--- title: "What Chinese Zodiac Is 1951? Year of the Metal Rabbit" description: "1951 is the Year of the Metal Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac, from February 6, 1951 to January 26, 1952. Personality, Lunar New Year dates and numerology." canonical: https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1951 last-updated: 2026-10-23 reviewed: false author: Unified Reading editorial --- # What Chinese Zodiac Is 1951? Year of the Metal Rabbit In Chinese astrology, 1951 is the Year of the Metal Rabbit, a Yin year. It began at Lunar New Year on February 6, 1951 and ended on January 26, 1952, so people born in 1951 before Feb 6 belong to the Metal Tiger year. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Animal · element · polarity | Rabbit · Metal · Yin | | Starts (Lunar New Year) | February 6, 1951 | | Ends | January 26, 1952 | | Born in 1951 before Feb 6 | Metal Tiger (the 1950 year) | | Rabbit's fixed element | Wood (Metal controls Wood) | | Other Metal Rabbit years (1924-2044) | 2011 | | Stem-branch name | Xin-Mao | | Lunar New Year weekday · Sun sign | Tuesday · Aquarius | | Numerology year number | 7 | ## When the 1951 Metal Rabbit year starts and ends The 1951 Metal Rabbit year began at Lunar New Year on February 6, 1951 and lasted until January 26, 1952, the day before the next new year. Anyone born between January 1 and Feb 6 1951 therefore belongs to the Metal Tiger year that started in 1950, while someone born in early 1952, up to Jan 26, is still a Metal Rabbit. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, which is why the start date moves between January 21 and February 20 instead of staying on January 1. The same Metal Rabbit combination also falls in 2011, sixty years apart, because five elements and twelve animals realign only once in each sixty-year cycle. Lunar New Year 1951 fell on a Tuesday, while the Western Sun was in Aquarius. ## Metal Rabbit personality Discerning, ambitious and quietly self-assured, the Metal Rabbit surprises people who expect a pushover. Metal presses on the Rabbit's Wood, giving the gentle sign a clearer outline and exacting standards. Those born in this year usually have fine taste and hold their ground firmly. Perfectionism and brooding over criticism are the shadows, eased by art, nature and a gentler inner voice. Metal is the element of autumn and harvest, and a Metal year is traditionally said to sharpen whatever animal it meets. Descriptions associate it with determination, discipline, clear judgement and a strong code of principle. Metal-year people are often portrayed as decisive, self-reliant and willing to do difficult things because they are right. The element is linked with refinement and with cutting away what is unnecessary, so it tends to bring focus and high standards. Its traditional shadow is rigidity: Metal can become inflexible, proud or emotionally guarded, preferring to be correct over being close, and finding it hard to bend once a position is taken. ## 1951 in numerology and the twelve-year cycle In numerology the year reduces to 7, the number of reflection, analysis and inner work, giving a 7 year a quieter, more searching character. The digits of 1951 add up to 16, which reduces to 7. In the twelve-year cycle the Rabbit is the fourth animal, earthly branch Mao, with Wood as its fixed element and Yin polarity. The year element is Metal, and in the five-element cycles metal controls Wood. The year before was the Metal Tiger and the year after is the Water Dragon. In the traditional sexagenary count the year is called Xin-Mao: Xin is the Metal heavenly stem and Mao is the Rabbit's earthly branch. Stems and branches alternate between yang and yin together, which is why yin stems only ever meet yin animals. ## Frequently asked questions ### What Chinese zodiac is 1951? 1951 is the Year of the Metal Rabbit. It started on February 6, 1951 and ended on January 26, 1952. ### What if I was born in January or February 1951? Check the date against Feb 6. Born before February 6, 1951, you are a Metal Tiger; born on or after it, you are a Metal Rabbit. ### What element is 1951 in the Chinese zodiac? Metal, a Yin year. The Rabbit's own fixed element is Wood; the year element changes every two years, while the fixed element stays with the animal. ### What is the traditional Chinese name for 1951? Xin-Mao. The first part is the heavenly stem, which carries the year's element and polarity; the second is the earthly branch, which carries the animal. Almanacs, calendars and Four Pillars charts identify years this way rather than by animal alone. ### When is the next Metal Rabbit year? 2011, sixty years later, when the five elements and twelve animals line up again; the table also has 2011. ## Related pages - [Metal Rabbit](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/metal-rabbit) - [Rabbit](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/rabbit) - [Chinese zodiac years](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/years) - [1950 (Metal Tiger)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1950) - [1952 (Water Dragon)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1952) - [1939 (Earth Rabbit)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1939) - [1963 (Water Rabbit)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1963) - [2011 (Metal Rabbit)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/2011) - [1927 (Fire Rabbit)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1927) - [1975 (Wood Rabbit)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1975) - [Chinese zodiac calculator](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac-calculator) - [Chinese zodiac](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac) ## About Unified Reading Unified Reading combines Pythagorean numerology, the Western Sun sign (Moon and rising with a birth time), the Chinese zodiac and life-stage context in one reading. The preview is free at https://unifiedreading.com/#details; the full reading is $4.99, paid once through Stripe, with no subscription. A fictional sample is at https://unifiedreading.com/sample. With a birth time and place it adds whole sign houses and the chart ruler; it does not calculate planetary aspects or transits, and it is a framework for reflection, not a prediction.