Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Wild rice (Zizania latifolia); an aquatic grass whose stems are edible when infected with a fungus; also refers to the plant itself.
Water caltrop — an aquatic plant producing edible nuts; also refers to rhombus/diamond shape.
fragrant; luxuriant; humble
A type of plant; variant form of 芩 (qín), referring to a medicinal herb (Scutellaria baicalensis).
Hut, hermitage, small temple; thatched cottage; variant of 庵.
A type of grass, specifically referring to the plant Beckmannia syzigachne, an
Luxuriant, abundant, flourishing — describes lush, thriving vegetation; used in classical texts to depict vigorous growth of plants.
Broom — a tool for sweeping, made of bundled twigs or bristles; archaic term for broom.
Tobacco — refers to the tobacco plant and its leaves used for; cigarette.
marshy land with wild vegetation; salted or pickled vegetables; minced meat or fish
A type of plant, specifically referring to the Chinese thoroughwort (Eupatorium chinense),
A historical term referring to various plants; also used historically to refer to foreign peoples, particularly in ancient Chinese
A type of reed or rush plant (Phragmites japonica); initial shoots of reeds; also used in ancient texts to describe a color similar to that
Bean — refers to beans, legumes, or pulses; a general term for beans in classical Chinese.
Beet — refers to the beet plant, particularly sugar beet or beetroot; also appears in the name of the plant Beta vulgaris.
To arrive at; to reach; to attain (archaic usage)
A type of plant or herb; a rare character with limited usage in modern Chinese.
Beanstalk; bean plant; fodder
萂 — an ancient name for a type of plant or grass; a character used in historical texts and occasionally in personal names.
To gather, assemble, collect; essence, quintessence; a gathering of outstanding people or things.
Grape — used exclusively in the word 'grape' (葡萄).
Spring — an archaic variant of 春 (chūn), meaning spring season; youth; vitality
A type of yam or vine plant; also refers to a raincoat made of straw or palm bark.
Chang — a surname; refers to the changpu plant (calamus/sweet flag); also appears in historical and botanical contexts.
A type of animal, possibly a hare or small deer as described; also used as a surname.
Thick, lush growth of plants; dense vegetation; luxuriant foliage.
Chenopodium album (lamb's quarters/goosefoot plant); overgrown with weeds; uncultivated land
Luxuriant, lush, flourishing — describes plants growing thick and dense; also used to describe something abundant or rich.
sprout, bud; to sprout; to germinate
Duckweed — a small, free-floating aquatic plant; metaphorically used to describe a wandering, rootless life.
to wither; to droop; to decline
Lotus bud; specifically refers to the unopened flower of the lotus plant.
A legendary auspicious plant said to appear during the reign of virtuous; a type of lucky grass in Chinese mythology.
A type of reed or rush plant; historically refers to the 'Huanpu' area, a marshy region known for banditry.
A type of grass or plant mentioned in ancient Chinese texts; the name of a legendary herb.
A type of plant, specifically referring to the daylily (Hemerocallis fulva), known
A variant form of 苕, referring to a type of reed or; sometimes used in historical texts.
Caltrop (Tribulus terrestris) — a type of spiky plant; also refers to water chestnut (荸荠) in some contexts.
A character that appears in the name of the plant '萖葟' (Guǎn; also used in some personal names.
Japanese kokuji (character created in Japan) meaning 'rule, law, regulation'.
Naphthalene — a white crystalline hydrocarbon used in mothballs and as a
A Japanese kokuji (character created in Japan) meaning tired, weary, or exhausted; not used in standard Chinese.
Fallen leaves or bark; to shed or peel off; refers to plant material that has fallen or been shed.
A variant form or ancient character, possibly related to 筧 meaning 'water
Terpene — a class of organic compounds found in plants, especially in
Radish; trailing plants; climbing vines
An archaic, obsolete, or variant form of a Chinese character, possibly related
To cultivate, to grow, to plant; variant form of 藝 (art, skill, craft).
To sprout; to bud; to germinate
A variant form of 箔, meaning thin sheet, foil, or screen; also used in some place names.
A type of wild berry or fruit, particularly referring to certain wild; also used in some dialectal names for berries.
Ding — used primarily in place names, most notably Mading (马萣) in
Firefly — a small flying insect that produces light through bioluminescence; also refers to things that glow faintly.
Camp — refers to a military camp, barracks; to operate, manage, run; to seek, strive for
to wind around; to coil; to entangle
Artemisia (a type of wormwood plant); desolate, dreary, bleak; a common Chinese surname (Xiao).
Sanskrit transliteration; used in Buddhist terms; also appears in place names like Tibet.
Japanese bush clover (Lespedeza); also refers to Kochia scoparia (burning bush/broom cypress) in some contexts.
Ancient name for a type of plant; also used in transliteration of foreign words.
Aromatic herb; fragrant plant; used historically in names and traditional contexts.
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.