Born in 1987: the Rabbit

Anyone born in 1987 is a Fire Rabbit. The year's traditional two-part name is 丁卯 (dīngmǎo), number 4 in the 60-year cycle, and it is a yin year, the quieter, more reflective half of the cycle. The base Rabbit traits (gentle, tactful, observant) come filtered through a dynamic, warm and a little restless Fire tone.

The 1987 lunar year ran from January 29, 1987 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1988 (February 17, 1988). If you were born on or after January 29, 1987 you are a Rabbit; if you were born earlier in 1987, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Tiger. Someone born in 1987 turns 39 in 2026 (or 38 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1987's Chinese New Year fell on a Thursday, and that lunar year ran 384 days — a long, 13-month year with an inserted leap month.

What the Fire element adds

Fire is the element of summer, energy and passion. A Fire year turns the volume up — more drive, more warmth, more willingness to take a risk — but also a shorter fuse and less patience for slow, routine work.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Fire Rabbit year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1987 was 1927, and the next is 2047. People born in it are said to combine gentle and tactful with the element's dynamic nature. Every Rabbit year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Fire element and the full Fire Rabbit profile.

1987 at a glance

Animal	🐇 Rabbit (兔)
Element	Fire
Yin or yang	yin
Traditional year name	丁卯 (dīngmǎo)
Place in the 60-year cycle	4 of 60
Zodiac year runs	January 29, 1987 to February 16, 1988
Age in 2026	38–39
Traditional best match	Dog
Traditional hardest match	Rooster
Lucky numbers	3, 4, 6
Lucky colors	pink, red, purple, blue

Rabbit compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1987 Rabbit gets on best with the Dog (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Goat and Pig. The hardest pairing is the Rooster, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Rabbit compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1987 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1987 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to January 28, 1987	Tiger (the 1986 year)
January 29, 1987 to December 31, 1987	Rabbit
January 1, 1988 to February 16, 1988	Rabbit (still the 1987 year)
February 17, 1988 onward	Dragon (the 1988 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1987 Rabbit

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1987 is 2035, around age 48, then 2047, around age 60. 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: 1987 and 1986

Fire years come in pairs. 1987 is the yin year and 1986 is the yang year, the Tiger. So a 1987 Rabbit and a 1986 Tiger share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Rabbit and Tiger pairing as moderate: it has no special bond or conflict, so how well it goes depends on the two people more than on the calendar. See the Rabbit and Tiger pairing.

Other Rabbit years

1939 1951 1963 1975 1999 2011 2023 2035

Full Rabbit personality profile →   Rabbit compatibility with every sign →

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

What a Fire year changes for the Rabbit

Talking. The Fire element shows up in how a 1987 Rabbit speaks: it leans further into action, saying yes before thinking it all the way through. Another element on the same animal would sound different.

Work. In 1987 the Fire element intensifies and adds urgency to the Rabbit's habits at work, so this version runs things hotter and faster than most. It changes the style, not the choice of career.

Love. A 1987 Rabbit shows affection loudly and quickly. That follows from the element: fire is the element of summer, energy and passion.

For the sign as a whole (how the Rabbit communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Rabbit profile. This page covers what is different about 1987.

Known Rabbits

Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Michael Jordan, Brad Pitt are among the names most often cited as Rabbits, though none of them was born in the 1987 lunar year. They're referenced here as examples of the animal's gentle streak generally, not proof of what a Fire Rabbit specifically looks like.