Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Deficient; inadequate; short of
A type of coarse, raw silk fabric; a rough silk textile used in ancient China.
End, finish, terminate; death; the whole, entire
String — refers to the string of a musical instrument, particularly silk; also used metaphorically for things that are string-like or for musical concepts.
Group, team, organization; to organize, to form; a set or unit
Unlined garment; a single-layer garment without lining; thin silk fabric.
To trip; to stumble; to hinder
Decorative silk ribbon or tassel; ornamental silk cord used on ancient shoes or garments.
Silk fabric; a type of fine silk material used in ancient China.
An obscure character referring to a type of rope or cord, possibly
A rare character with uncertain meaning, possibly a variant or archaic form.
Wadding, cotton padding — refers to the fluffy material used for stuffing
Sutra — Buddhist scripture; canonical text; classic
To weave; to lay the warp in weaving; a term related to textile work.
To baste, tack, or quilt in sewing; a sewing technique where long stitches are used to temporarily hold fabric
Fetters, shackles, bonds; to tie or bind; also refers to reins or traces for controlling animals.
To tie, knot, fasten; to conclude, end; to form, produce
Red silk; crimson; vermilion-colored silk fabric used in ancient times.
A rare character referring to a type of fine silk fabric or
To hang; to suspend; to be obstructed
An ancient character with two main meanings: 1) white silk or plain; 2) an ancient variant of 百 (hundred).
To cut off, sever; to break off, discontinue; to stop, cease
Fine silk floss; silk wadding; the empty husk of grain.
To wind around; to coil; to bind with thread or string.
An ancient tax on cloth or textiles; a type of levy in historical China.
Rope, cable; thick cord; to extend, to connect.
Gēng — thick rope; cord; to stretch tight
Silk ribbon, silk braid — a thin, flat woven silk cord used
To measure; to assess; clean
Trousers, pants; specifically refers to ancient Chinese trousers or pants.
to twist; to wring; to wind
Fine silk; thin silk thread; also used in names to convey delicacy and refinement.
To draw a bow; to string a bow; to stretch
To connect, link, or network; also refers to veins, arteries, or a net-like structure; to entangle or wrap around.
Gorgeous, brilliant, dazzling; refers to something colorful and splendid, often used to describe beautiful patterns,
A type of weaving technique; a pattern created by weaving; to bind or tie together
Old variant form of 線 (xiàn), meaning thread, line, wire; a clue, trace; a route, path
To gallop; to run swiftly; to rush forward with speed and vigor.
To give; to grant; to bestow
Tong — (archaic) refers to the sound of walking or movement; also used in ancient texts to describe a state of being relaxed
Velvet, woolen cloth, soft fabric; refers to materials with a soft, thick pile surface.
A rare character meaning fine silk or thin thread; also used in ancient texts to describe something delicate or slender.
Yin — refers to a mat or cushion; in ancient texts, used to describe something soft, pliable, or a state
A unit of weight in ancient China; to accumulate, pile up; variant of 累.
A fine, white silk fabric; also refers to silk threads or fibers.
Bundle; tassel; a cluster of things tied together
Cotton wadding; raw silk floss; to talk tediously and endlessly
To bind, restrain; to hinder, obstruct; ancient term meaning to equalize or make uniform.
Hempen mourning band worn on the head or waist in ancient Chinese; symbol of mourning and filial piety.
To unify; to unite; to govern
Silk — a fine, soft thread or fabric produced by silkworms; anything silk-like in texture or appearance; a unit of weight in ancient China (1/1000 of a tael).
Deep red, crimson; a shade of dark red; also refers to the ancient state of Jiang.
To walk with long strides; to move forward steadily; also used in ancient texts to describe the sound of bells or
Picture, painting, drawing — refers to visual artwork, illustrations, or diagrams.
To cut off, sever; to break off, discontinue; to exhaust, use up
To tie up; to bind; to fetter
Silk cocoon; variant form of 繭 (jiǎn), meaning cocoon.
silk; thin but tough silk fabric; silk cloth.
Fine linen or damask; fine, closely woven cloth; to adorn
mourning garments; to neglect; to take off
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.