Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
A derogatory historical term for certain ethnic groups in Southwest China; also used in names of animals like monkeys.
A type of wild boar or pig; also an ancient name for a kind of animal.
Monkey — specifically refers to macaques or monkeys in general; often appears in the word 猕猴 (macaque).
reckless, unrestrained, wild, unruly; often used to describe outrageous or lawless behavior
Beautiful, luxuriant; an exclamation particle in classical Chinese; a place name in ancient China.
Fierce, savage, rabid — primarily describing a mad or rabid dog; by extension, ferocious, violent, or unrestrained behavior.
Fierce, ferocious, savage; also refers to a mythical beast with a fierce appearance.
Ya — an ancient name for a kind of bird; also used in ancient place names.
Fierce, violent, vigorous, sudden, powerful; describes something with great intensity or force.
Guess; conjecture; speculate
Sudden; abrupt; unexpected
Lynx — refers to the lynx, a medium-sized wild cat with tufted
Hunt — to pursue and kill wild animals for food or sport; to search for something diligently.
猠 — A character of uncertain meaning, not found in standard Chinese; possibly a variant, dialectal character, or foreign borrowing.
Luó — refers to a mule; also used in the name for the Lolo people (彝族), an ethnic
Hu — used in the word 'húli' meaning fox, and in 'húsun'
A rare Chinese character meaning 'a type of ape' or 'monkey', used
Fierce, ferocious — describes the appearance of a dog or wolf; used to depict something savage or wild.
Base; vulgar; obscene
Feng — a legendary creature, the 'wind monkey' or 'mad monkey', said
A small dog; lapdog; poodle
Ape, monkey — archaic variant of 猿 (yuán), referring to primates, particularly
Orangutan; ape; gorilla
Pig — a domesticated mammal raised for meat; also used metaphorically to describe someone as greedy, dirty, or foolish.
Cat — a small domesticated carnivorous mammal with soft fur, a short
hedgehog — a small insectivorous mammal with a spiny coat, known for; by extension, something prickly or difficult to handle.
A type of ape or monkey; also used in classical texts to describe the movement of animals, particularly
To offer, present, dedicate, or contribute; to show or demonstrate; to donate.
Badger — refers to various species of badgers, particularly the hog badger
A mythical creature in Chinese mythology; also refers to a fierce beast or monster.
Náo — a type of monkey or macaque; agile and nimble; in ancient texts, refers to a golden-furred monkey
To threaten; to intimidate; to frighten
A legendary ape-like creature in Chinese mythology; also refers to a type of monkey or gibbon.
Monkey — refers to the primate animal; also used metaphorically for cleverness, mischief, or restlessness.
A type of otter; also refers to a kind of ape or monkey in classical texts.
hesitate, still, yet; like, similar to; as if
Plan, scheme, strategy; refers to a well-thought-out plan or strategy, often used in formal or
A type of small mammal, specifically referring to the crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes
Badger — a small carnivorous mammal with a striped face, native to; also refers to the fictional animal created by Lu Xun.
Yao — an archaic and now considered derogatory term historically used to; also refers to a type of wild boar or a legendary beast.
Monkey — refers to a monkey, especially a macaque; used in the name Sun Wukong, the Monkey King in Chinese mythology.
Bo — an ancient name for a mythical beast; also appears in classical texts referring to a type of animal.
A young wild boar; a term for a young pig or boar, used in classical texts.
Sly, cunning, crafty, deceitful; describing someone who is tricky, wily, or treacherous.
Ape, monkey — refers to primates, especially apes and large monkeys; often used metaphorically for cleverness or wildness.
To hunt; to search for; a hunting dog
Mammoth — refers to the extinct elephant-like mammal; used in modern Chinese primarily in the word 'mammoth'.
A kind of wild boar or pig; ancient name of a place in China.
Dull; stupid; foolish
Prison, jail; lawsuit, legal case; also refers to hell in Buddhist contexts.
Lion — a large carnivorous feline mammal; symbol of courage, strength, and royalty in Chinese culture.
Howl — to cry out loudly, especially referring to the howling of; to roar or wail.
Unknown or extremely rare character. Possibly a variant form or archaic character
Narrow, confined; refers to a narrow or constricted space or passage.
Dense, wild, and primitive vegetation; uncultivated land overgrown with trees and bushes; wilderness.
獊 — used in the term 獊囊 (cāng náng), describing the sound; archaic and rare character.
Hao — an ancient character used to describe the roar or cry; also appears in ancient texts and place names.
A mythical beast resembling a wolf or fox; ancient name for a type of wild dog or beast.
Jing — a mythical beast that eats its own mother; symbolizes extreme ingratitude and wickedness.
Award, prize, reward; to encourage, to praise; to give as a prize.
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.