Chinese zodiac animals by birth year, and the silver pendant for each
Find your Chinese zodiac animal from your birth year, with the years for all twelve, what our cards say about each, and a 925 sterling silver pendant for every one. From ARKH, Melbourne.
ARKH · 10 November 2026 · 6 min read
The question behind most searches for the Chinese zodiac is the plainest one: which animal am I, and which one is my mother, my daughter, my best friend? It is also one of the easiest gifts to get right, because the answer is a fact about the person and does not depend on taste. This guide gives you the animal for every birth year from 1960 to 2031, what our cards say about each one, and the pendant that goes with it.
How to find your animal
Each year belongs to one animal, and the twelve repeat in the same order every twelve years. So the quickest check is to find your birth year, or any year twelve years from it, in the lists further down.
One catch decides most mistakes. The Chinese year does not begin on 1 January. It begins at Lunar New Year, which falls somewhere between late January and the middle of February. Someone born on 10 January 2000 belongs to the year before, not to the Year of the Dragon. If the birthday is in January or February, look up the date of Lunar New Year for that year before you choose.
The twelve animals, and their years
The words under each animal are the ones printed on our Chinese Zodiac Pendant’s card, so you can see what the person will read when they open the bottle. The years run from 1960 to 2031.
Rat and Ox
- Rat: born 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 or 2020. The card reads “clever · resourceful”.
- Ox: born 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 or 2021. The card reads “steady · strong”.
Tiger and Rabbit
- Tiger: born 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 or 2022. The card reads “brave · confident”.
- Rabbit: born 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 or 2023. The card reads “gentle · locky”, as printed.
Dragon and Snake
- Dragon: born 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 or 2024. The card reads “powerful · ambitious”.
- Snake: born 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 or 2025. The card reads “wise · intuitive”.
Horse and Goat
- Horse: born 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 or 2026. The card reads “energetic · free-spirited”.
- Goat: born 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 or 2027. The card reads “gentle · creative · kind”. In some places this year is called the Sheep or the Ram; our card says Goat.
Monkey and Rooster
- Monkey: born 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 or 2028. The card reads “clever · playful”.
- Rooster: born 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 or 2029. The card reads “hardworking · punctual”.
Dog and Pig
- Dog: born 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 or 2030. The card reads “loyal · honest”.
- Pig: born 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 or 2031. The card reads “generous · honest”.
Your animal comes from the year you were born, not the month.
The silver pendant for each animal
The Chinese Zodiac Pendant is one listing with all twelve animals: choose the sign, and the animal and its card change together. It is 925 sterling silver, stamped, on a fine chain of 41 to 46 cm that is adjustable and removable, so you can buy it with the chain or without. It arrives in a glass bottle with a cork lid, with its card, in a white ARKH gift box, and an authenticity card states what the piece is and what it is made of.
Start here
The same animals, with a joke on the card
Our animal range lists the twelve animals one by one as well, and each of those comes with a card that is a line of its own instead of “Year of the”. The Tiger’s says “Wild and free”, the Dragon’s “Slightly mythical, entirely iconic”, the Dog’s “All you need is woof” and the Horse’s “Hay there”. They suit someone who loves the animal more than the year. The Rat is listed there as the Mouse, the Ox as the Cow and the Rabbit as the Bunny. If you want the zodiac meaning on the card, choose the Chinese Zodiac Pendant above.
The animals, one by one
Western star sign as well
If you know the star sign too, the Zodiac Studs carry it: not a matching pair, the glyph on one ear and the sign’s own symbol on the other. The card gives the sign, its dates, a colour and a lucky number. The birthstone and zodiac shelf holds all of these in one place, and our guide to birthstones and birth flowers by month covers the other way of marking a birthday.
Questions people ask
What is my Chinese zodiac animal?
Find your birth year in the lists above. If you were born in January or February, check when Lunar New Year fell that year: before that date you belong to the previous animal.
What animal is 2026?
2026 is a Year of the Horse. The Horse years in our lists are 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 and 2026. The next is 2038.
Does the Chinese zodiac change on 1 January?
No. It changes at Lunar New Year, which is between late January and the middle of February, and the date differs each year.
Why does the cat not appear?
In the best-known legend, the twelve animals took part in a race and the years follow the order they finished in. The cat, in many tellings, missed it. It is a story, and tellings differ. If you are buying for a cat person, we have five silver cats.
Is it real silver?
Every Chinese Zodiac Pendant is stamped 925 sterling silver, which is 92.5% silver. The page and the authenticity card in the box say so. For how to check any silver you buy, see how to tell real 925 silver.
Can it be worn every day?
Yes. It is finished to resist tarnish, and a soft cloth restores the shine. Keep it dry, and put it on after perfume.
How quickly does it arrive?
It is held in Melbourne and posted the next business day. Australia Post estimates 2 to 6 business days within Australia, or 1 to 2 by express. Postage within Australia is $7.95, and free over $100. We ship internationally from Melbourne, and import duty and taxes in your country are paid by the receiver.
Twelve animals, one pendant.
Choose your animalKeep reading
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