Friendship Compatibility: How the Score Is Calculated

Learning how friendship compatibility calculation works starts with two names and a fixed little formula, not with any test of character or a quiz about your habits. Each letter of both names is turned into a number, the numbers are added together, and one simple calculation turns that total into a percentage between 50% and 100%. Because the formula never changes, the same two names always give the same score, so the number is repeatable even though it says nothing scientific about the friendship itself. It is a playful way to celebrate a friendship, share a laugh and compare scores with other pairs, and you can try any two names in seconds with the free Friendship Calculator.

That repeatability is exactly what makes the score fun to share: friends can test different name combinations, compare results and laugh about a high or low number without taking it seriously. But it also sets the limit of the whole idea. A name formula cannot measure trust, time spent together or how someone shows up when things get hard, and no percentage should be read as a verdict on a real friendship. This guide explains the method step by step, works through the tool page’s own example in full, and points out the mistakes that change a score by accident.

The Method / Formula

The method has three stages. First, every letter of each name is replaced by its position in the alphabet, with A = 1 and Z = 26, and the values of both names are added together into a single total. Next, that total is multiplied by 37 and divided by 51, keeping only the remainder. Finally, 50 is added to the remainder, which gives the friendship percentage. Written as a formula: score = 50 + ((total × 37) mod 51). Because the remainder after dividing by 51 can only run from 0 to 50, the score always lands between 50% and 100%, and the same two names always produce the same result.

Letter value: the alphabet position of a letter, so A = 1, B = 2 and so on up to Z = 26. Capitals and small letters count the same. Total: the sum of the letter values of both names put together, which is the only input the formula needs. The number 37: a fixed multiplier that spreads different totals across the remainder range, so similar names do not always land on similar scores. Mod 51: the remainder left after dividing by 51, which is what keeps every result inside the 50% to 100% band. The added 50: the floor of the scale, which is why no pair ever scores below 50%, however different the names are. Score labels: the tool describes 85% and above as best-friend level and 70% and above as a strong friendship.

How to Calculate a Friendship Score Step by Step

1. Write down both names exactly as you want them scored, including any surname you decide to use.
2. Turn every letter into its alphabet number, A = 1 through Z = 26, and add all the numbers from both names into one total.
3. Multiply the total by 37, then find the remainder after dividing by 51.
4. Add 50 to the remainder to get the friendship percentage.
5. Read the label with the score: 85% and above is best-friend level, 70% and above is a strong friendship, and anything from 50% upward is still a friendly result on this scale.

Worked Example

Take the example from the tool page: Aman and Riya. Working through the formula step by step:

• Aman: A (1) + m (13) + a (1) + n (14) = 29.
• Riya: R (18) + i (9) + y (25) + a (1) = 53.
• Total: 29 + 53 = 82.
• Multiply and take the remainder: 82 × 37 = 3,034, and 3,034 mod 51 = 25, since 51 × 59 = 3,009.
• Add 50: 50 + 25 = 75%.
• Result: 75% (Strong friendship) — exactly as the tool page shows.

A score of 75% sits in the strong-friendship band, above the 70% mark but below the 85% best-friend level. It is also a good reminder of how the formula behaves: the result is fixed for these two names, and it would stay 75% no matter how many times you test the same pair. Try the same pair again and you will always get the same result, because the formula is fixed.

Common Mistakes / Good to Know

• Taking the score seriously: it is a fixed fun formula based on names only, with no scientific basis. A low score says nothing about a real friendship, and a high score does not prove one.
• Adding a surname and expecting the same score: extra letters change the letter total, which changes the result. Use the same name forms whenever you compare scores.
• Expecting scores below 50%: the formula adds 50 at the end, so 50% is the lowest possible result. A 50% score is simply the bottom of this playful scale, not a failed friendship.
• Testing pairs in a group chat and comparing different name forms: nicknames, initials and full names all give different totals, so agree on one form per person before comparing.

For another number-based result, try the Face Shape Calculator, and read our related guide, How to Find Your Face Shape: Measurements and Method.

Frequently Asked Questions