Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
An archaic Chinese character meaning 'blessing' or 'divine favor', often used in
To pray; to invoke blessings; to offer prayers
Misfortune, disaster, calamity; to bring disaster upon; harm, damage.
Tao — a rare character used primarily in personal names; meaning uncertain but possibly related to blessings or longevity.
Auspicious, lucky, propitious — used to express good fortune and blessings, often
To worship; to make sacrificial offerings; also refers to blessings or good fortune bestowed by deities.
Libation — a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to; in ancient Chinese ceremonies, the act of pouring wine as sacrifice.
Zui — an ancient term referring to a ceremonial or sacrificial offering; a ritual object used in worship.
Auspicious blessing; good fortune; divine favor (primarily used in names).
Official salary; emolument; prosperity
Report — to report to a superior; petition; receive (orders)
To prohibit, forbid, ban; also refers to enduring, bearing, restraining oneself; can mean a taboo or a forbidden area.
To pray for the well-being of livestock; ancient ritual prayer for animals' health and prosperity.
Upright; honest; sincere
Official salary; emolument; prosperity
Chan/Zen — refers to Chan Buddhism (Zen); meditation; abdication of throne
To benefit; to aid; to supplement
A variant form of 褚 (chǔ/zhǔ), primarily used as a surname; sometimes a misspelling of 褚.
A type of sacrificial garment or ritual clothing in ancient China; also refers to undergarments or intimate apparel.
A type of ancient sacrificial ceremony in Chinese culture; to perform a ritual offering.
Xi — an ancient purification ritual involving bathing in water, performed at; also refers to the location where such rituals were held.
To offer a sacrifice with reverence and purity; a ceremonial offering to Heaven or deities, often involving burning and purification.
Meaning unclear; an extremely rare character with uncertain definition, possibly related to thought or
Calamity, disaster, misfortune; refers to unexpected disasters or unfortunate events.
Auspicious; lucky; virtuous
Fortune, blessing, good luck, happiness — represents prosperity and auspiciousness in Chinese
An ancient Chinese character referring to a type of decorative ornament or
Blessing, favor, grace — an archaic character referring to good fortune or
A type of sacrificial offering in ancient rituals; refers to goods or wealth used in ceremonial contexts.
Yang — refers to a ritual for driving away pestilence and evil; also used in ancient texts for exorcism ceremonies.
Blessing, good fortune; happiness; to be at peace
Yi — fine, excellent, rare, precious; often used in classical Chinese to describe something of exceptional quality or
Mei — ancient term for a sacrificial ritual praying for the birth; also refers to the deity or spirit of marriage and childbirth in
禗 — to move with reverence and awe; to walk cautiously and respectfully; an ancient term describing a solemn, reverent manner of movement.
Di — a grand imperial ancestral sacrifice in ancient China; the highest form of sacrificial ceremony performed by emperors to worship their
A variant form of 褙, referring to a type of garment or; historically used in clothing terms.
Zhuo — primarily a Chinese surname; also refers to an ancient place name in the state of Qi
Zhen — to receive blessings from heaven; sincere piety that moves the gods to bestow good fortune; used in names to express divine favor.
禜 — to perform a ritual sacrifice to avert evil or calamity; an ancient form of prayer or offering to spirits.
Ji — ancient name for the god of grains and agriculture in; also refers to millet.
Ancient ceremonial garment; ritual clothing worn in formal ceremonies and religious rites in ancient China.
A character used historically in personal names, particularly associated with the Qing; no widely recognized modern meaning.
To strip away; to deprive; to take away (typically referring to honors, titles, or official positions).
Mà — refers to a military sacrifice or ceremony performed before a; a type of ancient Chinese ritual.
Tà — a surname; also appears in the term 汗禢儿 (hàntār), meaning 'sweat-soaked undergarment' in some
A rare Chinese character with uncertain meaning, primarily appearing in personal names.
Xuān — a rare Chinese surname of ancient origin, primarily found in
Qi — an extremely rare character in modern Chinese, historically used in
Happiness; blessing; felicity
Jī — to pray for good fortune; to seek blessings; also refers to omens or signs.
Si — an archaic character meaning 'to sacrifice' or 'year', historically used
Zen — refers to Zen Buddhism, meditation, contemplation; also used in the sense of abdication or yielding the throne to
Tan — refers to a ritual ceremony performed at the end of
A ritual sacrifice or prayer for averting calamity in ancient China; also refers to an ancient type of assembly or gathering for such
To offer sacrifices to the dead; to present funeral gifts; a type of ancient ritual offering.
Ritual, ceremony, propriety, etiquette, courtesy, gift — refers to formal observances, social
Luxuriant, abundant (of vegetation); rich and thick; refers to dense, flourishing growth.
Mi — ancestral shrine; refers to a shrine for one's deceased father; also used as a surname.
Pray — to pray, supplicate, or make a devout request to a; to offer prayers.
Li — refers to pestilence, plague, or epidemic disease; an ancient term for contagious illnesses that spread rapidly.
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.