Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Bright, shining appearance; used to describe brilliant light or a bright, open look.
To rot, decay, spoil; to become tattered or worn out; to overcook until mushy
To illuminate, to shine; to light up; archaic variant of 烛 (candle, torch).
To burn; to scorch; to roast
A bright flash of lightning; to illuminate brightly; archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.
Cuan — a surname; to cook; a stove or hearth
Dense smoke rising; smoke billowing upward; to smoke
Claw, talon; paw; nail
Claw radical; represents a hand or claw reaching downward; used as a radical component in characters.
to crawl, to creep, to climb, to scramble; also refers to scratching or scraping
to contend; to strive; to argue
To scratch; to claw; to dig with claws or paws.
To lift up; to raise; to weigh
thereupon; then; hence
Love — to have deep affection for; to like; to cherish
To do; to act; to serve as
A rare character used in ancient texts, possibly a variant form or
A rare, archaic character meaning 'to seize' or 'to capture', historically used
Noble rank or title; ancient wine vessel used in rituals; to confer a title or rank.
Father; male parent; respectful term for an elderly male
grandfather; father; respectful term for an older man
Father; dad; papa.
Father, dad, daddy — informal term for father, often used in colloquial; can also be used as a term of address for an elderly
Grandfather; father; respectful term for an elderly man
Yao — a basic concept in the I Ching (Book of Changes); refers to the lines that make up a hexagram, either broken (yin)
Chopping block; sacrificial altar; ancient ritual vessel used for offerings
Refreshing, invigorating, clear, bright; straightforward, frank; to feel well
You; that; those
A split piece of wood; a wooden tablet; classifier for shops, factories, etc.
Bed; couch; sleeping platform
Ancient term for a mooring post or stake used to tie up; also appears in historical place names.
Female sheep; ewe; ancient place name
A small wooden plank or board; a bed board; a writing tablet.
To walk rapidly; to hurry along (archaic usage).
A window; an ancient term for a window or opening in a wall, now
Wall — a solid vertical structure made of brick, stone, or other; also used metaphorically.
A thin, flat piece; slice; flake
printing block/plate; edition; version
To separate; to divide; to part
A bedpost; a bed; a couch. An ancient term for a type of furniture used for
Slip of paper; note; letter
Signboard, plaque; brand; card, playing card
Dú — wooden writing tablet or slip used in ancient China; official documents; correspondence.
Window — an opening in a wall or roof that admits light; also refers to a window-like opening or aperture.
A small opening or hole in a wall; a small door or window; in ancient texts, refers to a small opening or a type of
Slutce gate; floodgate; a type of water control gate used in canals and waterways.
Bian — an archaic character with two main historical meanings: 1) a; 2) a variant form of 邊 (biān) meaning 'side' or 'edge'.
Slip of wood or bamboo used for writing; document; official record
A wooden placard or tablet; a notice board; an official announcement posted in public.
A board or plank; a wooden tablet or signboard.
Window — an opening in a wall or door fitted with glass; variant form of 窗.
Window — specifically a casement window or lattice window in ancient Chinese; by extension, enlightenment or illumination.
A window; an opening in a wall for light and air; also refers to guiding or enlightening someone.
Writing tablet; wooden slip used for writing in ancient China; official document
Tooth, tusk, ivory; tooth-like object; commercial intermediary (牙人)
To prop up; to support; a brace or prop
Cow, ox, cattle; bovine; stubborn
Cattle radical — a variant form of the cow/ox radical (牛) used
Female (of animals); yin; negative principle
An ancient term referring to a type of strong, powerful ox or
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.