Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Shrub — refers to a type of small tree or shrub, specifically
A rare character meaning a hollow in a tree; a cavity or hole in wood.
Ailanthus altissima — the tree of heaven, a fast-growing deciduous tree; also refers to the paper mulberry tree. Often used metaphorically to describe
Door or window frame; also refers to a pillar or support; a unit of measurement for doors and windows.
Mark, sign, standard; to mark, to indicate; outstanding, excellent
A pulley; a windlass; a winch
To bend downward; drooping branches; to entwine
A type of tree (possibly oak or similar); an ancient place name; used in historical texts.
Hawthorn — a type of fruit tree, specifically the Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus
Pivot, hub, hinge — the central or most important part of something; a crucial point or axis around which things revolve or are organized.
Camphor — refers to the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), a large evergreen
A type of wood; a type of tree; also refers to a sticky substance exuded from trees.
Model, pattern, standard; to imitate; mold, template
Bird — an archaic character meaning bird, now largely obsolete and replaced
Sample, model, pattern, appearance, shape; used to indicate a type or style of something.
A variant form of 條 (tiáo), meaning twig, branch, strip; item, article; order, sequence
A Chinese character variant of 樥, referring to a type of tree; also used in some dialects.
A type of ancient Chinese zither or stringed musical instrument; also refers to a support or stand for such an instrument.
Chinese prickly ash; Zanthoxylum; Sichuan pepper
Osmanthus — refers to the sweet osmanthus tree (Osmanthus fragrans), known for
Power, authority, rights; temporary, provisional; to weigh, consider.
Horizontal; across; lateral
Japanese character for 'oak' or 'hardwood'; not a standard Chinese character but used in Japanese names and words.
A variant form of the character 樅 (cōng), meaning 'fir tree' or
An obscure character, possibly a variant form or used in specific contexts.
A rare character meaning 'to burn, to blaze'; also used in Japanese as an alternative form for 燃 (burn).
Mast — the vertical spar or pole that supports the sails on; also refers to the rigging of a ship.
Xuě — a character used primarily in personal names, referring to snow-covered; a poetic character evoking winter scenery.
Cherry — refers to the cherry tree, cherry blossom, and sometimes the
Jujube tree — specifically refers to the wild jujube or sour jujube
A type of tree; specifically referring to the Chinese catalpa tree (Catalpa ovata).
A wooden stake, peg, or post; a marker; a pile driven into the ground for construction or marking purposes.
woodcutter; firewood; to gather firewood
Most, extreme, superlative — archaic or dialectal character meaning 'most' or 'extreme',
Thicket, grove — refers to a dense growth of trees or bushes; also used to mean a collection or gathering of things.
Simple, plain, unadorned; natural, unsophisticated; honest, sincere
Tree — a perennial plant with a trunk and branches; to plant, cultivate, or establish; to set up or erect.
Birch tree — refers to various species of birch trees (genus Betula),
Cabinet; chest; box
A rare character referring to a type of oak tree; sometimes used in ancient texts as a variant for other characters.
Wine vessel — an ancient Chinese ritual bronze wine container or goblet; also refers to a wine cup or drinking vessel in general.
The shade of a large tree; a pleasant, cool area under tree cover; often used metaphorically for protection, blessing, or ancestral grace.
Shan — a type of wood, specifically referring to the wood of
A rare character used primarily in the word 榽橀, which refers to
A type of tree, specifically the Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis), known for
A type of tree, specifically referring to the Chinese honey locust (Gleditsia; also used in classical texts to refer to a type of wood
A kind of large boat or ship; raft; also refers to a type of tree.
Olive — specifically refers to the olive tree or its fruit; used in the term for olive (the fruit).
Ancient form of 模 (mó), meaning pattern, model, standard; also refers to the big-leaf maple tree.
Ancient form of 無 (wú), meaning 'without', 'not have', 'none'; also refers to a type of tree.
Sledge; sled; skid
Bend, twist; oar, paddle; to yield, submit
A type of tree (possibly referring to Celtis sinensis or similar); also refers to the threshold or sill of a door.
An archaic variant of 榴 (liú), meaning pomegranate; also appears in historical texts and names.
Bridge — a structure built over a river, road, or valley to; also used metaphorically for connection or transition.
A type of large tree, possibly referring to a specific species of
A rare character referring to a type of tree, specifically a variety
A type of tree mentioned in ancient Chinese texts, specifically a kind
A small tree; a type of tree with hard wood; also refers to a tree branch.
A sack, bag, or pouch; a bellows (for blowing air); in ancient texts, refers to a type of container or bag.
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.