CinchPad

Love Calculator

The classic playground game, done properly. Same names always give the same answer — and it means absolutely nothing.

What this actually calculates

Nothing meaningful — and it is worth being clear about that. The percentage is a hash of the two names, so the same pair always produces the same number in either order, which makes it feel like a real result rather than a random one. It reflects the letters you typed and nothing else. There is no research linking name spelling to relationship outcomes, and none of the tools that claim otherwise are measuring anything. It is a playground game, and it is here as a playground game.

How the FLAMES game works

FLAMES is the version most people played at school, and it has an actual procedure — which is why the same names always give the same answer.

  1. Write both names out and cross off every letter that appears in both.
  2. Count the letters left over across both names.
  3. Write out F-L-A-M-E-S: Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemies, Siblings.
  4. Count round the letters repeatedly, striking out the one you land on, until only one remains.

That surviving letter is the verdict. This tool runs the same elimination faithfully, which is why the FLAMES result is shown alongside the percentage.

What actually predicts relationship success

Since you are here: the research on this is genuinely interesting, and none of it involves names.

John Gottman's longitudinal work identified four communication patterns that predict separation with striking accuracy — criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. Contempt is the strongest single signal.

On the positive side, the findings are unromantic but robust: responding to each other's small everyday attempts at connection, maintaining a high ratio of positive to negative interactions during conflict, and being able to accept influence from your partner.

None of that fits in a percentage, which is presumably why the letter-counting version survived.

How to use the Love Calculator

  1. Type two names.
  2. Press Calculate.
  3. Enjoy it, then disregard it entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Is the love calculator accurate?

No, and it does not claim to be. It hashes the letters of two names into a number. It has no information about either person and no predictive value whatsoever.

Why do I get the same result every time?

Because the score is derived deterministically from the names rather than randomly. Sorting the two names first means the order you type them does not matter either.

What does FLAMES stand for?

Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemies, Siblings — the six possible outcomes in the letter-elimination game.

Can I use nicknames or full names?

You can use either, and you will get different answers, which is a fairly good illustration of how much the result means.

Are the names stored anywhere?

No. Everything happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.

Related tools

Zodiac Sign Finder Your star sign, element, and the Chinese zodiac animal for your birth year. Yes or No Decision Maker A random yes or no when you genuinely cannot decide. Coin Flip Flip a fair virtual coin, one at a time or hundreds at once. Nickname Generator Generate nicknames, gamertags and usernames from your name or a theme.

Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Results are estimates for general information only.