Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Obsolete character with uncertain meaning; appears in some ancient texts but not in modern usage.
Usher — to usher or escort guests; to receive or entertain guests; a ceremonial attendant.
Irresolute; indecisive; hesitant
Confucian scholar; learned person; Confucianism
servant, menial; low-ranking person in ancient times
companion, mate, associate; a person of the same kind or class; to pair, to match
Chái — peers; equals; a group of people of the same generation or status
Unattractive, ugly; used in classical texts to describe an unsightly appearance.
To compare; to imitate; to plan
To the utmost; to the limit; as much as possible
To open; to begin; to initiate. An archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.
Dream-like, fleeting, illusory; describes something transient, unreal, or existing only in dreams.
Dance — to dance, to perform dance movements; archaic form of 舞.
Weak; feeble; timid
To wait; to await; to expect (archaic usage).
You (archaic) — an ancient second-person pronoun, equivalent to modern 你.
To repay; to compensate; to fulfill (an obligation)
Tall and robust; describes a person's tall and strong physique.
Puppet, marionette; something controlled by others; used to describe a person who lacks independence and is manipulated.
Unwilling; reluctant; lazy
Rough, crude; careless; a surname.
Bao — to serve as a substitute or stand-in; to be on night duty or guard duty; also refers to a type of official service in ancient times.
To sell; to buy; to trade in goods
Numerous, abundant; describing a large gathering of people or things; majestic appearance.
儧 — To accumulate, gather, collect; to pile up; to amass wealth or goods.
Zhi — an archaic, rare character meaning 'straight', 'upright', 'correct', or 'exact'.
To exhaust; to use up completely; to deplete
Excellent, superior, outstanding; gentle, graceful; abundant, ample
Extravagant, luxurious, magnificent; also used as a variant form in some contexts.
Qing — ancient variant of 清 (qīng), meaning clear, pure, distinct; also used in historical names.
To present gifts; to bestow; to give
A rare Chinese character used primarily in personal names, with no widely
Tall and upright appearance; used in names to convey dignity and stature.
Unstable, precarious; to be in a state of uncertainty or danger.
Clumsy, awkward, rude; also used in the word 儱侗 meaning vague, general, not specific.
To store, to save; to reserve; to accumulate
Irregular; disorderly; hasty
To assist; to help; to aid. Also appears in classical Chinese compounds.
Shu — swift, rapid; sudden; also appears in classical texts as a variant of 倏.
Tall and slender; to carry on one's back or shoulder; to be burdened with.
Lì — beautiful; paired; couple
Luo — part of the compound word '猓儸' (Guoluo), an old name; also appears in '嘍儸' (lou luo) meaning 'underling' or 'henchman'.
To accumulate, to hoard, to gather wealth; to collect or amass money or valuables.
Nuo — refers to ancient Chinese ritualistic exorcism ceremonies and masked performances; also refers to the deities or performers in these rituals.
Unrestrained — free and easy, unconventional, unrestrained; handsome, elegant; by chance, perhaps
Stately, solemn, dignified; majestic, imposing; to arrange neatly.
Weary, tired, exhausted; describes a state of fatigue or listlessness.
Slow; sluggish; dilatory
child, son; diminutive suffix used in colloquial speech
Wù — high and level; bald; towering
to allow, to permit; fair, just; indeed, certainly
Ancient form of 簪 (hairpin); to wear in the hair.
First, primary, fundamental; origin, beginning; unit of currency (yuan)
elder brother; a respectful term for an older male friend or colleague.
to fill; to serve as; to act as
trillion; omen; portent
first; earlier; before
light; brightness; radiance
To exchange; to barter; variant form of 兑, which also means to exchange, convert, or add
to overcome; to subdue; to restrain
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.