Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Zong — an archaic character meaning to walk or travel; to go on a journey. Now extremely rare and primarily found in
To iron or press (clothes); smooth out; also used in the word 熨帖 meaning 'appropriate' or 'well-settled'.
Hu — an obscure or archaic Chinese character with uncertain meaning, possibly
A character used in the word 熪㷴, which refers to the appearance
To burn; to scorch; to dry by fire
To boil, stew, or simmer; to endure hardship or suffering; to stay up late
To dry or scorch by fire; to expose to intense heat.
To burn; to scorch; to singe
To dry by fire; to bake; to burn
Ouch — an interjection expressing sudden pain or surprise; also used in some dialects.
Hot; heat; temperature
Bright; shining; brilliant
Magnificent, beautiful, colorful — used to describe splendid, gorgeous, or vibrant appearances,
Kun — a rare character used primarily in names, with uncertain meaning; possibly related to 焜 meaning 'bright, shining'.
Entropy — a concept in thermodynamics and information theory measuring disorder, randomness,
To burn; to kindle; to set fire to
Zèng — to steam or heat food using fire or steam; a method of cooking.
To extinguish; to be extinguished; to be destroyed
Bright, glowing; warm light; dawn
Bright; glowing; warm light
To roast; to heat; to dry by fire
A character meaning bright, brilliant, or shining; used in names to convey brightness and radiance.
A character used in ancient texts to describe the appearance of fire
Flame; blaze; burning fiercely
Bright, brilliant, shining; variant form of 煌 and 晃, meaning radiant or glorious.
To blaze; to burn; to cook
Ye — brilliant; bright; flaming
To heat; to warm; to scorch
Burn; ignite; combustion
Flame; blaze; the visible, gaseous part of a fire.
To heat; to warm; to roast
To roast, to dry over a fire; to scorch; to heat.
To burn, to set fire to; to heat or warm something by fire.
Lamp — a device that produces light, typically using electricity, oil, or; also refers to various types of lighting fixtures.
To stew; to simmer; to braise
Flourishing — describes a state of vigorous growth, prosperity, or abundant vitality; often used in names to signify thriving energy and success.
Jiao — burnt, scorched; a torch; withered, dried up
Burnt; scorched; refers to something that has been burned or charred.
To burn; to set ablaze; to kindle
A bright, blazing flame; brilliant light; used in names to signify radiance and brilliance.
Phosphorus; will-o'-the-wisp; phosphorescent light
Tong — refers to bright light, illumination, or brilliance; an archaic character for describing luminosity.
To burn; to heat; to cook
to roast; to burn; to sacrifice by burning
Swallow (bird); Yan — refers to the ancient state of Yan; also used in words for swallow bird and as a surname.
To simmer; to boil meat until tender; to reheat cooked food.
To warm sake or wine; to heat alcoholic beverages.
Cooked; well-done (of food); to cook thoroughly.
scald, burn; iron/press clothes; very hot
Flame — describes a burning, blazing fire; often used to represent intense heat, passion, or vigorous activity.
Ancient character meaning bright, shining, or radiant; also appears in historical texts as a variant form.
To braise, stew, or simmer food slowly in a closed pot with; a cooking method that produces tender, flavorful results.
Zhu — a rare character used primarily in personal names; meaning unclear, possibly related to 'bright' or 'brilliant'.
Camp — a military encampment; to operate or manage (a business); to seek
Warm; hot; heat
Brilliant, shining brightly; glowing; radiant.
Xue — archaic character meaning 'to steam' or 'to heat', referring to
To scorch; to burn; to roast
Brilliant flame; refers to the appearance of fire burning brightly.
Dry; arid; parched
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.