Born in 1961: the Ox

Metal Ox is the full name of the 1961 sign. Its traditional two-part year name is 辛丑 (xīnchǒu), which puts it at number 38 of 60, and 1961 is a yin year, the cycle's quieter, more reflective half. Expect the Ox's usual traits (dependable, patient, methodical) with a determined, disciplined and self-reliant edge from the Metal element.

The 1961 lunar year ran from February 15, 1961 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1962 (February 5, 1962). If you were born on or after February 15, 1961 you are an Ox; if you were born earlier in 1961, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Rat. Someone born in 1961 turns 65 in 2026 (or 64 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1961's Chinese New Year fell on a Wednesday, and that lunar year ran 355 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.

What the Metal element adds

Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Metal Ox year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1961 was 1901, and the next is 2021. People born in it are said to combine dependable and patient with the element's determined nature. Every Ox year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Metal element and the full Metal Ox profile.

1961 at a glance

Animal	🐂 Ox (牛)
Element	Metal
Yin or yang	yin
Traditional year name	辛丑 (xīnchǒu)
Place in the 60-year cycle	38 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 15, 1961 to February 4, 1962
Age in 2026	64–65
Traditional best match	Rat
Traditional hardest match	Goat
Lucky numbers	1, 4
Lucky colors	white, yellow, green

Ox compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1961 Ox gets on best with the Rat (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Snake and Rooster. The hardest pairing is the Goat, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Ox compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1961 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1961 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 14, 1961	Rat (the 1960 year)
February 15, 1961 to December 31, 1961	Ox
January 1, 1962 to February 4, 1962	Ox (still the 1961 year)
February 5, 1962 onward	Tiger (the 1962 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1961 Ox

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1961 is 2033, around age 72, then 2045, around age 84. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 1961 and 1960

Metal years come in pairs. 1961 is the yin year and 1960 is the yang year, the Rat. So a 1961 Ox and a 1960 Rat share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Ox and Rat pairing as excellent: one of the six classic 'secret friend' pairings — a naturally supportive, stabilizing match. See the Ox and Rat pairing.

Other Ox years

1937 1949 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021 2033

Full Ox personality profile →   Ox compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What a Metal year changes for the Ox

Talking. What marks a 1961 Ox in conversation is the Metal element: it gets more guarded about it, saying less than it's actually thinking.

Work. Expect a 1961 Ox to work with a sharper, less negotiable edge than most, because Metal sharpens and hardens the sign's usual approach. The element affects execution more than the field.

Love. In 1961's Metal version, the Ox shows affection through direct, no-nonsense gestures, since metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve.

For the sign as a whole (how the Ox communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Ox profile. This page covers what is different about 1961.

Known Oxs

Barack Obama, Eddie Murphy and Peter Jackson were born in the 1961 lunar year, exact Metal Ox matches for this page. Other well-known Oxs, from other years, include Meryl Streep. A shared sign says nothing about how anyone's life goes; these are simply familiar names to put to the sign.