Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Xiao — describes the sound of wind and rain; deep and clear water; natural and unrestrained demeanor
Confluence — where two rivers or streams meet and flow together; also refers to a place where water gathers or accumulates.
A rare character with uncertain meaning, possibly a variant form or ancient
Xu — name of a river in Henan province, China; specifically refers to the Xushui River.
Rippling water; overflowing; describes the shimmering, undulating appearance of water surfaces.
An obscure character meaning a pool or deep water; also used in ancient texts for place names.
Wei — refers to the Wei River, a major river in Shandong; also used in place names like Weifang city.
Flowing swiftly; rippling water; to ripple
Jué — describes water gushing or swirling; refers to a river in ancient China (now in Shaanxi province); also means abundant or overflowing.
Jiao — describes the state of being scorched, dried out, or withered; also appears in names.
To splash, spill, sprinkle; lively, vigorous, unrestrained; to pour out.
dàng — (archaic) water flowing; xiàng — (archaic) appearance of flowing water; used in classical texts.
Hui — refers to a clear, pure stream of water; used in names and place names to denote clarity and purity of
Clean — pure, spotless, free from dirt or contamination; also refers to moral purity and integrity.
Wu — refers to the Wu River in China, a tributary of; also used in place names.
Pa — refers to the Pa River in Guangdong province, China; used primarily in geographical names.
Ji — refers to water boiling up or bubbling; a small waterfall; also used in place names.
Pan — a common Chinese surname; refers to swirling water or overflowing; also used in the name of the Pan River.
Gui — refers to the Gui River in Hunan province; also appears in place names like Guishan.
Deep and clear water; swift current; variant form of 蕭 (used in names)
To dive; to submerge; to hide
To hide; to conceal; to dive
The sound of flowing water; harmonious agreement; to agree.
Lu — refers to the Lu River in Shanxi province; also used in place names and historical administrative divisions.
Lagoon — a shallow body of water separated from a larger sea
To spurt water from the mouth; to squirt; to spray liquid forcefully.
Dun — refers to a large, deep pool of water; a deep abyss; used in classical texts to describe deep water bodies.
Huang — refers to a pond, pool, or moat; also used in the name of the Huang River; can mean to dye or decorate paper.
To flow smoothly; to ripple; archaic term for a type of flowing water.
moist, wet; to moisten; to lubricate
Name of a river, specifically the Sushui River in ancient China.
Flooded, waterlogged; messy, sloppy; careless, negligent
Ancient form of 澂 (chéng), meaning clear water; also an archaic character referring to a water source or spring.
Confluence — refers to the meeting point of two or more streams; a place where waters converge.
Yi — name of the Yi River (潩水), a tributary of the
Zhi — ancient term meaning water flowing through; to soak or permeate; also used in historical texts for place names.
Deep water; a deep pool; also appears in historical place names.
Sandbar — a sandbank or shoal in a river; also refers to a sandy shore or beach.
Deep pool; deep water; abyss
Tide — refers to the rising and falling of the sea; also means damp, moist, or trendy/fashionable; used in words for tide, moisture, and trendiness.
Xun — refers to a riverbank, waterside, or shore; also used in place names and as a unit of measurement for
to burst; to overflow; to break through
To stagnate; to be blocked up; referring to water that does not flow freely.
To sprinkle, splash, or spray (especially of liquids); (of rain) to slant in; animal feed mixed with water.
Tu — appears in the name of Mount Wutu (潳山), an ancient; also appears in historical texts as a place name.
Pool; marsh; to accumulate water
To scatter; to sprinkle; to spread out
Black — an archaic character meaning black, dark; primarily used in place names and historical texts.
To drain, to decant, to pour off liquid (especially to separate liquid
Tears flowing; weeping; tearful appearance.
Ancient variant form of 潺 (chán), used in the word 潺潺 (chánchán)
The sound of flowing water; a murmuring or gurgling stream; flowing gently.
Name of a river; specifically refers to the Chishui River (赤水) in ancient texts.
High water level; name of the Tong Pass (潼关) and Tong River (潼水) in China; used in place names.
To overflow; to spill over; to boil over (especially of liquids like water, soup, or tea).
Clear water; limpid; pure
Wei — refers to an islet, small island, or water-encircled land; water accumulating in a low-lying area.
Astringent; rough; harsh
Rough; harsh; astringent
Clear, limpid, transparent (of water); variant form of 澄 meaning clear and still water.
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.