Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Lettuce — refers to lettuce plants, particularly garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa).
A variant form of 兔 (tù), meaning rabbit or hare; also used in some historical texts and names.
A type of plant, specifically referring to the Siegesbeckia orientalis (豨莶), a
to capture; to obtain; to reap
Caryopteris — a type of flowering plant in the mint family; also used to refer to weeds or undesirable plants in classical texts.
Lustrous — describes the quality of being bright, glossy, and gem-like; often used to refer to the luster of jade or crystal.
Oriole — a type of songbird known for its melodious singing; often used poetically to represent spring, beauty, and pleasant sounds.
Korean character used in names; a character created in Korea and not found in standard Chinese dictionaries.
water shield — an aquatic plant (Brasenia schreberi) with edible leaves used
thick, dense vegetation; wilderness; reckless, rash, impetuous
Overgrown with weeds; wild, uncultivated; rough, unrefined.
Thorn; thorny plant; a type of jujube tree with thorns.
luxuriant growth of plants; flourishing, lush; also used as a surname.
Essence, elite, lush vegetation; refers to the finest part of something, often used metaphorically for outstanding
Ancient term for lotus seed; the seed of the lotus plant.
A type of aquatic plant; water plant; also used in ancient personal names.
Dong — used in the name of a plant, specifically the '菄风'
A type of grass or sedge; also used in Japanese surnames.
dense growth of vegetation; thicket; bundle
Mushroom — refers to edible fungi, particularly cultivated mushrooms.
Onomatopoeia for a sound; used in transliteration of foreign words; also refers to a type of radish in some contexts.
Lu — refers to a type of plant, often identified as the; also appears in some historical names and place names.
Chrysanthemum — a flowering plant of the Asteraceae family; highly valued in East Asian cultures for its beauty and symbolic meanings.
A type of plant, specifically Chinese sumac (Rhus chinensis) or a medicinal; also historically used to refer to a bitter taste or flavor.
Bacterium, fungus, germ, microorganism; mushroom; pathogen.
An ancient name for a type of plant; also used in some historical texts and names.
A type of ancient jade; a type of fragrant plant (similar to vanilla); used in ancient texts.
He — refers to the He River (菏水), a historical river in; also used in the name Heze City (菏泽) in Shandong Province.
Numerous, abundant; bustling, crowded; a character used in classical texts to describe profusion or multitude.
Wasteland, uncultivated land; also refers to land that has been cultivated for one year; in ancient texts, refers to a type of agricultural field.
Withered leaves; dried foliage; a character used to describe dried or dead leaves, particularly in botanical
Fruit — specifically refers to fruits, often used in traditional contexts or; alternative form of 果.
Radish; turnip; specifically refers to the root vegetable.
An ancient name for a type of plant or herb; also used in historical contexts as a place name.
Acorus calamus — refers to the sweet flag or calamus plant, an
To pull out; to extract; specifically refers to pulling out medicinal herbs or plants.
A type of Chinese cabbage; specifically refers to Brassica chinensis, also known as bok choy or pak
A type of tree used in ancient divination rituals; specifically referring to the divining stalks made from this wood.
A type of plant, possibly a kind of fern or weed; an obscure character used in historical texts and plant names.
A type of plant, possibly referring to a specific medicinal herb or; also used in ancient texts.
Vegetable; dish; food
A type of plant; specifically refers to Smilax china, commonly known as China root or Chinese
A rare character historically used for a type of plant; also an ancient place name.
Rabbit — archaic or literary term for rabbit; used in classical compounds and plant names.
Spinach — refers to the leafy green vegetable; also used in the word for pineapple.
Lotus bud — refers specifically to an unopened lotus flower; used in classical literature to symbolize purity and beauty.
To hatch (eggs); to brood; to incubate
Artemisia; Chinese mugwort; a type of aromatic plant used in traditional medicine and rituals.
To curl; to roll up; a type of plant (possibly referring to a curled-leaf plant).
Siberian cress (Thlaspi arvense), a type of plant; used in traditional Chinese medicine.
A variant form of the character 芹 (qín), meaning celery; also used as a surname.
A type of medicinal plant, specifically the Chinese thoroughwax (Bupleurum chinense), used
Jie — refers to a type of edible water plant, possibly water; also used in ancient texts for certain plants.
Bodhi — enlightenment in Buddhism; wisdom; used in Buddhist terminology, particularly in 菩提 (Bodhi) meaning enlightenment.
Dang — refers to henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), a poisonous plant used in
Violet — refers to the violet flower; also used historically as a variant form of 堇 (clay, earth).
An ancient name for a type of water plant; also used in place names in ancient China.
Moss, lichen; a type of algae or aquatic plant.
An ancient name for a type of plant or grass; an archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.
Magnificent; splendid; flowery
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.