Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
To meet; to assemble; to be able to
A rare ancient Chinese character referring to a type of drumstick used; also appears in classical texts as a musical instrument component.
To leave; to depart; to go away
A variant form of 裨 (bì), meaning to benefit, to supplement, or; also used in ancient texts.
Moon; month; menstrual
to have; to possess; to exist
Protein; in ancient usage, refers to the bright appearance of the moon or
friend; companion; associate
clothes, clothing; to serve, to obey; to convince, to be convinced
Moonlight; moonlight at the beginning of the lunar month; dim moonlight.
Crescent moon; first appearance of the moon after new moon; bright
Dried meat; a curved shape; also used as a place name in ancient China.
Deficient; lacking; insufficient
To wax (of the moon); to grow larger; an ancient term referring to the moon's phases, particularly the waxing period.
First day of the lunar month; new moon; north
I, me (imperial we) — originally meant 'I' or 'me' in Classical
Bright; clear; luminous
bright; clear; cheerful
To diminish; to decrease; to shrink
Bright, clear, luminous; ancient variant of 明 (míng) meaning bright, clear, to understand.
Forgetful, confused, or hurried; also used in ancient texts to mean 'not' or 'without'.
to gaze into the distance; to look forward to; to hope
Bright; luminous; radiant (archaic/obscure character, rarely used in modern Chinese)
Dynasty, court; morning; facing towards
A full cycle or period; specifically refers to one year or a complete cycle of time.
Period; term; phase
A type of jade; a beautiful jade-like stone; also used in ancient texts to refer to something precious or beautiful.
Zong — an obscure character referring to a kind of boat or; also used in ancient texts for a type of animal or possibly
To gaze into the distance; to look forward to; to hope for
Twilight — refers to the dim light at dawn or dusk; also describes a hazy, unclear state.
Bright; luminous; clear
Lao — refers to lard or animal fat, particularly in culinary contexts; used in some Chinese dialects.
dim; obscure; hazy
Dim; hazy; obscure
tree; wood; timber
A rare character variant, historically used as a simplified form of 榀
not yet; have not; did not
end, tip, final stage; last in order; insignificant part
root, origin, foundation; basis, source; this, current, present
thin piece of wood used for writing; letter; note
An ancient form of 术, referring to medicinal plants like Atractylodes; also used in historical texts.
skill, technique, art, method; originally referred to roads or paths in ancient texts.
A rare or variant character; specific meaning unclear in modern usage.
Vermilion, cinnabar red; a surname; also used in ancient texts to refer to the color red.
A rare character meaning 'a person living in the woods' or 'wooden; also used in some historical texts.
A type of tree; a rake-like tool; used in ancient texts.
Simple, plain, unadorned; refers to simplicity and naturalness without artificial embellishment; also a Korean surname (Park).
flower; cluster; classifier for flowers, clouds, or similar clustered objects
A variant form of 朵; flower bud; cluster
An ancient name for a type of tree; a rare character.
A rare character referring to the veins in wood; the grain of wood; also an ancient place name and surname.
An ancient name for a type of hawthorn tree; also an archaic term for a food container or tray.
machine; mechanism; opportunity
A tree with upward-curving branches; to bend; to twist
An ancient ritual utensil, a type of ladle or spoon used in; to support, to assist.
rotten, decayed; aged; worthless
To strike; to bump against; an onomatopoeia for the sound of striking wood.
thorn; a thorny bush; to stab
to kill; to slaughter; to murder
A Japanese kokuji (国字, 'national character') meaning a sluice gate; a water gate; a weir. Used in Japanese place names.
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.