Onomancy is divination based on a person's name, interpreting letters or character strokes to foresee fortune and outcomes. Attributed to the ancient Pythagoreans, the art spread across medieval Europe and East Asia.
- Traced to the Pythagoreans in antiquity, onomancy later flourished in medieval Europe.
- The medieval Secretum Secretorum used letter totals divided by nine to predict the victor between rivals.
- In China and Taiwan, name divination is known as xìngmíngxué; in Japan, it is called seimei handan.
- East Asian methods count character strokes modulo 81, checking remainders against a table of lucky numbers.
What it is
Onomancy, also called nomancy, is a method of divination based on a person's name. Diviners evaluate names to forecast events, assess fortune, or determine the outcome of rivalries. Different traditions apply varied techniques to extract meaning from names. Some systems draw upon arithmancy or gematria, assigning numerical equivalents to individual letters to compute a final sum. In other traditions, especially in East Asia, analysis centers on counting the brushstrokes or pen strokes of written characters. By reducing personal names to numerical values, onomancy aims to identify auspicious qualities or predict future outcomes.
Where it comes from
Tradition links the earliest forms of onomancy to the ancient Pythagoreans. The art later spread and grew widely popular across Europe in the Late Middle Ages. An early documented European example appears in the Secretum Secretorum, a medieval work that used numerical name calculations to forecast the outcome of conflicts. Parallel traditions also emerged in East Asia, where name reading developed into systematic practices that continue to be used across China, Taiwan, and Japan.
How it is done
Divination methods in onomancy depend on the specific cultural tradition. In the medieval Secretum Secretorum, a practitioner converts the letters of two rivals' names into numbers, adds each set together, and divides each sum by nine. The resulting remainders are cross-referenced with a chart to predict who will win. In East Asian systems, the practitioner counts the written strokes in each character of a name. The total number of strokes is calculated modulo 81. The resulting remainder is then compared against a defined catalogue of lucky numbers to determine fortune.
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Peoples and places
Name divination has taken root in multiple regions under distinct names. In China and Taiwan, the tradition is called xìngmíngxué. In Japan, it is known as seimei handan. Both East Asian practices share similar foundations, focusing on character stroke counts and auspicious numerical remainders. In medieval Europe, scholars and diviners applied alphabetical calculations found in Latin texts to evaluate names, adapting computational techniques to Latin and vernacular scripts.
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Questions people ask about Onomancy
What is onomancy?
Onomancy, sometimes called nomancy, is a method of divination based on a subject's name. Practitioners analyze names by converting letters into numerical values or by counting written character strokes, using the results to forecast fortunes, personal luck, or the outcome of contests.
Where did onomancy originate?
The origins of onomancy are attributed to the ancient Pythagoreans. The practice later gained widespread popularity across Europe during the Late Middle Ages, while closely related forms of name divination developed independently across East Asia in China, Taiwan, and Japan.
How does the Secretum Secretorum use onomancy?
The medieval text Secretum Secretorum describes a system for choosing between two adversaries. Letters in each opponent's name are converted into numbers, summed, and divided by nine. The remainders are then checked against a predictive table to determine the winner.
How is name divination practiced in China and Japan?
Known as xìngmíngxué in China and Taiwan and seimei handan in Japan, the system counts the total strokes in a written name. The result is divided by 81, and the remainder is compared with a traditional list of auspicious numbers.
Good reading and sources
- Onomancy on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Onomancy", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.
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