Zodiac Sign by Birth Date: A Full 12-Sign Chart and What Sign 5 January Is
Zodiac sign by birth date is found from the day and month you were born on the Gregorian (solar) calendar. For example, 5 January falls between 22 December and 19 January, so it is Capricorn; 5 November is Scorpio; 30 June is Cancer. This article gives a 12-sign chart with dates, a month-by-month lookup and a way to handle cusp dates.
Zodiac sign by birth date: a chart of all 12 signs by Gregorian date
Your zodiac sign (also called your Sun sign) tells you which constellation the Sun was passing through when you were born. The Sun stays in each sign for about a month, so the 12 signs divide the year evenly. All you need for the lookup is your day and month of birth on the Gregorian calendar.
The chart below uses the most common date ranges in Western astrology (the tropical zodiac). Find the range that contains your birthday; the sign on the same row is your zodiac sign.
| Zodiac sign | Birth date (Gregorian) | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | 21 Mar – 19 Apr | Fire |
| Taurus | 20 Apr – 20 May | Earth |
| Gemini | 21 May – 21 Jun | Air |
| Cancer | 22 Jun – 22 Jul | Water |
| Leo | 23 Jul – 22 Aug | Fire |
| Virgo | 23 Aug – 22 Sep | Earth |
| Libra | 23 Sep – 22 Oct | Air |
| Scorpio | 23 Oct – 21 Nov | Water |
| Sagittarius | 22 Nov – 21 Dec | Fire |
| Capricorn | 22 Dec – 19 Jan | Earth |
| Aquarius | 20 Jan – 18 Feb | Air |
| Pisces | 19 Feb – 20 Mar | Water |
What the element column tells you
The last column of the chart splits the 12 signs into four groups of three. Fire is Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Earth is Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. Air is Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Water is Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Signs of the same element sit four signs apart on the zodiac wheel, so once you remember one sign, the other two are easy to work out.
In traditional astrology, elements are often used as a loose hint about rhythm: Fire leans toward action, Earth toward steadiness, Air toward exchanging ideas, Water toward feeling. It is a way of grouping signs so they are easy to remember and talk about, not a conclusion about who you are.
Try the question many people are typing right now: what zodiac sign is 5 January? 5 January falls between 22 December and 19 January, so it is Capricorn. Capricorn starts in late December and runs into mid-January, which means someone born on 28 December and someone born on 5 January share a sign even though they are born in different years.
The dates in the chart can shift by a day depending on the year and the source, because the Sun does not change signs at exactly the same hour every year. Near the end of this article I explain how to handle a birthday that sits right on the edge.
How to work out your zodiac sign by birth date: a quick month-by-month lookup
If you would rather not read the whole 12-sign chart, look up your birth month. Every calendar month has exactly two signs, one at the start of the month and one at the end. Just compare your birthday with the changeover date in the middle column.
| Birth month | From the start of the month to | From the changeover date to the end of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 (January) | Capricorn (until 19 Jan) | Aquarius (from 20 Jan) |
| Month 2 (February) | Aquarius (until 18 Feb) | Pisces (from 19 Feb) |
| Month 3 (March) | Pisces (until 20 Mar) | Aries (from 21 Mar) |
| Month 4 (April) | Aries (until 19 Apr) | Taurus (from 20 Apr) |
| Month 5 (May) | Taurus (until 20 May) | Gemini (from 21 May) |
| Month 6 (June) | Gemini (until 21 Jun) | Cancer (from 22 Jun) |
| Month 7 (July) | Cancer (until 22 Jul) | Leo (from 23 Jul) |
| Month 8 (August) | Leo (until 22 Aug) | Virgo (from 23 Aug) |
| Month 9 (September) | Virgo (until 22 Sep) | Libra (from 23 Sep) |
| Month 10 (October) | Libra (until 22 Oct) | Scorpio (from 23 Oct) |
| Month 11 (November) | Scorpio (until 21 Nov) | Sagittarius (from 22 Nov) |
| Month 12 (December) | Sagittarius (until 21 Dec) | Capricorn (from 22 Dec) |
A few examples to get you started: 5 January is in the "start of January" column, so it is Capricorn; 5 November is in the "start of November" column, so it is Scorpio; 30 June is in the "end of June" column, so it is Cancer; 14 February is in the "start of February" column, so it is Aquarius. Three steps are enough: find the month, compare with the changeover date, read the sign.
Three common mistakes when looking up by month
The first mistake is mixing up lunar-calendar months with Gregorian months: someone born on "the 5th of the 11th lunar month" usually falls around December or January on the Gregorian calendar, so the sign is completely different. The second is remembering a sign by the month name, for example believing that all of November is Scorpio, when from 22 November it is already Sagittarius. The third is using a chart from another year for someone born right at the changeover, because the boundary can move by a day.
The fix for all three is simple: always convert to the Gregorian calendar first, always compare with the changeover date rather than the month name, and if your birthday is within two days of a boundary, double-check with a tool that uses your birth time.
If you would like a deeper article for your own birth month, I will write monthly posts one by one. And if you want to see that the Sun sign is only one part of a personal birth chart, you can read how to read your birth chart as a beginner.
Zodiac sign by birth date on the lunar or solar calendar, cusp dates and why birth time matters
The question many people ask is whether to look up the zodiac sign using the lunar or the solar birth date. Western astrology uses the solar (Gregorian) calendar, because it is based on the Sun's position against the signs, not on the Moon's cycle like the lunar calendar. If your documents give a lunar birth date, convert it to the Gregorian calendar first and then use the chart above.
For people born right next to a changeover date, for example 20 January, 19 February, 21 March or 22 June, things get a little more complicated. The Sun changes signs at a specific hour, and that hour moves by a few hours each year. So for the same calendar date, you might belong to the earlier sign one year and the later sign the next. People born in this window are often said to be born on the cusp.
The only reliable way is to check by year, date, time and place of birth with a birth-chart tool, instead of relying on a generic chart. For the same reason, the zodiac sign is only the outermost layer of astrology: the Moon sign and the Rising sign (the sign on the horizon when you were born) can only be calculated with your birth time.
Do and don't when looking up your zodiac sign
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Convert a lunar birth date to the Gregorian calendar before looking it up | Look up a lunar date directly in the Gregorian chart |
| If you were born near a changeover date, check with a tool that uses birth time | Jump to a conclusion from a generic chart that ignores the year |
| Treat the sign as a point of view for understanding yourself | Treat the zodiac sign as a firm verdict on your personality or fate |
| Note your Sun, Moon and Rising signs once you have your birth time | Remember only one sign and ignore the other two |
The "3 Birthday Touches" framework: a 10-minute exercise to use your zodiac sign well
You can do this right now with a sheet of paper and a calendar.
- Touch one: write down your birth day, month and year on the Gregorian calendar, then look up your sign in the chart at the top. If your birthday is close to a changeover date, add a note: "check with birth time".
- Touch two: write three words that describe your sign and feel true to you, and three words that do not feel like you. The "not me" words matter just as much, because they remind you that the Sun sign is only one layer.
- Touch three: pick a family member or friend, look up their sign, then write one sentence about what you understand better when you see them through this lens, instead of sticking a "right/wrong" label on them.
Jennie's view: your zodiac sign is a door, not a room
Are you curious about the cycles and rhythm of each year? The article what animal year and element is 2027 will show you another way of reading, through the lunar calendar and the five elements.
What date were you born, and does the sign you found match how you feel about yourself? Share in the comments so everyone can compare notes.
