About irum
What is irum?
irum (이름, meaning "name" in Korean) is a free online service that recommends Korean names based on traditional Four Pillars of Destiny (사주팔자) and Five Elements (오행) analysis. Enter a birth date and time, and irum calculates the birth chart, identifies missing elements, and suggests harmonious names using complementary Hanja characters.
How It Works
irum evaluates names across five dimensions:
- Character Elements (25%) — Analyzes whether each character's inherent elemental energy harmonizes with the needed element (용신) from the birth chart.
- Stroke Numerology / 81수리 (25%) — Checks that the Five Grids (천격, 인격, 지격, 외격, 총격) stroke combinations fall on auspicious numbers in the 81 Numerology system.
- Pronunciation Elements (20%) — Evaluates the elemental flow of consonants (productive/destructive cycles) and natural pronunciation rhythm.
- Character Meaning (20%) — Scores the beauty and positivity of each character's meaning.
- Yin-Yang Balance (10%) — Checks that the overall yin-yang distribution across the name is balanced.
Data Sources
- 2,000+ curated Hanja character database — each with element, stroke count (traditional form), yin-yang, meaning, and semantic themes
- 81 Numerology fortune system — based on traditional Korean naming references (성명학)
- Top 100 Korean surnames — based on Korean census data
- Four Pillars calculation — Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches engine based on traditional calendar (만세력)
Technology
irum's name recommendations are 100% algorithm-based. No AI language models (LLMs) are used — all calculations are deterministic, returning identical results for the same inputs. The birth chart calculation and name scoring logic is implemented in TypeScript and is verifiable.
Disclaimer
irum is an educational and exploratory tool inspired by traditional Korean naming practices. It provides simplified birth chart analysis and is not a substitute for consultation with a professional naming specialist (작명사). For complex birth charts, professional guidance is recommended. Name selection is ultimately a personal decision.