Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
shabby, worn-out, tattered; my (humble, self-deprecating prefix); to discard, cast aside
Open, spacious; to open wide; to spread out
To regulate; to govern; to manage
To weigh, to measure; to deliberate, to consider; also used in the term 敁敠 meaning to weigh in the hand,
To change; to alter; to reform
dare; courageous; bold
scatter, disperse, break up; leisure, free time; medicinal powder
To carve; to engrave; to cut
To scatter, sprinkle, or toss (especially with the hand); to spread or disseminate.
Honest, sincere, earnest; to urge, to press; thick, substantial
To tilt; to lean; to be uneven
To spread out; to unfold; to open up
To teach; to learn; to imitate. In modern usage, primarily means to teach or instruct.
To weigh, measure, or consider; to deliberate or discuss; an ancient variant form of 敓 (duó) meaning 'to take by force'
To shine; to sparkle; to radiate light
To respect; to honor; to revere
To raise; to lift up; to display
To exhaust; to use up completely; to drain
To strive with effort; to exert oneself; to be diligent.
number; to count; to enumerate
To strike; to beat; to govern
To knock; to beat; to strike
Ancient — refers to something old, ancient, or venerable; also used in classical texts to denote wisdom or antiquity.
To arrange in order; to put in order; to make tidy
Enemy, foe, opponent; to oppose, to resist; equal, match.
To arrange in order; to display; to set forth
To apply (ointment, powder); to spread; to lay out
number; count; calculate
To sew; to mend; to stitch.
To drive; to expel; to force
distant; far-reaching; profound
Joyful, happy, playful; an archaic character describing a state of delight or amusement.
To bind, to tie, to connect; an ancient character for binding or connecting things together.
To govern, to rule; to repair, to mend; to arrange, to put in order.
To bind, tie, or fasten together; to connect or join.
Zhuo — an ancient character referring to a type of punishment involving; also appears in classical texts.
To dislike; to be weary of; to reject
To gather; to collect; to restrain
to die; to kill; to perish
Li — an ancient place name; a type of wild yak; also used as a surname.
To teach; to instruct; to learn
To teach; to instruct; to learn
writing, literature, culture, language, civil (as opposed to military), gentle, refined
Variant form of 学 (xué) meaning 'to learn', 'to study', 'learning', 'knowledge',
Japanese variant of 齊/齐; meaning even, uniform, equal, together, simultaneous; used in Japanese names.
Qi — an ancient variant form of the character 齊 (齐), meaning
study room; vegetarian diet; fasting
Refined and martial — describes someone who is both cultured and capable; elegant and accomplished.
To perceive; to understand; to become aware of. Often used in classical Chinese texts with the
To fast; to abstain from meat, wine, etc.; to purify oneself before religious ceremonies or worship
Lang — an archaic or rare character meaning 'wolf's howl' or 'wolf's; also used in some ancient texts to represent a sound or a
Elegant; refined; literary
spot; speckle; stripe
Variegated, mottled — describes something with mixed colors or patterns, especially in
Bright-colored; variegated; gorgeous
Ant — archaic term for ant; also used in classical texts to refer to small insects.
Lán — multicolored, variegated, brilliant in colors; often used to describe something with bright, mixed colors or intricate patterns.
Majestic, grand, profound — describes something with great dignity and depth, often
A traditional Chinese unit of dry measure for grain (approx. 10 liters); a dipper or ladle; the Big Dipper constellation
An ancient variant form of the character 升, meaning 'to rise', 'to; a unit of volume (liter).
Practical guidance for evaluating characters by radical, stroke balance, and cultural resonance.
Radicals group characters by their core semantic or structural elements. When you filter by radical, you surface characters that share meaning cues and writing patterns, making it easier to shortlist options with aligned symbolism.
Most parents stay within 6–16 strokes so signatures remain elegant and readable. Avoid extremes—overly complex forms slow writing, while ultra-simple characters may feel plain next to a more expressive partner character.
Chinese characters themselves are largely gender-neutral. Perceived gender comes from imagery and cultural associations, so review meanings and radicals together to find characters that match the tone you want.