Name Selection Mastery — Principles and Practice of Comprehensive Name Selection

I. Six Dimensions Unified: From Analysis to Synthesis

Through the study of the preceding eight chapters, we have individually mastered the six core dimensions of name selection (Name selection) — Character meaning (字义) as the soul, endowing a name with cultural life; Stroke count (笔画) as the skeleton, supporting the precise architecture of Numerical principle (数理) calculation; Five Elements (五行) as the meridians, connecting Chinese characters to the energetic relationships of Heaven and Earth; Numerical principle (数理) as the grid, mapping the destiny blueprint through the Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) (三才) and Five Grids (五格); Phonetic resonance (音韵) as the melody, giving the name acoustic expressiveness between the lips and teeth; and BaZi (Four Pillars) (八字) Useful god (BaZi favorable element) (用神) as the compass, ensuring the name aligns with the innate destiny requirements of the name's recipient.

Each of the six dimensions serves its own function. Yet the ultimate art of name selection lies not in achieving a perfect score in each dimension separately — indeed, in the vast majority of cases this is neither possible nor necessary — but in integrating them into a coherent and unified system of judgment, finding the optimal balance through weighing and trade-offs.

This chapter is the practical core of the entire book. We will first establish a "Six-Dimensional Evaluation Model," clarifying the assessment criteria and priority ranking for each dimension. We will then provide a detailed step-by-step walkthrough of the complete name selection process, from BaZi (Four Pillars) analysis to final name determination. Finally, three complete name selection case studies — a boy, a girl, and an adult name change (Name change) — will serve as practical exercises, guiding the reader through the entire process from beginning to end.

II. The Six-Dimensional Evaluation Model: Standards for a Good Name

The quality of a name can be systematically assessed across the following six dimensions. We examine the core criteria of each dimension in turn, and on this basis discuss how to establish priority rankings when conflicts arise between dimensions.

First Dimension: Character Meaning — The Soul of the Name

Character meaning (字义) is the most direct and enduring cultural expression of a name. Good character meaning should satisfy three levels of requirements: first, the primary meaning should be beautiful — tracing back to the Shuowen Jiezi, the original intent behind the character's creation should be positive and uplifting; second, the extended meanings and symbolic meanings should be rich, capable of carrying parents' deep hopes for their child; third, the cultural associative meaning should be elegant, finding positive resonance in classical poetry and historical tradition. Furthermore, the overall artistic conception formed when the Surname (family name) (姓) and Given name (名) are combined is of paramount importance — even if each character looks fine individually, if the combination is inharmonious or produces an unintended meaning, it is unacceptable.

Second Dimension: Five Elements — The Bridge Between the Name and Destiny

The Five Elements (五行) direction of a name must be guided by the BaZi (Four Pillars) Useful god (BaZi favorable element) (用神). Specifically, the core characters used in the name should have Five Elements attributes consistent with, or in a Mutual generation (productive cycle) (相生) relationship with, the Useful god (BaZi favorable element). The Five Elements belonging to the Unfavorable god (忌神) should be avoided as much as possible. The determination of Five Elements attributes relies primarily on the Radical (偏旁) / Section header / radical (部首) method, supplemented by the character meaning association method — this is the comprehensive determination principle established in Chapter Four.

Third Dimension: Numerical Principle — The Auspicious and Inauspicious Configuration of the Five Grids

Based on the Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画), the Heaven Grid (天格), Human Grid (人格), Earth Grid (地格), Outer Grid (外格), and Total Grid (总格) are calculated. Auspicious (吉) numbers are preferred for each grid, with the Human Grid (人格) Numerical principle (数理) being most critical. Building on this, the Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) configuration — the Five Elements relationships among the Heaven Grid (天格), Human Grid (人格), and Earth Grid (地格) — should ideally follow Mutual generation (productive cycle), avoiding Inauspicious (凶) configurations in which the Human Grid (人格) is overcome.

Fourth Dimension: Phonetic Resonance — The Auditory Beauty of the Name

Tones should rise and fall in a pleasing cadence, avoiding the monotony of three characters sharing the same tone; initial consonants should be distributed across different points of articulation, avoiding awkward pronunciation; finals should balance open and closed sounds, making the name resonant rather than muffled; and the overall sonic quality must harmonize with the artistic conception conveyed by the character meanings. Of particular importance is the need to screen for Homophone / phonetic association (谐音) hazards across multiple registers — standard Mandarin, regional dialects, and rapid connected speech — as homophonic issues carry veto power.

Fifth Dimension: Visual Form — The Visual Beauty of the Name

This dimension received relatively little attention in the preceding chapters but cannot be overlooked in practice. Aesthetic appeal in writing, balanced structure, and harmonious radicals are the three basic standards for evaluating visual form. One should avoid extreme disparities in stroke count among the characters of a name (such as three strokes paired with twenty-eight), as well as excessive structural uniformity (such as all three characters having left-right compositions), seeking instead visual balance and variety.

Sixth Dimension: Overall Impression — The Seamless Unity of Surname and Given Name

The final dimension transcends the individual assessments of the preceding five, focusing on the overall quality presented by the name as a unified whole. Do the Surname (family name) and Given name blend seamlessly, harmonious in both form and spirit? Does the name carry cultural depth without being excessively obscure or difficult? Does it maintain traditional roots while being appropriate to the contemporary context? This holistic judgment requires the name selector to exercise both cultural literacy and aesthetic discernment on the foundation of technical analysis.

Priority Ranking: When Dimensions Conflict

In practice, the requirements of all six dimensions cannot be perfectly satisfied simultaneously. When conflicts arise, how should priorities be determined?

The principle recommended in this book is: The Five Elements direction determined by the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) serves as the prerequisite; character meaning quality is the core; homophone screening is the bottom line; Numerical principle configuration serves as a reference; and visual form and Phonetic resonance serve as refinements.

In concrete terms: First, the Five Elements direction established by the BaZi (Four Pillars) Useful god (BaZi favorable element) is the overriding premise — if the direction is wrong, no matter how strong the other dimensions are, the effort is misguided. Second, character meaning is the most essential cultural expression of a name; a name with mediocre character meanings but entirely Auspicious (吉) Numerical principles is far inferior to one with beautiful character meanings and a slight deficiency in Numerical principles. Third, homophone problems represent a hard bottom line — once a clearly unpleasant homophonic association is identified, the name should be decisively abandoned regardless of how outstanding its other dimensions may be. Fourth, the Five Grids Numerical principles are an important reference dimension; within the range of possibility, one should pursue Auspicious numbers and harmonious Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) configurations, but should not sacrifice character meaning quality in order to achieve certain numbers. Fifth, aesthetic visual form and harmonic Phonetic resonance are refinements that add splendor to an already sound name, to be optimized only after the first four criteria are substantially satisfied.

III. The Complete Name Selection Process: A Six-Step Operation

The following presents a systematic, step-by-step walkthrough of the complete operational sequence, from BaZi (Four Pillars) analysis to final name determination.

Step One: Analyze the BaZi (Four Pillars) and Determine the Useful God and Unfavorable God

Everything begins with the birth date-time (生辰) of the name's recipient. Based on the year, month, day, and hour of birth, arrange the Four Pillars of the BaZi (Four Pillars), analyze the Five Elements distribution across the Heavenly Stems (天干) and Earthly Branches (地支), assess the strength of the Day Master, and determine the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) and Unfavorable god (忌神). As noted in the preceding chapter, determining the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) is a highly specialized process; when in doubt, one should consult an experienced destiny analyst.

Step Two: Determine the Five Elements Direction of the Name Based on the Useful God

Once the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) is established, the Five Elements direction of the name follows accordingly. If the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) is Metal (金), the name should primarily feature characters belonging to Metal (金), supplemented by characters belonging to Earth (土) (since Earth generates Metal); if the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) is Water (水), characters belonging to Water (水) should predominate, supplemented by characters belonging to Metal (金) (since Metal generates Water). The Five Elements belonging to the Unfavorable god (忌神) should be avoided as much as possible during character selection.

Step Three: Using the Surname's Kangxi Stroke Count, Calculate Stroke Count Combinations That Yield Auspicious Five Grids Numerical Principles

The Surname (family name) (姓) is given at birth; once its Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画) is established, one can calculate the Numerical principles of all five grids and the Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) configuration for various possible Given name stroke count combinations. For example, if the Surname (family name) has a Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画) of twelve, and the first character of the Given name has eight strokes while the second has sixteen, then: the Heaven Grid (天格) is thirteen (12+1), the Human Grid (人格) is twenty (12+8), the Earth Grid (地格) is twenty-four (8+16), the Total Grid (总格) is thirty-six (12+8+16), and the Outer Grid (外格) is seventeen (36−20+1). Consulting the auspiciousness table for each grid's number, and analyzing the Five Elements relationships in the Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) configuration, allows one to filter for stroke count combinations with superior Numerical principles.

The key point of this step is: First determine several stroke count combinations with Auspicious Numerical principles, then search for suitable characters within those stroke count ranges — not the reverse. Reversing the order leads to repeated overturning of decisions and extremely poor efficiency.

Step Four: Within the Determined Stroke Count Ranges, Screen for Candidate Characters with Beautiful Character Meanings

Based on the stroke count combinations established in Step Three and the Five Elements direction established in Step Two, screen for candidate characters whose Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画) matches the required values and whose Five Elements attributes align with (or are in Mutual generation (productive cycle) with) the Useful god (BaZi favorable element), selecting those with beautiful meanings and profound significance. This step requires application of the character meaning analysis methods taught in Chapter Two — tracing the original meaning, examining the radical, and mapping the extended meanings and cultural associative meanings. It is recommended to prepare three to five candidate characters for each position of the Given name, to facilitate subsequent combinatorial screening.

Step Five: Combine Candidate Characters into Names, then Conduct Phonetic Resonance Assessment and Homophone Screening

Combine the candidate characters in pairs, pair them with the Surname (family name), and evaluate the Phonetic resonance (音韵) of each combination in turn: Do the tones rise and fall pleasingly? Are the initial consonants distributed so as to avoid awkward pronunciation? Do the finals balance open and closed sounds with appropriate gradation? Does the overall sonic character harmonize with the artistic conception of the character meanings? Then conduct the most critical check — homophone screening: read the full name aloud in the Mandarin context to check for unpleasant associations; read it again in the dialect spoken by the name recipient's family; read it rapidly in connected speech to check for merged-sound ambiguities; and read the full name in reverse or in segmented form to check for reverse homophones. Any combination that fails any of these checks should be eliminated.

Step Six: Comprehensive Evaluation, Multi-Dimensional Scoring, and Selection of the Best Option

After the layer-by-layer filtering of the preceding five steps, typically two or three candidate options will remain, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. At this point, the "Name Selection Worksheet" provided below should be used to compare and score each option across all six dimensions. There is no absolute scoring formula — because the weight assigned to each dimension varies by individual — but through straightforward side-by-side comparison, it is usually possible to clearly identify which option is superior in terms of overall balance. The final decision is both the conclusion of rational analysis and the judgment of cultural intuition.

IV. The Name Selection Worksheet

For the reader's practical convenience, a ready-to-use name selection worksheet template is provided below:

| Evaluation Dimension | Candidate Option One | Candidate Option Two | Candidate Option Three | |---|---|---|---| | Full Name | | | | | Kangxi Stroke Count | | | | | Useful God Five Element | | | | | Name Five Element | | | | | Five Elements Match | | | | | Heaven Grid / Numerical Principle | | | | | Human Grid / Numerical Principle | | | | | Earth Grid / Numerical Principle | | | | | Outer Grid / Numerical Principle | | | | | Total Grid / Numerical Principle | | | | | Three Talents Configuration | | | | | Character Meaning Assessment | | | | | Tone Combination | | | | | Homophone Screening | | | | | Visual Form Harmony | | | | | Overall Assessment | | | |

V. Practical Exercises: Three Complete Name Selection Case Studies

Case One: Name Selection for a Boy — Surname Chen (陈)

Basic Information: A boy with the Surname (family name) Chen (陈), born on the tenth day of the sixth lunar month of 2024, during the Chen (辰) hour.

Step One: BaZi (Four Pillars) and Useful God. The Four Pillars are arranged as follows: Year Pillar Jiachen (甲辰), Month Pillar Xinwei (辛未), Day Pillar Bingyin (丙寅), Hour Pillar Renchen (壬辰). The Day Master is Bing Fire (丙火), born in the Wei (未) month. Residual qi of Ding Fire (丁火) is hidden within Wei; Bing Fire sits on Yin Wood (寅木), which is the long-life palace of Bing Fire, so the Wood (木) and Fire (火) forces are reasonably present. However, the character Chen (辰) Earth appears twice and Wei (未) Earth is the presiding branch of the month, making Earth qi excessively strong and draining Fire too severely; although the year stem Jia Wood (甲木) can generate Fire, it is overcome by the month stem Xin Metal (辛金). Overall assessment: the Day Master Bing Fire is of moderate-to-weak strength, with excessive Earth draining the self as the primary contradiction. The Useful god (BaZi favorable element) is Wood (木) (generating Fire to support the self) and Fire (火) (supporting the self); the Unfavorable god (忌神) is Earth (土) and Metal (金).

Step Two: Five Elements Direction. The name should prioritize characters belonging to Wood (木) and Fire (火), avoiding characters belonging to Earth (土) and Metal (金).

Step Three: Numerical Principle Calculation. The Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画) of the character "Chen" (陈) is sixteen (陈 belongs to the 阜 radical; the Kangxi Dictionary records it as sixteen strokes). After calculating group by group, one must find stroke count combinations whose Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) configuration aligns with the Wood and Fire Useful god (BaZi favorable element) direction.

First combination: First character of Given name nine strokes, second character twelve strokes. Heaven Grid (天格) seventeen (Metal), Human Grid (人格) twenty-five (Earth), Earth Grid (地格) twenty-one (Wood), Total Grid (总格) thirty-seven (Metal), Outer Grid (外格) thirteen (Fire). The Human Grid (人格) belongs to Earth and the Heaven Grid (天格) belongs to Metal, both falling within the Unfavorable god (忌神) direction. Unusable.

Second combination: First character nine strokes, second character fourteen strokes. Heaven Grid (天格) seventeen (Metal), Human Grid (人格) twenty-five (Earth), Earth Grid (地格) twenty-three (Fire), Total Grid (总格) thirty-nine (Water), Outer Grid (外格) fifteen (Earth). The Human Grid (人格) still belongs to Earth, the Unfavorable god (忌神) direction. Eliminated.

Third combination: First character twelve strokes, second character four strokes. Heaven Grid (天格) seventeen (Metal), Human Grid (人格) twenty-eight (Metal), Earth Grid (地格) sixteen (Earth), Total Grid (总格) thirty-two (Wood), Outer Grid (外格) five (Earth). The Human Grid (人格) belongs to Metal, directly violating the Unfavorable god (忌神). Eliminated.

In the above combinations, the Human Grid (人格) consistently fails to fall within Wood or Fire. The reason is that the Heaven Grid (天格) for Chen (陈) — sixteen strokes plus one — equals seventeen (Metal). Since the Human Grid (人格) is calculated by adding sixteen to the stroke count of the first character of the Given name, for the Human Grid (人格) to belong to Wood (final digits 1 or 2) or Fire (final digits 3 or 4), the first character of the Given name must have five, six, seven, or eight strokes. These are verified in turn:

Fourth combination: First character five strokes, second character sixteen strokes. Heaven Grid (天格) seventeen (Metal), Human Grid (人格) twenty-one (Wood), Earth Grid (地格) twenty-one (Wood), Total Grid (总格) thirty-seven (Metal), Outer Grid (外格) seventeen (Metal). The Human Grid (人格) twenty-one is a greatly Auspicious (吉) number and belongs to Wood, precisely matching the Useful god (BaZi favorable element); the Earth Grid (地格) twenty-one also belongs to Wood and is greatly Auspicious (吉). The Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) are Metal–Wood–Wood; Heaven Grid (天格) Metal overcoming Human Grid (人格) Wood is somewhat deficient, but the Human Grid (人格) and Earth Grid (地格) together form a strong double Wood configuration, and the Total Grid (总格) thirty-seven belonging to Metal is in the Unfavorable god (忌神) direction, yet the core positions of the Human Grid (人格) and Earth Grid (地格) both fall on the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) Wood.

Fifth combination: First character seven strokes, second character ten strokes. Heaven Grid (天格) seventeen (Metal), Human Grid (人格) twenty-three (Fire), Earth Grid (地格) seventeen (Metal), Total Grid (总格) thirty-three (Fire), Outer Grid (外格) eleven (Wood). The Human Grid (人格) twenty-three is a greatly Auspicious (吉) number and belongs to Fire, precisely matching the Useful god (BaZi favorable element); the Total Grid (总格) thirty-three belonging to Fire also aligns with the Useful god (BaZi favorable element); the Outer Grid (外格) eleven belongs to Wood, and Wood generates Fire — excellent. However, the Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) are Metal–Fire–Metal, with Fire pressured by Metal from both above and below, resulting in the Human Grid (人格) being suppressed — an unfavorable configuration.

Sixth combination: First character six strokes, second character fifteen strokes. Heaven Grid (天格) seventeen (Metal), Human Grid (人格) twenty-two (Wood), Earth Grid (地格) twenty-one (Wood), Total Grid (总格) thirty-seven (Metal), Outer Grid (外格) sixteen (Earth). The Human Grid (人格) twenty-two belongs to Wood and aligns with the Useful god (BaZi favorable element), but the number twenty-two carries Inauspicious (凶) Numerical principles; the Earth Grid (地格) twenty-one belongs to Wood and is greatly Auspicious (吉). Because the Human Grid (人格) Numerical principle is Inauspicious (凶), this combination is eliminated.

Comparing all options, the fourth combination (five strokes + sixteen strokes) is the optimal solution: Human Grid (人格) twenty-one (Wood, greatly Auspicious), Earth Grid (地格) twenty-one (Wood, greatly Auspicious), Outer Grid (外格) seventeen (Metal, moderately Auspicious), Total Grid (总格) thirty-seven (Metal, Auspicious). Both the Human Grid (人格) and Earth Grid (地格) belong to Wood; Wood generates Fire to support the self, perfectly aligning with the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) direction. Although the Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) configuration Metal–Wood–Wood presents a deficiency in that Heaven Grid (天格) Metal overcomes Human Grid (人格) Wood, the Heaven Grid (天格) is determined by the Surname (family name) and cannot be changed; the double Wood configuration of the Human Grid (人格) and Earth Grid (地格) is sufficiently strong to withstand this, and Human Grid (人格) twenty-one ("Leadership Fortune") and Earth Grid (地格) twenty-one ("Bright Moon in Mid-Heaven") are both supremely Auspicious numbers.

Step Four: Character Selection. The first character of the Given name must have a Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画) of five and belong to Wood or Fire in Five Elements; the second character must have sixteen strokes and belong to Wood or Fire.

Screening for the first character (five strokes). Wood-category characters: "本" (běn, five strokes; the Shuowen Jiezi states: "木下曰本," the bottom of a tree is called 本; its radical is 木, making its Five Elements attribute definitively Wood; its primary meaning is tree root, with extended meanings of foundation and source) — clearly applicable. "未" (wèi, five strokes; one of the Earthly Branches (地支), which could connect to destiny principles, but Wei belongs to Earth, so it is eliminated). "玉" (yù, five strokes; belongs to Metal, eliminated). Fire-category characters: "丙" (bǐng, five strokes; this Heavenly Stem (天干) belongs to Fire, but it is the same character as the Day Master Bing, a taboo violation) — eliminated. "令" (lìng, five strokes; the meaning "command" has rich extended meanings, but its Five Elements attribution is insufficiently clear). Synthesizing the analysis, "本" is selected: its radical is Wood, its Five Elements attribute is definitively Wood, and its character meaning of "foundation" conveys the significance of being firmly rooted, with a foundation of deep and gradual development.

Screening for the second character (sixteen strokes). Wood-category characters: "桦" (huà, sixteen strokes; from 木 with 华 as phonetic; the birch tree; radical in the Wood section, Five Elements definitively Wood; character meaning is the birch tree, with extended meanings of upright and noble character). "蓉" (róng, sixteen strokes; from 艹 with 容 as phonetic; grass radical, sixteen strokes, Five Elements belonging to Wood; character meaning related to hibiscus or lotus, but predominantly used in girls' names). "树" (shù, sixteen strokes; radical 木, Five Elements definitively Wood; primary meaning is to plant, extended meanings include trees and establishing oneself; the connotation of developing into useful timber). Fire-category characters: "晓" (xiǎo, sixteen strokes; from 日 with 尧 as phonetic; Sun radical; primary meaning is the break of dawn; Five Elements belonging to Fire; conveys the meaning of light and comprehension).

Candidate combinations: Chen Ben Hua (陈本桦), Chen Ben Shu (陈本树), Chen Ben Xiao (陈本晓).

Step Five: Phonetic Resonance Assessment and Homophone Screening.

"陈本桦" (chén běn huà): Tones are rising tone–falling-rising tone–falling tone (平–仄–仄), with clear rise and fall. Initial consonants ch, b, and h belong to post-alveolar, bilabial, and velar points of articulation respectively, well distributed. Finals en, en, ua: the first two characters share the same final, a slight deficiency, but the contrast in tones and initials compensates for this. Homophone screening: no clearly unpleasant associations in Mandarin; no merged-sound ambiguities in rapid speech.

"陈本树" (chén běn shù): Tones are rising tone–falling-rising tone–falling tone (平–仄–仄), the same pleasing cadence as above. Initial consonants ch, b, sh are well distributed. Finals en, en, u: the final character ends with a closed final, creating a strong sense of resolution. No obvious homophone issues. In terms of character meaning, "本树" carries the meaning of "establishing the root and growing into a tree" — from foundation to mature timber — a complete and coherent imagery.

"陈本晓" (chén běn xiǎo): Tones are rising tone–falling-rising tone–falling-rising tone, with two consecutive falling-rising tones in the final two characters, producing tonal sandhi that results in slightly awkward delivery. Eliminated.

Step Six: Comprehensive Evaluation. The Name Selection Worksheet is used to compare the two preferred options:

| Evaluation Dimension | Chen Ben Hua (陈本桦) | Chen Ben Shu (陈本树) | |---|---|---| | Full Name | 陈本桦 | 陈本树 | | Kangxi Stroke Count | 16+5+16 | 16+5+16 | | Useful God Five Element | Wood, Fire | Wood, Fire | | Name Five Element | Wood + Wood | Wood + Wood | | Five Elements Match | ★★★★★ (Double Wood generating Fire) | ★★★★★ (Double Wood generating Fire) | | Heaven Grid / Numerical Principle | 17 (Metal, moderately Auspicious) | 17 (Metal, moderately Auspicious) | | Human Grid / Numerical Principle | 21 (Wood, greatly Auspicious) | 21 (Wood, greatly Auspicious) | | Earth Grid / Numerical Principle | 21 (Wood, greatly Auspicious) | 21 (Wood, greatly Auspicious) | | Outer Grid / Numerical Principle | 17 (Metal, moderately Auspicious) | 17 (Metal, moderately Auspicious) | | Total Grid / Numerical Principle | 37 (Metal, Auspicious) | 37 (Metal, Auspicious) | | Three Talents Configuration | Metal–Wood–Wood (Heaven overcomes Human; Human and Earth in concordance) | Metal–Wood–Wood (same as left) | | Character Meaning Assessment | Birch tree: upright and noble; 本桦 together conveys "firmly rooted and upright" ★★★★ | Establishing the root, growing into useful timber; complete imagery from root to material ★★★★★ | | Tone Combination | Rising–falling-rising–falling ★★★★ | Rising–falling-rising–falling ★★★★ | | Homophone Screening | Passed ✓ | Passed ✓ | | Visual Form Harmony | 陈 (left-right) 本 (single-body) 桦 (left-right) ★★★★ | 陈 (left-right) 本 (single-body) 树 (left-right) ★★★★ | | Overall Assessment | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ |

Upon comprehensive evaluation, "Chen Ben Shu" (陈本树) is the optimal option. "本" (běn) carries the meaning of foundation and root, with the Wood radical, Five Elements definitively Wood; "树" (shù) carries the meaning of timber and self-establishment, with the Wood radical, Five Elements definitively Wood. Together they form "立本成树" — starting from the root and growing into load-bearing timber — a meaning that is vigorous and substantial. The double Wood in Five Elements perfectly aligns with the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) direction (Wood generates Fire to support the self); both the Human Grid (人格) and Earth Grid (地格) are the greatly Auspicious (吉) number twenty-one; the Phonetic resonance (音韵) of rising tone–falling-rising tone–falling tone moves with pleasing cadence, initial consonants are well distributed, and the name reads with composed strength.

Case Two: Name Selection for a Girl — Surname Lin (林)

Basic Information: A girl with the Surname (family name) Lin (林), born on the twenty-second day of the tenth lunar month of 2024, during the Hai (亥) hour.

Step One: BaZi (Four Pillars) and Useful God. The Four Pillars are arranged as follows: Year Pillar Jiachen (甲辰), Month Pillar Yihai (乙亥), Day Pillar Gengwu (庚午), Hour Pillar Dinghai (丁亥). The Day Master is Geng Metal (庚金), born in the Hai (亥) month (the month when Water is flourishing). Hai Water appears twice, draining Metal excessively; though the year branch Chen (辰) Earth can generate Metal, its strength is limited. The hour stem Ding Fire (丁火) overcomes Metal, and the day branch Wu (午) Fire also overcomes Metal. Overall assessment: the Day Master Geng Metal is relatively weak, drained by Water and overcome by Fire. The Useful god (BaZi favorable element) is Earth (土) (generating Metal) and Metal (金) (supporting the self); the Unfavorable god (忌神) is Water (水) and Fire (火).

Step Two: Five Elements Direction. The name should prioritize characters belonging to Earth (土) and Metal (金), avoiding characters belonging to Water (水) and Fire (火).

Step Three: Numerical Principle Calculation. The Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画) of the character "Lin" (林) is eight (林 belongs to the Wood radical, two trees side by side; the Kangxi Dictionary records it as eight strokes). After calculation, a first character of seven strokes and a second character of ten strokes emerges as a superior option: Heaven Grid (天格) nine (Water), Human Grid (人格) fifteen (Earth), Earth Grid (地格) seventeen (Metal), Total Grid (总格) twenty-five (Earth), Outer Grid (外格) eleven (Wood). The Human Grid (人格) fifteen is a greatly Auspicious (吉) number and belongs to Earth, precisely matching the Useful god (BaZi favorable element); the Earth Grid (地格) seventeen belongs to Metal, and Earth generates Metal — fully aligned with the Useful god (BaZi favorable element) direction; the Total Grid (总格) twenty-five belongs to Earth, also matching the Useful god (BaZi favorable element). In the Three Talents (Heaven, Human, Earth) configuration Water–Earth–Metal, the Human Grid (人格) Earth occupies the central position, receiving the Heaven Grid (天格) Water above (Water is controlled by Earth, so the Human Grid is not overcome by the Heaven Grid) and generating the Earth Grid (地格) Metal below (Earth generates Metal), placing the Human Grid (人格) in an advantageous mediating position. This configuration is usable.

Step Four: Character Selection. The first character must have a Kangxi stroke count (康熙笔画) of seven and belong to Earth or Metal in Five Elements; the second character must have ten strokes and belong to Earth or Metal.

Screening for the first character (seven strokes), with Kangxi stroke count and Five Elements carefully verified for each:

"辰" (chén) — Seven strokes in the Kangxi Dictionary. Five Elements attribution analysis: In terms of primary meaning, the Shuowen Jiezi interprets 辰 as "震也，三月阳气动，雷电振，民农时也" — its original meaning relates to seasonal timing and natural phenomena, and it is the fifth of the twelve Earthly Branches (地支). In the traditional Five Elements classification, Chen