Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Lake — a large inland body of standing water; also used metaphorically for vastness or calmness.
Fèng — deep mud; boggy ground; thick, sticky mud.
Xiang — refers to the Xiang River in China; a common abbreviation for Hunan Province; also refers to a style of Chinese cuisine.
Yì — a rare character referring to the flow of water; used in ancient texts to describe the movement or appearance of water.
Yin — an obscure character referring to a body of water; ancient name of a river; also used in classical texts for a specific water body.
Deep, profound; clear (of water); surname Zhan.
Clear water — describes water that is clear, pure, and transparent; used in classical texts to depict limpidity.
Flowing water — describes the sound or appearance of flowing water; used in classical Chinese to depict continuous, gentle water movement.
Zhen — name of a river in Guangdong province, China; specifically refers to the Zhen River, a tributary of the North River.
Huang — refers to the Huangshui River (a tributary of the Yellow; marshy or swampy land; also used in place names.
Tàn — refers to a wide, expansive flow of water; used in ancient texts to describe broad water flow.
Ancient name of a river in Hebei province; also used in place names.
Bathhouse — specifically refers to a bathing room or bathroom, often used
Min — an ancient posthumous title for rulers; chaotic, confused; also used in historical names.
Shi — an ancient Chinese character referring to a river name or; also used in some personal names.
To flow rapidly; to gush forth; to spurt out (of water or other liquids).
Sheng — an ancient personal name; used in historical contexts, particularly referring to a figure from the Spring
to gush; to surge; to well up
Ju — refers to the Ju River, a river in ancient China; also used in place names.
Milk; the sound of a drum; thick liquid.
tuàn — an ancient name for a river; nuǎn — an ancient variant of 暖 (warm).
Marsh, low-lying damp land; also refers to a narrow and deep body of water; used in names and place names.
Qiu — an ancient variant of 湫, meaning a small pond or; also used in names.
To filter; to strain; to drain liquid
To submerge; to sink; to bury
Soup; hot water; broth
Long — an ancient, rare character referring to high water or flood; also appears in some historical place names.
The sound of water flowing swiftly or crashing waves; onomatopoeic for the roar of rushing water.
Flowing water — describes the sound or appearance of flowing water, often
Nan — primarily a place name; refers to the Nan River (湳水) in ancient China; also used in some personal names.
Mud, mire, swamp; also refers to a method of crossing muddy terrain by sliding.
Yǒu — an obscure character with unclear meaning; appears in ancient texts and names but not in modern usage.
Spring — refers to a natural spring or fountain; a source of water emerging from the ground; also used in place names.
Zhuang — deep, profound; also used in names and ancient texts, possibly referring to depth or
Liang — a rare character meaning bright, clear, or to overflow with; also used as a surname.
Chán — ancient form of 瀍, referring to the Chan River (瀍河)
Unknown or extremely rare character. Not found in standard dictionaries. Possibly a
Pure, unmixed, genuine — archaic variant of 淳, meaning pure, honest, sincere,
Nirvana — in Buddhism, the ultimate state of enlightenment and liberation from; also refers to the concept of extinction of desire and cessation of
Zi — refers to the Zi River (淄河) in Shandong province, China; also used in place names like Zibo city (淄博).
bay; gulf; inlet
Wet — moist, damp, humid; to moisten, to soak; also refers to dampness in traditional Chinese medicine.
Full; filled; satisfied
Ying — refers to a swirling or eddying flow of water; used in place names, especially for a river in Hunan province.
A character used almost exclusively in the word 'Halla' (哈溂), an alternative
to be routed; to break down; to fester
Feng — an archaic or variant form of 峰, meaning 'peak' or; also appears in place names.
To splash, spatter, or scatter (liquid); to cause liquid to fly in drops or small particles.
Xù — name of a river in Hunan province; refers to a waterside area or riverbank.
Lou — refers to a small river or stream, often used in; also refers to a type of ancient irrigation channel or waterway.
Wei — name of a river in Hunan province, China; also appears in place names.
To irrigate; to water; to pour liquid.
Ancient character meaning 'wide expanse of water'; archaic and rarely used in modern Chinese.
Full, abundant, overflowing — describes something filled to the brim, often used
To splash; to spill; lively, energetic, spirited (Japanese usage).
Jin — refers to a type of water; an ancient place name; also used in personal names.
Yan — a place name; refers to the Yan River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in; also used in some personal names.
pond; marsh; also refers to a semi-liquid, viscous consistency like in egg yolk or
Source, origin, springhead; refers to the beginning or root of something, such as a river's
Suǒ — a rare character referring to a place name or a; also used in historical contexts.
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.