Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
To moisten; to dampen; to soak
river bank, shore; river mouth; used in place names
To sink; to submerge; to immerse
Yǎn — an ancient Chinese character meaning to soak, immerse, or steep; also used in some historical texts.
vast; grand; abundant
wave; billow; unrestrained
deep water; to drown; to sink
Geng — name of a river in Hebei province, China; specifically refers to the Geng River (浭水).
float; drift; superficial
Name of a river in Shandong province, China; also used in place names like Wuyuan Island (金门).
A river name; swift-flowing water; also refers to a type of arrow in ancient times.
Ancient form of 漘, meaning river bank or waterside; also an archaic character used in names.
Ancient name for a river; also used in personal names.
Smooth and glossy; lustrous appearance (rare character).
bath, bathe — to wash the body in water; to immerse in liquid; metaphorically, to be steeped in or surrounded by something.
Bright appearance of water; used in ancient texts to describe the shimmering or gleaming quality of
Ancient place name; also refers to turbulent water or waves.
Sea, ocean; large body of water; metaphor for vastness, abundance, or international scope.
To soak; to immerse; to permeate
To soak through; to permeate; to be thoroughly wet
Deep water; used in the word 浺瀜 to describe the vastness and depth of
Deep pool; refers to a deep, still body of water, often used in classical
to besmirch, to defile; to entreat, to ask a favor of someone; also refers to flowing water.
Sui — describing water or rain that is murky, turbid, or drizzling
Reddish-brown color; ancient term for a type of red dye or pigment.
Pae — name of a river in ancient Korea, now identified with; historical geographical reference.
Name of an ancient river; also used in personal names.
A rare character with uncertain meaning; possibly a variant or miswritten form of 渗 (shèn, to permeate, to
To smear, spread, apply (paint, plaster, etc.); to scribble; to blot out
A rare character meaning 'to be confused, bewildered, or in a daze'; also appears in some historical texts with unclear meaning.
Ancient character for describing the appearance of flowing water; archaic and rarely used in modern Chinese.
to blacken; to dye black; used in Buddhist context for nirvana
flowing rapidly; swift current of water
Jing River — a major river in Shaanxi province; also refers to straightness, directness, or clarity in flow.
to disappear, vanish; to eliminate, remove; to cancel, offset
to wade; to ford; to involve
Sweat; perspiration; to sweat
To soak thoroughly; to permeate; to saturate with liquid.
to gush; to surge; to well up
A flowing stream; a place name; a surname.
Saliva, drool; to slobber; also used metaphorically for something flowing or trailing.
A rare character referring to a flowing appearance or manner; used in classical texts.
I, me (archaic first-person pronoun used in classical Chinese, particularly in Sichuan
Su — name of the Su River (涑水) in Shanxi province; also appears in place names.
Tun — refers to a strange or unusual appearance; also appears in the term 涒灘, an ancient Chinese name for a
tiny stream; trickle; a small flow of water
rainwater accumulated on the road; continuous rain; tearful appearance
tears; nasal mucus; to weep
To arrive; to reach; to be present
To filter; to strain liquid; to clarify by pouring or filtering.
riverbank; waterside; edge of a body of water.
Tears — the clear, salty liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands that
To filter; to strain; to clarify liquid.
great waves, billows; torrent; used metaphorically for something vast, powerful, or continuous flow.
waterlogging, flood, excessive water, to be inundated
Lai — name of the Lai River in Hebei province; also used in place names.
ripple; flowing water; continuous flow
Wei — refers to an accumulation of silt or sediment in water; a sandbar or shoal; also used in place names, notably Weizhou Island in Guangxi.
whirlpool, eddy; vortex; spiral
Yun — refers to the Yun River, a tributary of the Han
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.