Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Brilliant, resplendent, bright; used to describe something shining brightly or having a glorious appearance.
Flint; fire drill; ancient signal fire beacon
Xi — ancient character meaning fire; flame; also used in historical texts to refer to a type of fire
To parch; to dry by fire; to scorch
To burn; to scorch; to char
Ancient form of 熑 (lián), meaning a type of fire or torch; also used in historical texts.
to destroy by fire; to burn down; to consume in flames
Candle — an object with a wick in the center of wax; also refers metaphorically to illumination or enlightenment.
To harmonize; to blend; to adjust
A rare character meaning 'bright light' or 'radiance', often used in poetic
Embers — glowing remains of a fire; hot ashes.
A character meaning 'to shine brightly' or 'brilliance', used in classical Chinese
Ancient character meaning 'to dry by fire' or 'to warm'; rare and archaic usage.
Illuminate, to shine light upon; a variant form of 照 meaning to shine or illuminate.
Japanese foot warmer; a heated floor or platform for warming feet, specifically referring to the
Burnt, scorched, overcooked; specifically refers to food that has been burned or charred during cooking.
Lan — refers to the act of roasting or drying by fire; to warm or heat something.
Warm; to warm up; to heat gently (archaic/obsolete character).
Conflagration; wildfire; destruction by fire
A rare character meaning to dry or roast by fire; to scorch or heat thoroughly.
To smoke, fumigate, or cure with smoke; to expose to smoke; to perfume with smoke.
Ashes — the residue left after something has been burned; embers; also used metaphorically for what remains after destruction.
Bright, luminous; clear and evident; used in classical Chinese to describe something that is distinctly visible or
To cover; to shine upon; to bestow
To shine brightly; to illuminate; to dazzle
Red — describes a bright, fiery red color; glowing; blazing
To burn; to blaze; to spread like fire
To cook; to stew; to boil
Rong — a rare character primarily used in personal names and place
To burn; to scorch; to singe
Embers; glowing fire; to burn or smolder.
To explode, burst; to erupt, break out; to pop
To burn; to set fire to; to ignite
A character meaning to burn, scorch, or char; also used in ancient texts to describe the process of roasting or
A rare character with uncertain meaning, possibly related to fire or burning; variant form of 爉.
To simmer; to stew slowly; to cook over a slow fire
A rare, archaic Chinese character with uncertain meaning, primarily found in historical
Bright, expansive, luminous; used in classical texts to describe light or spaciousness.
Shine brightly; glitter; blaze
A variant form of 燎 (liáo), meaning to burn, to set fire; to blaze; to illuminate. Also appears as a variant in some contexts.
A rare character meaning 'to burn' or 'to scorch', often used in
Furnace, stove, oven — a device for containing fire and generating heat,
A rare character meaning 'to burn, to scorch'; variant form of 爝 (jué) meaning 'torch' or 'to burn'.
to roast or burn meat; to scorch; to cook over a fire.
Yan — to roast, to broil; to burn; flame, blaze
Xi — ancient term for fire; flame; also refers to sunlight, sunshine, or dawn light.
To harmonize, to blend, to adjust; to regulate; to coordinate
A rare character meaning to burn, scorch, or singe; also used in some dialects and place names.
Brilliant, shining, glorious; used in literary contexts to describe something radiant or splendid.
A rare character appearing in ancient texts, possibly related to fire or; exact meaning uncertain in modern usage.
To burn; to set fire to; to kindle
To shine brightly; to illuminate; to set on fire
Rotten, decayed, worn-out; overcooked, soft; messy, disorderly
A rarely used Chinese character referring to a type of fire or; also appears in ancient texts as a variant form or in specific
A torch; a small fire; historically refers to a torch used in rituals or for illumination.
A rare character referring to a type of insect or worm; also appears in classical texts describing small creatures.
To light a beacon fire; to set a fire; a place name in ancient times
A rare, archaic Chinese character with uncertain meaning, possibly related to fire; primarily found in historical texts and dictionaries.
A rare character used in classical Chinese texts, primarily appearing in the
Mí — an ancient, rare character meaning 'to be destroyed by fire; to burn; to scorch'
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.