Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Xiao — name of the Xiao River (洨河) in Hebei province; also refers to turbulent or murky water.
To leak, to discharge, to vent, to let out (a fluid, gas,
Flood — refers to a large body of water, deluge, or great; also used metaphorically for something vast or grand.
Ditch, moat, trench; to drain; ancient unit of measurement for land area.
Describes the sound of heavy rain or wind-driven rain; the sound of rain and wind together.
Kuang — name of a river in ancient China, specifically the Kuang
Tao River — a river in Gansu province; to wash or cleanse; ancient place name.
Ancient form of 潔 (jié) meaning 'clean, pure'; also an ancient place name.
An ancient character meaning to soak or immerse; also used in ancient texts to describe water-related phenomena.
Er — refers to the Erhai Lake in Yunnan province, China.
Continent; island in a river; sandbar
damp; moist; wet
A descriptive character for the sound of water flowing or splashing; used in classical Chinese to describe the sound of rinsing or washing.
Truly, indeed, really; used as an adverb to emphasize truth or sincerity.
tumultuous, agitated, roaring (of water); describes violent water flow or turbulent situations.
moist; damp; wet
sparkling water; dazzling; brilliant
Huan River — a river name in Henan province, China; specifically refers to the Huan River flowing through Anyang.
Name of a river in ancient China, specifically the Ming River (洺河); used in personal names.
to live; alive; living
low-lying; hollow; depression
to negotiate; to agree; harmonious
To send, dispatch, assign; a faction, school, or group; to apportion
stagnant water; pool; puddle
A rare or archaic character, possibly a variant form or used in
flow, stream, current; to flow; to spread
Ancient name for a river; variant form of another character; obscure character not in common modern usage.
To soak through; to permeate; to saturate
Clean, pure; to cleanse, to purify; net (as in net profit)
shallow; superficial; light (in color)
Thick liquid; paste; starch
to water; to irrigate; to pour liquid
Zhen — refers to the Zhen River, a tributary of the Bei
Name of the Shi River (浉河), a tributary of the Huai River
turbid, muddy, impure; chaotic, corrupted; (of sound) deep and thick
to measure; to survey; to gauge
A small river or canal; a drainage ditch or watercourse, often referring to irrigation channels or natural
To cross a river; to aid; to relieve
Clear and deep (of water); swift flowing; to skim over
Chan — refers to the Chan River, a tributary of the Ba
muddy; turbid; chaotic
Riverbank, waterside; also used in place names and literary contexts.
thick, dense, concentrated; strong (flavor, fragrance, feeling)
riverbank, waterside; a unit of depth measurement in water (fathom); place name (Xunyang).
A river name; specifically refers to the Jin River (浕水), a tributary of the Han
To dam a stream; to block water; also used in ancient place names.
Qiu — a rare character primarily used in personal names and place; meaning uncertain but often associated with water-related concepts.
A gurgling sound of flowing water; the name of a river in ancient China; also used in names of places.
Zhe — refers to the Zhejiang province in China; specifically the Qiantang River, also called the Zhe River.
To dredge, to deepen, to dig out; also used as a place name.
To contain, to hold water; an ancient name for a river; also used as an alternative form for 涵 (contain, include).
Bāng — refers to a small stream, creek, or inlet; also used in Japanese place names (e.g., Yokohama).
A river name in ancient China; also used in personal names.
soak, drench, moisten; to drench thoroughly
Flowing water; rippling water; describes the appearance of flowing or rippling water.
Xi — refers to the Xi River (浠水), a river in Hubei
Burst forth, surge, gush out; to suddenly emerge or appear in abundance.
A river name in ancient China, specifically referring to the Doushui River; also used in historical geographical contexts.
wash, rinse; to cleanse; to bathe
Hong — refers to the sound of surging water; vast and deep water; used in classical texts to describe the immensity of water.
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.