Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Fu — refers to the Fuyang River (滏阳河), a river in Hebei; also used in place names.
Jié — describes the appearance of water surging up high; water rising in waves; turbulent water.
Slippery, smooth; to slip, to slide; cunning, slick
Thin, watery; describing a liquid that is diluted or not viscous.
Sediment, dregs, lees; residue or precipitate left after a process such as filtration; metaphorically refers to something worthless or impure.
inundate, flood; overflow; to surge
Teng — a surname of Chinese origin; also refers to the ancient state of Teng; to gallop or leap
Ancient character for 'falling rain' or 'drizzling rain'; archaic term for precipitation.
To drain; to strain; to pour off liquid while retaining solids.
Jiao — refers to a branch of a river; a waterway; a place where rivers meet
To converge; to gather; to collect
to roll; to boil; to get lost (slang)
Lewd; obscene; licentious
Ancient variant form of 浩 (hào), meaning vast, great, abundant; or 皓 (hào), meaning bright, luminous, white.
Waterfall; cascade; torrent
Stagnant — refers to being blocked, sluggish, or not flowing smoothly; used to describe traffic, water, business, or thinking.
Glistening, shimmering, sparkling — describes the appearance of rippling, shimmering water or
She — refers to the She River (滠水), a tributary of the
Full; filled; complete
Clear, limpid, pure — describes water that is crystal clear and transparent; often used to describe pure, clean water or a pure heart.
Lips — refers to the lips, particularly in poetic or literary contexts; often used to describe the edge or rim of something.
Filter — to strain, sift, or purify; to remove impurities or unwanted elements from a liquid or gas; also used metaphorically for screening information or data.
excessive; indiscriminate; flood
Luan — refers to the Luan River in Hebei province, China; used in place names.
Yáo — a character used in place names, particularly in the Shanghai
Shore, bank, beach; waterfront; also refers to a city or area near water, like a coastal
Beach, sandbank, shoal; rapids in a river; a flat, sandy area along a body of water.
Yù — used exclusively in the place name Yùtuó, referring to a
Water in which rice has been washed; ancient term for foul water or liquid waste.
Hu — refers to Shanghai, particularly the Wusong River (formerly known as; also used in the name of Shanghai (沪).
Bubbling up of water; gushing forth; describes the sound or appearance of water flowing abundantly.
To flow; to gush forth; specifically refers to water flowing or gushing out.
stagnant; sluggish; delayed
To filter; to strain; to remove impurities from liquid by passing it through a medium.
Kou — name of an ancient river in northern China, specifically the
To permeate; to seep; to infiltrate
Shāng — an archaic or rare character referring to a river name; now obsolete in modern usage.
To drip; a drop; to trickle
Mi — describes the appearance of water flowing underground or seeping through; archaic and rare character.
Áo — name of an ancient river in China; used in historical and geographical contexts.
Brine; marinade; thick sauce or gravy used in cooking, especially in braising or stewing
Water's edge, riverside, bank; used in place names and literary contexts.
Hu — refers to the Hutuo River (滹沱河) in northern China; primarily used in geographical names.
To flow gently; rippling of water; flowing appearance.
Chan — refers to the Chan River, a tributary of the Ba; used primarily in geographical names.
A rarely used Chinese character with an uncertain meaning, possibly describing the
Yong — appears in the name of the Yong River (滽滽水) in; a rarely used character primarily found in historical geographic names.
to roll; to boil; to get away
Full; filled; satisfied
The sound of water dripping; a hollow sound made by striking something.
To fish; fishing; fisherman
To float; to drift; to be tossed by waves
Silent, quiet, still (of water or environment); archaic and rare character.
Cliff, precipice — an alternate or variant form of 崖 (yá), meaning
An ancient name for Chao Lake (巢湖) in Anhui province, China; also refers to a place name in ancient times.
Lacquer; varnish; paint
To soak thoroughly; to be saturated with liquid; to moisten
Waterfall; cascade; also refers to a coastal cliff or promontory where land meets water.
To filter; to strain; to percolate
A small river or stream; a watercourse; also refers to a place name.
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.