Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
A tally or wooden pass used in ancient China for identification or; a ceremonial staff or insignia of office.
A rare character referring to the crooked or twisted grain pattern in; used in ancient texts to describe irregular wood grain.
A type of tree with edible fruit; ancient name for a tree with bitter wood.
A type of thorny shrub or small tree (Prunus padus or similar); used in ancient texts to describe dense vegetation.
A wooden bowl or vessel; a bent or curved piece of wood; an ox nose ring.
A type of tree with white bark, possibly referring to a species; an ancient name for a particular tree.
Forest — a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large; also used metaphorically to describe abundance or density.
A type of small fruit tree, specifically the Chinese hawthorn or related; also refers to the fruit itself.
Rod; whip; cane
Edge, corner, ridge; arris (in architecture); a measure word for fields (in ancient times)
to perch; to roost; to dwell
Small wooden post or pillar; a type of tree; also used in ancient texts for a kind of tree or wooden
A type of tree; also used in ancient texts for a specific kind of wood.
A measure word for trees, plants, and certain upright objects; classifier for individual plants.
A type of tree, specifically the Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis), a deciduous
A bundle of firewood; a small tree; an ancient place name.
A surname in ancient China; also refers to the name of a place in ancient times.
Oar, paddle — a long pole with a broad blade at one; also used as a verb meaning to row or paddle.
Coffin — a box or chest for burying a corpse; also refers to objects shaped like a coffin.
Confusion, disorder; also refers to beams or rafters in a roof structure.
Luxuriant, abundant growth (of trees); flourishing appearance; used in classical literature to describe lush vegetation.
A type of tree; ancient name for a specific tree species; used in historical texts and names.
To measure; to estimate; to deliberate
Bowl — a wooden bowl or vessel; an archaic or variant form of 碗 (bowl).
Outer coffin — the outermost coffin in a burial, typically made of
Lu — an ancient name for a type of tree; appears in historical texts and classical Chinese.
A type of tree; an ancient name for a specific tree species; also used in some historical texts and place names.
To graft (plants/trees); to splice; to join
Chair — a piece of furniture with a back and seat for
A type of tree, specifically referring to the evergreen oak or similar; also used in names.
A type of tree, specifically the Chinese raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis), known; also refers to a type of ancient wooden table or stand.
Juniper — refers to trees in the cypress family, particularly juniper species; also used in some plant names.
To ride; to mount; to take advantage of
椊 — A rare character referring to a tenon or mortise joint; also used in some ancient texts for a type of tree or
A type of tree, specifically the hackberry tree (Celtis sinensis); also refers to the white-cheeked starling bird.
A type of ancient Chinese musical instrument; a hollow wooden percussion instrument used in ritual music.
to plant; to cultivate; to set up
Vertebra; spine; mallet
Fork of a tree; branch; crotch
A type of tree, specifically the Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) or a
A type of small pear; also refers to a type of wine vessel in ancient times.
Pepper — refers to various pepper plants, particularly the Sichuan pepper (花椒); also used in place names.
To beat, strike, punish; to castrate; an ancient punishment involving mutilation
withered or fallen trees; dead trees in water
A dense growth of trees; lush, flourishing vegetation; thick forest.
A rare character referring to a type of door or gate; also used in some Japanese place names.
Anchor — a heavy object used to moor a vessel to the; also refers to a stake or post for mooring.
Chu — an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty; also a variant form of 楚.
Japanese kanji character used in proper nouns, particularly place names and surnames; not part of standard Chinese character set.
Japanese character for 'Kunugi' — refers to the Japanese oak tree (Quercus; used in Japanese place names.
Maple tree; also used as a Japanese kokuji (国字) meaning 'autumn colors' or 'maple'.
Japanese variant of the Chinese character 檢 (simplified: 检), meaning to examine,
Gui — a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel with a round
A rare character meaning to restrain or stop; to prohibit or forbid.
Du — a box, chest, or casket; often used to refer to a small container for valuables or documents.
Qian — wooden tablet for writing in ancient China; block for printing; book
Japanese character used in place names, particularly in the name of a; not a standard Chinese character.
Gui — a character used in the traditional Chinese character 槶, meaning; also used in Japanese as a simplified form for 槶.
Japanese kokuji character meaning 'catalpa tree' or 'Japanese cherry birch tree', used
A type of tree, specifically referring to the Chinese horse chestnut (Aesculus; also used in the name of the cycad plant (苏铁).
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.