Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
To boil; to cleanse; to purify
The sound of water flowing; the sound of rain; to soak, to immerse
Deep, profound; used in classical Chinese to describe depth of water or profound meaning.
Rang — refers to a river name (Rang River in Sichuan); also describes a flowing, abundant appearance of water; used in place names.
To pour out liquid; to spill; to splash.
Billows, large waves; surge, turbulence; used metaphorically for grand scale or emotional intensity.
Flourishing water; abundant flow; describes water flowing abundantly or in great quantity.
Frost — refers to frost, a thin layer of ice crystals that
Deep pool; deep water; abyss.
Sound of water; sound of rain; sound of flowing or splashing water
Feng — refers to the Feng River in Shaanxi province; abundant, plentiful; used in names of places and occasionally in personal names.
She — refers to a river in Hubei province, China; also means 'to seep', 'to soak', or 'to infiltrate'.
Lei — name of a river in ancient China, specifically the Luan
Blue — refers to the color blue; indigo plant; blue dye
Dense, lush growth of trees or vegetation; thick forest; also refers to the sound of flowing water.
Qu — name of a river in Henan province, China; specifically refers to the Qu River (灈水).
Yong — an ancient river name in China; a tributary of the Ji River; also refers to a type of marsh or swampy area.
Qian — ancient name for a river in Anhui province; also refers to Mount Qian, an ancient name for Mount Tianzhu in
Fa — ancient form of 法 (fǎ), meaning law, statute, rule, method; originally depicted a mythical creature used in judgment.
To irrigate; to pour; to fill
Ancient variant form of 决/決, meaning to decide, determine, or breach/dam (of; also appears in some historical texts and names.
Glistening — describes the shimmering, sparkling appearance of water or other reflective; rippling, glistening.
vast; immense; expansive (often describing water, sky, or grand concepts)
A variant form of 瀅 (yíng), meaning clear, pure water; sparkling, crystalline appearance of water.
To splash; to spatter; to sprinkle
To overflow; to flow down; to soak
Glistening, shimmering — describes water ripples or sparkling, shimmering light; also used to describe beautiful, radiant appearance.
Li — refers to the Li River in Guangxi, China; also used in names related to the Li River's scenery.
Mǐ — describes water flowing smoothly and gently; a calm, rippling water surface.
A pool or marsh; also refers to a type of snake or eel, particularly in ancient
Beach, shoal, rapids; a stretch of shallow, fast-flowing water in a river; also refers to sandy shorelines.
Dang — refers to water overflowing; a body of water; also used in place names.
Jiao — to stir or splash water; to agitate liquid.
Flowing water; the name of a river in ancient China, specifically the Zhang River
Yíng — archaic term for sea, ocean; variant of 瀛 meaning vast body of water; used in classical literature and place names.
Vast, expansive — describes immense waters or vastness; grand, magnificent; used in names to convey breadth and greatness.
Ba — refers to the Ba River, a tributary of the Wei; primarily used in geographical names.
Zhu — to drip, to leak; a surname; also used in classical texts to describe tears flowing.
To overflow; to flood; to brim over
Water soaked with rice; sediment from washed rice; also refers to the Lán River in Guangxi.
Nang — describes thick, viscous, or muddy liquid; used in specific dialectal terms for muddy water or thick soup.
Bay, gulf, bend in a river or coastline; a deep inlet of the sea or a curve in a river.
Luan — refers to the Luan River in Hebei province; also used in place names like Luan County and Luanping.
Spring — refers to a spring or fountain of water; a source of water emerging from the ground.
Clear, bright water; deep and pure water; ancient name of a river.
Rippling water; overflowing; abundant
Gan — refers to the Gan River in Jiangxi province, China; also used as an abbreviation for Jiangxi province.
overflowing; billowing; rippling
Describes towering, majestic mountains; vast, dense forests; or turbulent, swirling waters. Often used in classical literature to depict grand,
fire; flame; blaze
A radical meaning 'fire'; four dots representing flames. Also read as 'biāo' when referring to the
to extinguish; to put out; to destroy
light; brightness; radiance
lamp; light; lantern
ash; dust; lime
Dry; parched; to dry in the sun
An archaic or variant form of 熇 (hè), meaning to roast, bake,; also an ancient form of 炒 (chǎo), meaning to stir-fry.
An ancient variant form of 輝 (huī), meaning 'brightness', 'radiance', 'splendor'.
To bake; to dry by fire; intense heat
spirit, soul; supernatural; efficacious
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.