Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
An ancient name for a river in ancient China, the Bian River; also used in some historical place names.
Bian — refers to the Bian River, a historical canal in China; short for Bianliang (modern Kaifeng), the capital of the Northern Song dynasty.
To immerse in water; to soak; an ancient name for a river or place.
The Wen River (a river in Shandong province); also used in names and place names.
Ancient name for a river; obscure character with limited modern usage.
An ancient river name; describes the sound of water flowing; also read as pāng meaning vast waters.
turbulent; raging; tumultuous
to decide; to determine; to resolve
A rare character referring to a river name or used as a; also an alternative form of 滸 (riverside, waterside).
An ancient place name; also read as yóu, meaning to swim or float like cattle in
steam; vapor; gas
Fen — refers to the Fen River in Shanxi province; also used in place names and historical references.
An ancient character meaning ditch, drain, or gutter; also used in historical texts for water channel.
An ancient variant of 汿, meaning a ditch or watercourse; also used in historical texts.
to seep; to permeate; to soak
Yi River — a river in Shandong Province, China; also used in place names.
fertile, rich (soil); to irrigate; to water
billowing waves; swirling or flowing water; used in classical literature to describe turbulent water.
Yuan River — a river in Hunan province, China, flowing into Dongting; used in place names and personal names.
vast expanse of water; flowing water; used in classical terms and names.
Ancient name for a river, specifically referring to the ancient name for; flowing water.
Shen — a common Chinese surname; to sink; deep
to sink; to submerge; heavy
A rarely used character, primarily appearing in the word 沊沊, which describes
A river name in ancient China; also used in names.
Chaotic, confused, turbid; used primarily in the term 'Hundun' (primordial chaos) and place names like
to freeze; to congeal; to seal up
An ancient name for a river; an archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.
To infuse; to brew (tea); to pour boiling water over
to wash one's hair; to bathe; to receive favor or grace
A rare character with two main meanings: 1) wet and slippery ground; 2) (in ancient texts) a variant form representing the sound of waves
Not have; there is not; to not exist
numerous, crowded, repeated; also read dá meaning a pile, stack, or measure word for things
Mian River — a river in Shaanxi Province, China; ancient name for the Han River; flowing water
Deep; profound; abstruse
to rinse, to wash away; to pour; to infuse
To add; to increase; to bestow
Name of a river; refers to the Bi River, a tributary of the Huai River in
sand; grit; granular substance
A small islet or sandbank in a body of water; a small piece of land surrounded by water.
abundant; copious; full
A waterside, riverbank, or shore; an archaic term for a riverbank or waterside area.
A rare character meaning flowing water; two streams; also an ancient form for 水 (water).
An obscure character referring to a type of water; also used in ancient place names.
ditch, trench, groove, gully; channel, watercourse; a narrow waterway or depression.
An ancient form of 派 (pài), meaning to send, dispatch, assign; a faction, school, or group; to distribute.
not have; there is not; to not exist
Japanese shinjitai form of 澤 (zé) meaning 'marsh, swamp; damp, moist; grace, favor'.
Feng River — a river in Shaanxi Province, China; also used in place names; refers to abundant water flow.
to soak; to steep; to ret (flax, hemp)
to drip; to trickle; to strain
to sink; to fall into; to degenerate
dark blue; deep; vast (of water)
Describes the sound of wind or water; used in classical Chinese to depict gentle, flowing sounds.
Name of a river in Hunan province, China; used in place names.
Shanghai — abbreviation for Shanghai city; also refers to the ancient fishing tool used in the Huangpu River
foam; froth; bubbles
Ancient name for a river in present-day Henan province; archaic term meaning 'to wash the face' or 'dawn'.
Shu River — a river in Shandong Province, China; used in place names.
to stop, prevent; damp, moist; dejected, dispirited
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.