Francis Bacon Gematria Cipher

The Francis Bacon cipher numbers a 24-letter alphabet in which I and J share a value and U and V share a value, so A = 1 up to Z = 24.

The Francis Bacon table

A1
B2
C3
D4
E5
F6
G7
H8
I9
J9
K10
L11
M12
N13
O14
P15
Q16
R17
S18
T19
U20
V20
W21
X22
Y23
Z24

How it works

Use A to H = 1 to 8, I and J = 9, K to T = 10 to 19, U and V = 20, W to Z = 21 to 24, then add the values.

Worked examples

  • Light: L (11) + I (9) + G (7) + H (8) + T (19) = 54
  • Wisdom: W (21) + I (9) + S (18) + D (4) + O (14) + M (12) = 78
  • Karma: K (10) + A (1) + R (17) + M (12) + A (1) = 41

Example values in Francis Bacon

Word or nameValue
Emma30
Michael49
God25
Karma41
Love50
Peace29
Truth83
Wisdom78

Where it comes from

English and Latin writers of the early 1600s commonly treated I/J and U/V as the same letter, which is why this 24-letter count is linked with Bacon. The numeric table itself is a modern convention and should not be confused with his bilateral cipher.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I and J have the same value?

In the older 24-letter alphabet, I and J were written as one letter, and so were U and V.

Other ciphers

Gematria and numerology are traditions of interpretation, not sciences. Results are provided for education, curiosity and entertainment and are not a prediction or professional advice.