The Astrology Review
How to Find Your Rashi: By Date of Birth or by Name Letter
What is my rashi? Find your Moon sign from your birth date, time and place, or your naam rashi from your name's first letter. Chart for all 12 rashis.
Quick answer: Your rashi is the sign the Moon was in when you were born. Find it by making a free kundli with your date, time and place of birth. It is listed as "Moon sign" or "Rashi". If you don't know your birth details, your naam rashi comes from the first syllable of your name: for example, names starting with Ma, Mi, Mu are Simha (Leo), and Ra, Ri, Ru are Tula (Libra). The full chart is below.
What is a rashi?
Rashi means "sign". In Vedic astrology, "your rashi" means your Moon sign (chandra rashi), not your Sun sign. It is what daily rashifal, Sade Sati and kundli matching are based on.
The 12 rashis are Mesh (Aries), Vrishabh (Taurus), Mithun (Gemini), Kark (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanya (Virgo), Tula (Libra), Vrishchik (Scorpio), Dhanu (Sagittarius), Makar (Capricorn), Kumbh (Aquarius) and Meen (Pisces).
How do I find my rashi by date of birth?
- Open any free kundli calculator. See free kundli online.
- Enter your date, time and place of birth.
- Look for Moon sign or Rashi in the results. You'll also see your nakshatra.
Why not just a date chart? The Moon changes sign about every 2¼ days, so on some birth dates the rashi changes partway through the day. That is why the time matters.
How do I find my rashi by name?
When birth details are unknown, tradition uses the first syllable of your name to give a naam rashi. Each rashi has nine syllables, one for each nakshatra quarter it contains. The Devanagari letter decides it. Hard ṭa (ट) and soft ta (त), for example, belong to different rashis.
| Rashi | Name starts with | Devanagari |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh (Aries) | Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo, A | चू चे चो ला ली लू ले लो आ |
| Vrishabh (Taurus) | I, U, E, O, Va, Vi, Vu, Ve, Vo | इ उ ए ओ वा वी वू वे वो |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Ka, Ki, Ku, Gha, Nga, Chha, Ke, Ko, Ha | का की कू घ ङ छ के को हा |
| Kark (Cancer) | Hi, Hu, He, Ho, Da, Di, Du, De, Do | ही हू हे हो डा डी डू डे डो |
| Simha (Leo) | Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te | मा मी मू मे मो टा टी टू टे |
| Kanya (Virgo) | To, Pa, Pi, Pu, Sha, Na, Tha, Pe, Po | टो पा पी पू ष ण ठ पे पो |
| Tula (Libra) | Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te | रा री रू रे रो ता ती तू ते |
| Vrishchik (Scorpio) | To, Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi, Yu | तो ना नी नू ने नो या यि यू |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha, Bhe | ये यो भा भी भू धा फा ढा भे |
| Makar (Capricorn) | Bho, Ja, Ji, Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho, Ga, Gi | भो जा जी खी खू खे खो गा गी |
| Kumbh (Aquarius) | Gu, Ge, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Da | गू गे गो सा सी सू से सो दा |
| Meen (Pisces) | Di, Du, Tha, Jha, Na, De, Do, Cha, Chi | दी दू थ झ ञ दे दो चा ची |
Source: the traditional avakahada chakra, as given in Brihad Avakahada Chakra and Muhurta Chintamani.
Should I use my birth rashi or my name rashi?
Use your birth (Moon) rashi whenever you know your birth details. It is the one astrology is actually based on. Naam rashi is a traditional fallback, used for things like name-based matching when birth details aren't available. Many people's names weren't chosen by nakshatra, so their naam rashi and birth rashi differ.
Is my rashi the same as my zodiac sign?
Usually not. Your Western "zodiac sign" is your Sun sign on the tropical zodiac. Your rashi is your Moon sign on the sidereal zodiac. They are often completely different signs. More in real Vedic astrology.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find my rashi with only my date of birth?
Often, but not always. The Moon changes sign about every 2¼ days, so if it changed on your birth date you need the time to know which one applies.
What is my rashi if my name starts with A?
Names starting with a long "Aa" sound (आ), like Aarav or Aanya, are traditionally Mesh (Aries). Names starting with "I" (इ), like Ishaan, fall under Vrishabh (Taurus).
What is the difference between rashi and nakshatra?
Rashi is one of 12 signs of 30° each. Nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions of 13°20' each. Both are read from the Moon's position, and each rashi contains 2¼ nakshatras.
Is rashi calculated from the Moon or the Sun?
In Vedic astrology, from the Moon. Sun sign is the Western convention.
