Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Essence, quintessence; refined, pure; stylish, chic
Hectometer — a unit of length equal to 100 meters.
Millimeter — a unit of length equal to one thousandth of a; used in technical and scientific contexts.
An archaic unit of length equal to one-tenth of a Chinese foot; also known as a 'Chinese inch' or 'cun'.
A type of fermented rice or grain residue used in brewing and
Husk — refers to rice bran or chaff, the outer layer of
Ba — a type of flatbread, cake, or pastry in Chinese cuisine,
Grain, granule, pellet; a small particle or bead-like object; classifier for small round objects.
Gan — refers to a type of fermented rice or sweet wine; also used in some historical names and terms.
Ancient pastry — refers to a type of fried pastry or cake
Dregs — refers to the leftover residue after extracting the useful part; metaphorically refers to worthless or inferior things.
A rare character meaning 'to boil rice gruel' or 'gruel' in ancient; also used in historical contexts for a type of grain preparation.
Coarse, rough, thick, bulky; vulgar, rude, unrefined; approximately, roughly.
Sticky, viscous; to stick, adhere, glue; also used as a surname.
Rice; paddy; unhusked rice grain.
Coarse rice; unrefined or poor quality rice.
Solemn, respectful, serious; to eliminate, remove; referring to ancient Chinese officialdom
To sell grain.
Coarse, unrefined — refers to coarse or unpolished rice or grains; by extension, rough, crude, or unrefined things.
Ground rice; rice flour; broken rice grains.
Millet — a type of cereal grain; grain in general; ancient grain tax
Red rice; a type of red-colored rice, often referring to unpolished rice with a
Tóng — refers to unpolished rice; coarse rice; also used in ancient texts for certain types of grain or rice
Millet — refers to glutinous millet or glutinous rice; sacrificial grain used in ancient rituals; also refers to cakes made from glutinous rice.
Cè — glutinous rice cake; a type of food made from glutinous rice, similar to rice cakes
Yue — refers to Guangdong province and the surrounding region; the Cantonese language and people; an ancient name for the area.
porridge; congee; a food made by boiling rice, grains, or legumes in water or
Phosphorescence; will-o'-the-wisp; ancient term for a phosphorescent light or ghostly flame.
Makeup — cosmetics, adornment, or decoration applied to the face or body; also refers to stage makeup, bridal makeup, and by extension, to dressing
Hectometer — a unit of length equal to 100 meters, used in
A type of deep-fried pastry, typically referring to a traditional Chinese snack
Manure, dung, excrement; waste; to discard as worthless.
A type of rice; specifically refers to polished round-grained nonglutinous rice (粳米).
Qu — yeast, leaven, ferment; refers to the starter culture used in fermentation processes, especially in making
Japanese compound character used in 'komesu' (rice vinegar) - specifically refers to
Grain — refers to food grains, provisions, or rations; staple food supplies.
Coarse rice; rice bran; husks of rice.
Fū — parched or roasted rice; a type of cooked rice preparation.
Fine millet; high-quality grain; specifically refers to sorghum or foxtail millet
Bright, brilliant, radiant; also refers to fine, polished white rice; elegant, beautiful appearance.
Japonica rice — a type of short-grained rice common in East Asia,; known for its sticky texture when cooked.
Kilometer — a unit of length equal to 1000 meters, used in
Crispy fried rice; puffed rice.
Fine powder, especially flour or starch; meal.
A type of rice cake or pastry made from rice flour.
Pure, essence, quintessence; refined, unadulterated; the best part of something.
Refined rice; polished rice; fine grain
Food, provisions, grain; specifically refers to dry cooked rice or provisions for a journey.
Clear, crystalline (of water); limpid; describes water that is pure and transparent.
Zongzi — a traditional Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with
Essence; spirit; refined
Guǒ — refers to rice cakes or pastries made from rice flour; a type of traditional food in Southern China and Taiwan.
Koji — refers to the mold (Aspergillus oryzae) used in Japanese fermentation
Grain; kernels; thick grain-based porridge or congee
Cooked rice; porridge; congee
Tang — a character referring to parched rice, also used in historical
Rice cake; parched rice; a type of food made from rice.
To mix; to blend; to mingle
Noodles; flour-based food product, particularly referring to certain types of noodles or flour
Dried food, provisions, dry rations; specifically refers to dried grain or food that can be stored for
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.