Twelve animals.
A world of stories.

Which Chinese zodiac animal is yours?

The animals follow a fixed order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Every twelve years, the same animal returns.

A birth year alone can be misleading for people born early in the year. SinoName uses Chinese New Year as the boundary, rather than January 1. For example, February 9, 2024 falls in the Year of the Rabbit, while February 10 begins the Year of the Dragon. Some astrological traditions use the solar term Start of Spring instead; that is a different convention.

Your SinoName result uses your full birth date to show the animal, its Chinese character, and a short folk tale. This offers cultural context without treating a birth date as a prediction.

The Great Race: twelve animals in order

One popular folk tale explains the order through a race across a river. Each animal finds a different way to reach the far bank. The details and even the figure hosting the race vary between tellings. These are short retellings of folklore, rather than a historical account of how the calendar began.

1. 鼠

   Rat · 鼠 · shǔ

   Rat rode across on Ox, then jumped ahead to finish first.

2. 牛

   Ox · 牛 · niú

   Ox carried Rat over the river but finished second when Rat leapt ahead.

3. 虎

   Tiger · 虎 · hǔ

   Tiger fought the river’s strong current and reached the finish in third place.

4. 兔

   Rabbit · 兔 · tù

   Rabbit crossed on stones and a floating log, arriving fourth.

5. 龙

   Dragon · 龙 · lóng

   Dragon paused to bring rain and help Rabbit, arriving fifth despite being able to fly.

6. 蛇

   Snake · 蛇 · shé

   Snake emerged near Horse’s hoof, startling Horse and taking sixth place.

7. 马

   Horse · 马 · mǎ

   Horse approached swiftly but was startled by Snake, finishing seventh.

8. 羊

   Goat · 羊 · yáng

   Goat shared a raft with Monkey and Rooster; together they reached the far bank.

9. 猴

   Monkey · 猴 · hóu

   Monkey helped Goat and Rooster guide a raft through the river.

10. 鸡

    Rooster · 鸡 · jī

    Rooster found a raft and crossed with Goat and Monkey.

11. 狗

    Dog · 狗 · gǒu

    Dog lingered to play in the water and arrived eleventh.

12. 猪

    Pig · 猪 · zhū

    Pig stopped to eat and sleep, arriving last to complete the twelve.

How does the zodiac relate to your name?

At SinoName, a name begins with language: a natural surname, familiar characters, pronunciation, and a coherent meaning. Birth information can add seasonal imagery and a zodiac story, while your chosen qualities help shape the naming direction.

The zodiac is presented as cultural symbolism. It does not determine your personality, relationships, luck, or future. Read how our naming method works for more detail.