Hereditary number

The hereditary number is the reduced sum of the letters of the family name at birth. Numerologists see in it the coloring passed down by the lineage: values, habits and expectations received from the family environment. It is read with the active number, drawn from the first name, to observe the harmony or tension between what is inherited and what is asserted. How a name changed by marriage or adoption is handled varies between schools, most of which keep the birth name.