Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Turbid, muddy; unclear, confused; to defile, to pollute.
Pi — name of the Pi River (淠河) in Anhui province; flowing water; to float or drift.
light; pale; thin
Rapids; swift current; also refers to a ditch or canal.
A rare character referring to the bank or shore of a river,
silt; sediment; mud
Lu — clear water; pure; limpid
Gàn — originally meant water flowing into a boat; now primarily used as a surname and in internet slang as a
A rare character meaning the sound of flowing water; peaceful, tranquil water.
Clean, pure; to cleanse, to purify; net (as in net weight)
To rise high; to soar; to transcend
To sink; to fall; to degenerate
Excessive, wanton, lewd, obscene; to indulge in; to spread, to permeate
To quench or temper (metal); to harden by sudden cooling; to dip into a liquid
A variant form of 櫨 (lú), which refers to a supporting beam; also historically used in the name of a tree.
Huai — refers to the Huai River in China; used in geographical names related to the Huai River region.
Yu — name of a river in Henan province, China; specifically refers to the Bai River (白河) in ancient texts; also used in place names.
To fish with a net; calm, still (of water); to be startled, frightened
Deep — refers to great depth, profoundness, intensity, or darkness; can describe physical depth, abstract concepts, or colors.
A flowing stream; also used in historical place names.
Pure, honest, sincere; unsophisticated, simple; rich, strong (as of wine or flavor).
Hu — describes the sound of water flowing; to bathe or wash; to dive into water.
Abyss, deep pool; profound, deep knowledge; origin or source of something.
Lai — refers to the Lai River in Hebei province, China; also used in place names.
To mix; to blend; to confuse
Clear — pure, clean, transparent, distinct; to clarify, to purify; also refers to the Qing dynasty.
To submerge; to flood; to drown
Shallow — not deep; superficial; light in color
To add; to increase; to append
Vast expanse of water; flood; describing a large body of water or a vast, continuous area.
A rare character used primarily in personal names; meaning unclear but associated with water due to its radical.
Ancient form of 飲 (yǐn), meaning 'to drink'; also a rare surname.
Ancient variant form of 泊, meaning 'lake', 'marsh', or 'to moor a; also used in some historical texts and names.
Beng — to rush; to dash; to move swiftly and violently (water).
渁 — An archaic or variant form of 淵 (yuān), meaning 'deep
Min — an ancient name for the Min River in Sichuan; also used in names of places and people.
Ruò — name of a river; used in place names and personal names; variant form of 若.
Fei — refers to the Fei River, a river name in ancient; also appears in poetic descriptions of flowing water.
Clear; pure; clean
An ancient variant form of the character 淵 (yuān), meaning 'deep pool',
Thirst — the physical need for water; a strong desire or craving for something.
To cross a river; to aid, help; to relieve, save
To wade through water; to ford; to involve
Abyss, deep pool; profound, deep knowledge; origin, source.
Japanese kanji for 'astringent', 'rough', 'harsh', 'reluctant', 'hesitant'; also used in words meaning congestion or obstruction.
Lù — clear water; a type of greenish water; used in place names and poetic descriptions of clear water.
To stain, to soil; a stain, spot; to soak, to steep
drain, ditch, waterway; to act disrespectfully or irreverently; to profane or defile.
Ripples — refers to the gentle waves or ripples on the surface; also used in poetic contexts to describe something delicate and beautiful.
Gradually; step by step; to advance or progress slowly
Mian — refers to the Mian River in Henan province, China; also refers to the ancient Mianchi county.
Pì — name of an ancient river; also used in historical texts.
Stream, brook, small river — refers to a small watercourse or mountain
To fish; fishing; fisherman
Abyss, deep pool; variant form of 淵 (yuān) meaning deep water, profound, deep.
Shen — refers to Shenyang city in Liaoning province, China; also used in the name of Shenfu (Shenyang-Fushun) economic zone.
to seep; to permeate; to ooze
Róu — a rare character meaning gentle, soft, pliable; also refers to the name of a river.
to scatter; to disperse; to melt away
Islet, small piece of land in water; riverbank, waterside; refers to a small island or sandbank in a river or lake.
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.