERSIAN_UNIQUE = {'پ', 'چ', 'ژ', 'گ', 'ک', 'ی'}
2
3def is_persian(name):
4    return any(c in PERSIAN_UNIQUE for c in name)

Building a Multi-Language Numerology API

Supporting international users requires handling all these systems. Here's the architecture.

Supported Systems

The API supports 11 numerology systems:

Auto-Detection Logic

1def detect_alphabet(name):
2    # Count characters in each script
3    cyrillic = sum(1 for c in name if '\u0400' <= c <= '\u04FF')
4    hebrew = sum(1 for c in name if '\u0590' <= c <= '\u05FF')
5    greek = sum(1 for c in name if '\u0370' <= c <= '\u03FF')
6    arabic = sum(1 for c in name if '\u0600' <= c <= '\u06FF')
7    devanagari = sum(1 for c in name if '\u0900' <= c <= '\u097F')
8    latin = sum(1 for c in name if 'A' <= c.upper() <= 'Z')
9
10    # Find dominant script, then check for sub-variants
11    # Cyrillic: Russian vs Ukrainian (unique letters)
12    # Arabic: Arabic vs Persian (unique letters)
13    # Latin: Standard vs Turkish (unique letters)

API Request with Auto-Detection

1const response = await fetch('https://api.astrology-api.io/v1/numerology/name', {
2  method: 'POST',
3  headers: {
4    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
5    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
6  },
7  body: JSON.stringify({
8    name: 'محمد',
9    system: 'auto', // API detects Arabic, uses Abjad
10    include_interpretation: true,
11    locale: 'ar'
12  })
13});

Response Structure

1{
2  "name": "محمد",
3  "detected_script": "arabic",
4  "system_used": "abjad",
5  "raw_sum": 92,
6  "reduced_number": 11,
7  "is_master_number": true,
8  "letter_breakdown": [
9    { "letter": "م", "value": 40 },
10    { "letter": "ح", "value": 8 },
11    { "letter": "م", "value": 40 },
12    { "letter": "د", "value": 4 }
13  ],
14  "interpretation": {
15    "personality": "...",
16    "strengths": ["..."],
17    "challenges": ["..."]
18  }
19}

The Transliteration Problem

Transliterating names from one script to another creates serious accuracy issues.

Why Transliteration Fails

• Muhammad
• Mohammed
• Mohamed
• Mohammad
• Muhammed

The Right Approach

1. Always calculate in native script when possible
2. If transliteration is necessary, document the variant used
3. Consider offering multiple transliteration results
4. Never mix native and transliterated calculations

Legal Name vs. Nickname: Which to Calculate?

Different numerology traditions disagree on this fundamental question.

Birth Certificate Name

Your full birth name represents your life's blueprint - the energy you were born with. Even if you've never used your middle name, it affects these core calculations.

Everyday Name (What People Call You)

Chaldean numerology specifically uses the name you introduce yourself with, not your legal name. The vibration of what's spoken matters more than what's written.

Changed/Chosen Names

Name changes don't erase your birth name energy - they add a new layer. Effects typically take 6 months to 2 years to fully manifest. The person must genuinely identify with the new name for it to take effect.

Common Calculation Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using Pythagorean for Non-Latin Scripts

Transliterating "محمد" to "Muhammad" and calculating Pythagorean loses the authentic vibration. Always use native script calculations.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Master Numbers

11, 22, 33 carry special significance. Reducing 22 to 4 loses important information.

Mistake 3: Wrong Final Letter Values

Hebrew final letters (ך, ם, ן, ף, ץ) have extended values in some systems. Know which system you're implementing.

Mistake 4: Treating All Chinese Characters Equally

Different dialects (Mandarin, Cantonese) give numbers different pronunciations and meanings. 4 is unlucky in Mandarin but neutral in some Cantonese contexts.

Mistake 5: Mixing Systems

Calculating first name in Pythagorean and last name in Chaldean produces meaningless results. Stay consistent within one analysis.

Real Use Cases (What People Actually Build)

For Astrologers Going Digital

You've been doing readings for years. Now you want to scale with an app. Your Russian clients send you names in Cyrillic. Your Middle Eastern clients use Arabic. You can't calculate each manually anymore.

For Dating App Founders

"Are we compatible?" Users input names, your app calculates compatibility. But your Brazilian users have Portuguese names. Your Turkish users have Ö and Ş. Your Indian users write in Devanagari.

For No-Code Builders (Bubble, Lovable, FlutterFlow)

You're building a numerology app without writing code. You found a name calculator but it only works for English names. Your Instagram followers are from 47 countries.

For Baby Name Apps

Parents want lucky names. Chinese parents avoid 4. Jewish parents check gematria. Indian parents consult Vedic numerology. Your app needs to respect each tradition.

For Etsy/Patreon Astrologers

You sell personalized numerology reports. A customer named "Müller" from Germany complains their report is wrong. Turns out your calculator ignored the ü.

FAQ

Which numerology system should I use for my app?

Honestly? Let your users choose. Different people trust different systems:

• Western users expect Pythagorean (it's what they've seen everywhere)
• Serious numerology enthusiasts often prefer Chaldean (considered more "authentic")
• Jewish users want Hebrew Gematria (it's not optional, it's their tradition)
• Muslim users recognize Arabic Abjad (especially the 786 connection)

Best approach: Default to auto-detection, but offer a dropdown for users who have strong preferences.

How do I calculate numerology for names with mixed scripts?

If a name contains characters from multiple scripts (rare but possible), calculate each part in its native system and note the complexity. Some practitioners recommend using the person's most culturally significant name only.

Why does Chaldean skip the number 9?

Ancient Babylonians considered 9 sacred and divine, too holy for mundane letter assignment. It only appears as a sum, never assigned directly.

Can I transliterate names instead of using native scripts?

Technically yes, but accuracy suffers. A Hebrew name transliterated to English and calculated Pythagorean produces different results than Hebrew gematria. For serious applications, use native scripts.

How does numerology API handle Unicode normalization?

Names should be normalized to NFC (Canonical Decomposition, followed by Canonical Composition) before calculation. This ensures consistent handling of diacritics and combined characters.

What about names with numbers in them?

Names like "John3" or "X Æ A-12" present challenges. Most systems ignore numeric characters and calculate letters only. Document your approach clearly.

How accurate is automatic script detection?

Modern regex-based detection handles most cases well. Edge cases include transliterated text (Arabic written in Latin characters) which may need user confirmation.

Should I support multiple systems for the same name?

Yes. Advanced users appreciate seeing their name calculated across systems. Display results clearly labeled with each system used.

How do nickname versus legal name calculations differ?

Many numerologists consider the birth certificate name most significant for destiny calculations, while commonly-used names affect daily energy. Support both options.

What calculation should I use for company names?

Business numerology typically uses Pythagorean for Western companies, but match your target market. A company targeting Middle Eastern users might prefer Abjad calculations.

How does the API handle Turkish names with special characters?

Turkish has unique letters (Ç, Ğ, İ, Ö, Ş, Ü) that don't exist in standard Latin. The API auto-detects Turkish when it finds these characters and uses the 29-letter Turkish Modern system instead of Pythagorean.

What's the difference between Russian and Ukrainian numerology?

Russian uses letters like Ы, Ъ, Э, Ё that don't exist in Ukrainian. Ukrainian has І, Ї, Є, Ґ instead. The API detects which language based on these unique letters and applies the correct letter-value mapping. Same name can produce different numbers.

How does Persian differ from Arabic in Abjad?

Persian adds four letters to Arabic: پ (Pe), چ (Che), ژ (Zhe), گ (Gaf). The API detects Persian script when these letters appear and includes their values in calculations. Standard Arabic Abjad would skip these letters entirely.

Can I specify a system manually instead of auto-detection?

Conclusion

Here's what most numerology apps get wrong: they assume everyone uses the English alphabet.

Your potential users come from everywhere. The astrologer in Moscow needs Cyrillic. The entrepreneur in Dubai needs Arabic. The developer in Istanbul needs Turkish. The wellness coach in Tel Aviv needs Hebrew.

Each of these people has clients who expect culturally correct calculations. A Russian client named "Михаил" doesn't want their name transliterated to "Mikhail" and calculated wrong. They want the authentic Russian numerology their grandmother would recognize.

The calculations are complex. The implementation doesn't have to be.