An Expert Guide to the Rarest Zodiac Signs in the World & Their Traits

Sure, you might be the only person with your Sun sign in your family or friend group—but how do you stack up against the rest of the population? We’ve crunched all the numbers, so you can confidently know what the rarest zodiac sign is, and, most importantly, how your unique star sign fits into the mix. In this handy guide with insights from top astrology experts, we’ll fill you in on which zodiac sign is the rarest, second-rarest, and most common, as well as how those numbers shift when we throw the (mysterious) Ophiuchus sign into the mix.

Rarest Zodiac Signs, Ranked

The rarest zodiac sign: Aquarius.
Aries
Capricorn
Pisces
Taurus
Gemini
Leo
Sagittarius
Scorpio
Libra
Cancer
The most common zodiac sign: Virgo.

Section 1 of 7:

What is the rarest zodiac sign?

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Astrologer Kyle Thomas says, “The rarest zodiac sign is Aquarius. This is according to birth rate data from the United States and worldwide. The month of February is the least common birth month.”^{[1]
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Expert Source

Kyle Thomas
Astrologer

Expert Interview} A study published by the CDC also determined that very few people give birth in January or February when compared to the rest of the year.^{[2]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services

Go to source} Other pieces of data support this conclusion—between 2000 and 2014, birthdays between January 20th and February 18th (the date range for Aquarius) were very uncommon when compared to other zodiac signs.^{[3]
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Research source} So, as a result, Aquarius ends up being the most rare and least common zodiac sign!

Meet the wikiHow Experts

Tali & Ophira Edut (or the AstroTwins) are astrologers, intuitive advisors, and best-selling authors. They are the resident astrologers at ELLE Magazine and founded the popular horoscope website, Astrostyle.

Kyle Thomas is a globally-recognized pop culture astrologer who works as the official Resident Astrologer for PEOPLE Magazine.

Angel Eyedealism is an astrologer and performance artist with nearly three decades of astrology experience.

Section 2 of 7:

Aquarius Personality Traits

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Aquarius is an intelligent, curious, and strong-willed free spirit. “Aquarians are intellectually curious, community-oriented, and visionary,” says Thomas. “They’re focused on understanding humanity, often prioritizing friendships and networks over romantic love.”^{[4]
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Expert Source

Kyle Thomas
Astrologer

Expert Interview} This sign loves to forge their own path—if you make them choose between options A and B, they’ll end up picking option C instead! Individualistic and independent to a fault, Aquarius “is free-thinking and futuristic,” according to astrologers Tali and Ophira Edut.^{[5]
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Tali & Ophira Edut
Astrologers

Expert Interview}
- This sign is also known for cleverness, creativity, innovation, and a keen sense of self-reliance—they don’t like to feel “caged” in any aspect of their life, whether it’s in their career or relationships.
- “They tend to be altruists,” says professional astrologer Angel Eyedealism, “and they’re not into what’s traditional.”^{[6]
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  Angel Eyedealism
  Professional Astrologer
  
  Expert Interview}
- While Aquarians have many positive traits, they can also give off a disinterested, unempathetic, and detached vibe that can really rub people the wrong way.
- “This detachment can make them seem unemotional,” adds Thomas, “but they value genuine connections.”^{[7]
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  Kyle Thomas
  Astrologer
  
  Expert Interview}
- Ultimately, people born under Aquarius have stubborn and rebellious personalities, and they enjoy spending time alone. These can be positive traits in some contexts, but they can also make them appear rude, insensitive, and unlikable.

Section 3 of 7:

Aquarius Compatibility

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Aquarius is most compatible with Gemini and least compatible with Taurus. In astrology, a sign’s element plays a big part in who they’re most compatible with. As an air sign, it’s no surprise that Aquarius gets along swimmingly with Gemini and Libra, the other two air signs of the zodiac. With Gemini’s natural wit and intelligence and Libra’s active spirit, Aquarius has no shortage of things in common with either sign. Aquarius also has good compatibility with Aquarius, Sagittarius, and Aries, and moderate compatibility with Leo.^{[8]
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Research source} They’re often drawn to these signs because of their “spontaneous and adventurous” personalities, as noted by Tali and Ophira Edut.^{[9]
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Tali & Ophira Edut
Astrologers

Expert Interview}
- On the flip side, Aquarians are generally not compatible with Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces.
- They especially struggle to build lasting relationships with other fixed signs, like Taurus and Scorpio. Since all three of these signs are very stubborn and set in their ways, it can be easy to get into disagreements…and not be able to get out of them.

Section 4 of 7:

What is the second rarest zodiac sign?

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Aries is the second rarest zodiac sign. Aries rules the astrological roost between March 21st and April 19th, which aren’t particularly common birthdays.^{[10]
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Research source} Fiery, headstrong, determined, “free-spirited, independent, and genuinely joyous,” according to Thomas, this fire sign represents its patron element and patron animal (the ram) well. As the cardinal sign that starts the spring season, “courage is strong with them,” adds Thomas, “but they can also be explosive and tend to push boundaries.”^{[11]
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Expert Source

Kyle Thomas
Astrologer

Expert Interview}
- Best compatibility with: Leo, Sagittarius
- Good compatibility with: Aries, Gemini, Aquarius
- Moderately compatible with: Libra
- Least compatible with: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces

Section 5 of 7:

What is the most common zodiac sign?

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Virgo is the most common zodiac sign. According to Thomas, “Virgo is the most common [zodiac sign], with birthdays between August 23 and September 22.”^{[12]
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Expert Source

Kyle Thomas
Astrologer

Expert Interview} However, depending on the year and region, Scorpio and Leo are also cited as very common zodiac signs. Back to Virgos, our most popular sign, their era starts on August 23rd and ends on September 22nd. Seeing as July through October is the most popular window for babies to be born in the U.S., it’s no surprise that the patient, hardworking, and analytical Virgo is the most common birth sign out there.^{[13]
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Research source} Plus, subtracting 9 months from late August or early September brings you right into the holiday season…we’ll let you connect the dots from there.
- Best compatibility with: Capricorn, Taurus^{[14]
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- Good compatibility with: Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio
- Moderately compatible with: Pisces
- Least compatible with: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius

Section 6 of 7:

What about the Ophiuchus zodiac model?

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If you follow the Ophiuchus astrological model, Capricorn is the rarest sign. In Western astrology, each astrological constellation is assigned to a 30-degree section of a circle that represents the Sun’s path. While the Ophiuchus constellation doesn’t get its own piece of the pie, it does pop up on the Sun’s path, and it was included in astrological models in some ancient cultures. If you were to factor it into the normal 12-sign cycle of astrology, it would shift each date range by about a month.^{[15]
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Research source} So, Capricorn would roughly slide into Aquarius’s spot, making it the rarest zodiac sign overall.
- Here’s the ranking of signs from rarest to most common, using the Ophiuchus model:
  - 1st (rarest): Capricorn (January 20 - February 16)
  - 2nd: Pisces (March 11 - April 18)
  - 3rd: Sagittarius (December 17 - January 20)
  - 4th: Aquarius (February 16 - March 11)
  - 5th: Aries (April 18 - May 13)
  - 6th: Taurus (May 13 - June 21)
  - 7th: Cancer (July 20 - August 10)
  - 8th: Ophiuchus (November 29 - December 17)
  - 9th: Libra (October 30 - November 23)
  - 10th: Scorpio (November 23 - November 29)
  - 11th: Virgo (September 16 - October 30)
  - 12th: Gemini (June 21 - July 20)
  - 13th (least rare): Leo (August 10 - September 16)

Section 7 of 7:

Why are some zodiac signs rarer than others?

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Some zodiac signs are rarer than others because birth rates are lower in those months. Since zodiac signs are based on the month in which someone was born, lower birth rates in certain times of the year will affect zodiac signs. Birth rates themselves can be impacted by a lot of things—like holidays, weather patterns, and world events. For example, winter birthdays are often considered to be less common, since many people try to plan their pregnancies so that they’re not giving birth during the holiday season.^{[16]
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- As a result, winter zodiac signs (like Aquarius) tend to be rarer.
- Conversely, it’s possible that more couples are intimate during the winter holiday season, which creates a higher birth rate in the warm summer months. So, summer zodiac signs (like Virgo and Leo) are more common!

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What is a Pisces like?

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Pisces are often shy but very romantic. Pisces are born from February 19 to March 20. They are very emotional (whether the emotion is happy or sad). Oftentimes they are very tough (they love hugs).

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If I followed Ophiuchus and I'm a Taurus, could I be an Aries?

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No, not really. Your zodiac sign relies on your birthday, not someone you've followed, and you can't change your date of birth.

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What are Virgo and Taurus like?

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Taurus tends to be stubborn. Taurus can fight and is quick to anger, so if you say they are wrong, you have a challenge ahead of you. Virgo tends to be thoughtful most of the time and is the one that is willing to guide you. Virgo is usually quite nice. Just remember that these are not hard-and-fast rules, merely tendencies (because there are many other astrological indicators in a person's life, not just the sun sign).

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