Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Dou — a surname; a hole, opening, or sinus; refers to the Dou family name and anatomical openings or passages.
Zhuo — an obscure character used in ancient texts; meaning uncertain, possibly related to a place name or specific object.
Yin — cellar, underground storage; to store in a cellar; also refers to a type of tea or incense processed by storage
Nest — a hollow place where birds, insects, or animals live and; a cozy, snug place; a hiding place
low-lying; hollow; depression
Yà — appears in the name of the mythological creature 窫窳 (Yàyǔ),; also used in ancient texts.
A small opening or hole in a wall; a small door or gate; to bore through or make a hole.
Poor, impoverished; destitute; humble circumstances
Poor; impoverished; destitute
Kiln — a furnace or oven for baking, firing, or drying materials,; also refers to a coal mine pit or a brothel in certain
Kiln — a furnace or oven for baking, drying, or firing pottery,
Deep, secluded, quiet — describes a place that is remote, tranquil, and
Desolate, empty, or deep and profound (archaic usage).
bad, corrupt, inferior, poor quality; decadent; lazy
To fill; to stuff; to insert
Deep, profound; distant, remote; used to describe something that is far-reaching in depth or distance, often
Poor; impoverished; destitute
窷 — an obscure character meaning empty, hollow, or vacant; used primarily in classical texts and rarely in modern usage.
A rustling or whispering sound, often used to describe the light, soft
Awake — to awaken from sleep; to become conscious or aware; also refers to a type of ancient Chinese cooking vessel.
To peep; to spy; to observe secretly
Window — an opening in a wall or door fitted with glass
Nest; den; lair — refers to a dwelling place for animals or birds
Hollow, empty; void; cavity
Hollow, cavity, empty space; also means the key points or essentials of something; in ancient texts, refers to the joints or gaps in bones.
Hole, cavity, hollow; specifically refers to an opening, tunnel, or depression in a surface or
To observe carefully; to look into; to investigate thoroughly
To dig a grave; to bury; a tomb or burial chamber
A small hut or cottage; a simple dwelling; a humble abode.
Kitchen stove; furnace; cooking range
to flee; to escape; to run away
Opening, aperture, key point, knack, essential method — refers to a crucial
Poor; destitute; exhausted
Dou — a surname; a hole, opening, or sinus; a cavity or anatomical passage
A hole, cave, or den; an ancient character for a dwelling place or cavity.
To steal; to pilfer; to secretly take something belonging to others
to stand; to establish; to set up
To correct; upright; proper. An archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.
decaliter (unit of volume equal to 10 liters)
To stand up; to rise; to erect (archaic/rare character).
Kiloliter — a metric unit of volume equal to 1000 liters.
To begin; to start; to initiate
Vast; extensive; broad
Strange, unusual, remarkable; variant form of 奇 (qí) meaning strange or odd.
Milliliter — a metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of
Liter — a unit of volume in the metric system, equivalent to
vertical, upright, perpendicular; to erect, set up; also used to refer to servants or eunuchs in ancient times
Exquisite, delicate, wonderful — describes something that is finely made, beautiful, or
skillful, well-made; strong and vigorous; to build, construct
Stand; station; stop
To stand for a long time; to wait; to linger.
To walk alone; to stand alone; a character used in classical Chinese and sometimes in names.
Dragon — an alternative form of 龍 (dragon) used in Japanese kanji; represents a mythical creature symbolizing power, strength, and good fortune.
To stand side by side; to be parallel; to exist simultaneously
To compete; to contend; to strive
actually; unexpectedly; in the end
Chapter — a section of a book or document; also means seal, stamp, regulations, order, or a surname.
Hectoliter — a metric unit of volume equal to 100 liters.
To wait; to await; formal/literary equivalent of 等.
To complete; to finish; to bring to an end. Often used in the context of completing
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.