# Active number calculator

Your Active number comes from your first name alone. Numerology reads it as your everyday self, the way you act among people who know you.

## How the Active number is calculated

1. Add the Pythagorean values of your first name's letters.
2. Reduce by adding digits, keeping 11, 22 and 33.

The **Growth number** uses the same letters but always reduces to one digit. Numerology reads it as the quality that helps you grow.

For "Maria": 4 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 1 = 24, then 2 + 4 = **6**, so Active 6 and Growth 6.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a nickname change my Active number?

The traditional Active number uses your first name at birth. The name you go by every day gives a second reading of your everyday self.

### How is it different from the Heritage number?

The Active number comes from your first name, the [Heritage number](/heritage-number-calculator) from your family name.