Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Lang — refers to a type of plant, specifically a kind of; often used in place names in southern China, particularly in Guangdong province.
Yam — refers to Chinese yam or other tuber plants, specifically used
Water chestnut; specifically refers to the water caltrop or water chestnut plant (Trapa species).
To polish metal; to make something bright and shiny; also refers to a type of mineral processing.
Suddenly; unexpectedly; abruptly
A type of bamboo basket or container used in ancient China, particularly; also refers to a weeding tool used in farming.
Tiáo — an ancient place name in present-day Hebei province; also refers to a type of plant (possibly shepherd's purse or similar).
A type of poisonous plant; also refers to a kind of weed or wild grass.
Paperplant — refers to Tetrapanax papyrifer, the rice-paper plant, from whose pith
A type of plant, possibly referring to a weed or common plant; also used in some ancient texts.
Diverse meanings: 1) a type of plant (fleabane, bitter fleabane); 2) fluffy, disheveled; 3) abundant, luxuriant
Temple, monastery, or shrine — specifically referring to a Buddhist temple or
Lotus — an aquatic plant with large, showy flowers, symbolic of purity,
Cōng — refers to Cistanche deserticola, a parasitic plant used in traditional; also appears in the name of the herb Cōngróng (苁蓉).
to increase fivefold; to multiply; to grow in abundance.
Duckweed; floating aquatic plant; also used in classical texts as a variant of 萍.
A type of plant; specifically refers to the Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) or other flowering plants.
Violet — refers to a type of violet plant; also used in some personal names.
Water shield — an aquatic plant (Brasenia schreberi) with edible gelatinous leaves
A type of grass or plant; a mat made of woven grass or reeds.
A type of ancient plant mentioned in classical texts; also used as a personal name in some contexts.
Leonurus japonicus — a type of herb, motherwort, used in traditional Chinese
Cao — a surname; primarily refers to the Cao family name in Chinese history.
A place name, specifically referring to ancient Yuzhang County in Zhejiang Province; also appears in some historical texts and place names.
Art; skill; craft
To cultivate plants; to grow vegetation; also refers to a type of plant or herb.
Polygonum — a genus of plants including knotweed and smartweed; also refers to a bitter herb; used in classical Chinese to describe something tall or luxuriant.
Vitex (a type of shrub); used in classical Chinese for wicker or rattan objects; appears in historical and botanical contexts.
A type of edible wild plant; also refers to a type of salt marsh plant or reeds.
Medick — refers to plants in the Medicago genus, particularly alfalfa or
Screen made of grass or reeds; shade; thick growth of vegetation
A type of edible mushroom or fungus; ancient name for a specific plant.
lei2 — a type of ancient basket or container made of bamboo; used in classical texts to refer to carrying baskets.
A character used primarily in the name of the plant Chinese bellflower
A rare Chinese surname; primarily used as a family name with very limited distribution.
A variant form of 妍 (yán), meaning beautiful, elegant, or graceful. Used
Water chestnut; water caltrop; specifically refers to the aquatic plant Trapa or its edible fruit.
luxuriant growth; abundant; thick
A type of plant; duckweed or water plant; also refers to a kind of rush or sedge used for making
To pile up earth around the roots of plants; to earth up; to bank up soil.
A type of edible plant, particularly referring to Rorippa indica, a species
A dried-up stream or riverbed; withered, dried out (of plants or water sources).
Vegetables, greens; wild herbs; rustic, simple food.
A type of deer; also refers to a type of grass or plant.
A type of fragrant herb or tea in ancient Chinese texts; archaic term for tea.
A type of plant, specifically referring to a kind of marsh plant; used in ancient botanical names.
A variant form of 荻 (dí), referring to a type of reed; also an archaic character used in ancient texts.
To despise, scorn, look down upon; to slander, smear; to disregard, ignore
A variant form of 荤, meaning meat dishes; strong-smelling vegetables like garlic and onions; in ancient texts, sometimes used to refer to cooked food.
Vine, creeper — refers to climbing or trailing plants with long stems; to spread, extend, or become overgrown.
Radish — refers to the root vegetable; commonly used in the word for carrot.
Calyx, base of a flower; stem or peduncle connecting fruit to plant; metaphorically, foundation or root cause.
A type of aquatic plant; also refers to a kind of reed or rush that grows in
Sugarcane — a tall perennial grass cultivated for its high sugar content
Ginseng — refers to the medicinal plant Panax ginseng; also used to describe something valuable or nourishing.
A type of plant, specifically referring to the Japanese hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla),
luxuriant, lush, flourishing; also used as a surname; in modern usage, refers to the Artemisia plant and can mean 'grand'
A type of plant, specifically referring to the Hedyotis or Oldenlandia genus
A type of plant, specifically referring to the goosefoot plant (Chenopodium album),
A type of ancient plant, possibly referring to a water plant or; obscure character with limited modern usage.
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.