Most people can name the animal for a recent year: 2020 was the Rat, 2021 the Ox. Go back a few decades and it gets fuzzy. If all you have is a birth year, a full table beats guessing. The list below covers every Chinese zodiac sign by year from 1900 to 2100.
Two things before you read it. The animal repeats every 12 years. The element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) rides a 10 year stem cycle, and the two together form a 60 year rotation, so a Rat born in 1972 is not the same Rat as one born in 1996.
Rat (้ผ )
1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032, 2044, 2056, 2068, 2080, 2092 Quick-witted and resourceful; pairs well with Ox, Dragon, and Monkey.
Ox (็)
1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033, 2045, 2057, 2069, 2081, 2093 Steady and dependable, the quiet anchor in most relationships.
Tiger (่)
1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034, 2046, 2058, 2070, 2082, 2094 Brave and a little unpredictable; leads well but dislikes being managed.
Rabbit (ๅ )
1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035, 2047, 2059, 2071, 2083, 2095 Gentle and attentive; avoids conflict and values a calm routine.
Dragon (้พ)
1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036, 2048, 2060, 2072, 2084, 2096 Ambitious and charismatic, the sign most associated with luck.
Snake (่)
1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037, 2049, 2061, 2073, 2085, 2097 Thoughtful and private; reads a room before saying a word.
Horse (้ฉฌ)
1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038, 2050, 2062, 2074, 2086, 2098 Energetic and independent; needs room to move on its own terms.
Goat (็พ)
1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039, 2051, 2063, 2075, 2087, 2099 Calm and artistic; sensitive to the mood of a place and the people in it.
Monkey (็ด)
1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040, 2052, 2064, 2076, 2088, 2100 Clever and restless; solves the problems other people walk past.
Rooster (้ธก)
1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041, 2053, 2065, 2077, 2089 Precise and observant; notices what everyone else skips.
Dog (็)
1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042, 2054, 2066, 2078, 2090 Loyal and cautious; protective of the small group it actually trusts.
Pig (็ช)
1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043, 2055, 2067, 2079, 2091 Easygoing and sincere; comfortable letting someone else take the lead.
If you want the exact stem-branch and element for your own year without scanning the list, a free tool on this site returns it from a birth year, along with a same-day fortune score. No account needed.
FAQ
How do I find my Chinese zodiac animal from just the year?
Look up your birth year in the list above. The animal is fixed by the 12 year cycle, so any year sharing the same position in that cycle carries the same sign.
Why does the same animal show different elements?
The element comes from the heavenly stem, which cycles every 10 years. The animal and stem only realign every 60 years, so a Rat from 1972 (Water) and one from 1996 (Fire) are different readings of the same sign.
Does the Chinese zodiac year start on January 1?
In strict tradition the sign changes at the lunar new year, which usually falls in February, not on January 1. Many year-only tools, including the free report on this site, use the Gregorian year for simplicity, so births in early January or February can sit on either side of the line.
Where can I get the element and pillar, not just the animal?
A free report on this site takes a birth year and returns the stem-branch pillar, element, and a today score. It runs in the browser with no signup.