Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Character used primarily in place names, particularly in Taiwan; refers to a hut or small house, often in rural or mountainous
Lotus root — the edible rhizome of the lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera); also used metaphorically for connections or links.
A type of edible fern or bracken; also refers to a kind of wild vegetable.
A type of ancient grass or plant mentioned in classical Chinese texts; also used in some historical plant names.
A type of plant, specifically referring to the madder plant (Rubia cordifolia)
Aromatic prickly ash; Chinese pepper plant (Zanthoxylum species), used as a spice in Chinese cuisine.
Water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica); a type of aquatic plant used in traditional Chinese medicine.
A type of medicinal herb, specifically referring to the Chinese asparagus root
Chenopodium — refers to goosefoot or lamb's quarters, a type of edible; also used in names and classical literature.
Art, skill, craft; refers to artistic ability, technique, or performance; also used in words related to arts and crafts.
Coarse, rough, unrefined; refers to something crude or not finely made.
lei3 — refers to vine plants, especially grapevines; coiled or entwined vegetation; by extension, something that is entangled or intertwined.
Scallion; Chinese scallion; a type of small onion with white bulb and green leaves, similar
A variant form of the character 荻, referring to a type of
A type of plant mentioned in ancient Chinese texts, specifically a kind
A type of ancient banner or flag; also refers to a kind of grass or plant.
Vine, rattan, cane — refers to climbing plants with long, flexible stems; also used to describe objects made from such plants.
Medicine, drug, remedy; also refers to substances used for treatment, healing, or chemical purposes.
A type of plant, specifically referring to the dodder plant (Cuscuta chinensis),
A type of aquatic plant, specifically referring to the water clover or
Raspberry; a type of berry plant; also refers to thickets or dense growth.
fence; barrier; vassal state
Marsh, swamp; thicket, dense growth; gathering place, den
A type of seaweed or algae; also refers to a kind of moss or lichen.
A type of edible fern or bracken; refers to certain fern plants with edible young fronds.
Aromatic herb — refers to Ligusticum sinense 'Chuanxiong', a medicinal herb in
An obscure character, variant form of 樵 meaning firewood, woodcutter, or to
A character used primarily in the plant name 藯苣 (wèi jù), referring
A type of plant, possibly referring to a specific herb or grass; appears in historical texts and plant names.
A type of plant, possibly referring to a species of grass or; obscure character with limited modern usage.
A specific type of tree, possibly referring to a particular species of
Draft, manuscript, rough copy; straw, hay; also used as a variant form.
To accumulate, to contain, to hold within; to store; to gather
A variant form of the character 寶 (bǎo), meaning 'treasure', 'precious', 'valuable'.
Rorippa indica — refers to a type of plant in the mustard
Taro — a starchy root vegetable; potato; sweet potato
Pigweed — refers to various plants in the pigweed family (Amaranthaceae), often; also used in some plant names.
Friendly, amiable, genial; lush, luxuriant (of vegetation); also used in classical Chinese as a respectful term for addressing elders
Lìn — a type of rush plant used for making mats; also a Chinese surname, famously associated with Lin Xiangru, a statesman of
Algae; aquatic plants; literary ornamentation
A type of grass, specifically referring to daylily (Hemerocallis); also used in classical texts to describe lush vegetation.
A variant form of 櫬 (chèn), meaning coffin or inner coffin; also appears in some historical texts and personal names.
A type of plant, possibly referring to a large-leafed weed or shrub; also used in classical texts to describe overgrown vegetation.
Huò — refers to a type of plant, particularly patchouli (Pogostemon cablin); also used in traditional Chinese medicine and culinary contexts.
Tuo — refers to fallen leaves and bark; also used in ancient texts to describe shedding or discarding.
To go against; to disobey; to contradict (archaic and rare character).
Stamen — the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower; pistil; flower bud.
An ancient, rare character meaning 'bud' or 'sprout'; variant form of 蕊 (ruǐ) meaning 'stamen' or 'pistil'.
Qi — an ancient place name, referring to Qizhou (modern Qichun County; also used in the name of a medicinal herb.
Fragrant plant — refers to a type of aromatic herb, often identified; used in classical literature and names for its elegant and refined connotation.
Reed — a type of tall grass that grows in wetlands; also used in the name for the city of Lüda in Liaoning
Su — refers to the Jiangsu province or its capital Nanjing; to revive or come back to life; also a common Chinese surname.
A type of plant, possibly referring to a kind of fern or
To exert effort; to strive diligently; to work hard (archaic character, rarely used in modern Chinese).
To accumulate, store up, contain; profound knowledge or meaning; to harbor (feelings)
Apple — refers to apple fruit; also used in the name for duckweed (蘋科).
A type of bird cage or aviary used in ancient China; also refers to a kind of fence or enclosure.
Fragrant herb; aromatic plant; variant form of 薰 meaning 'fragrance' or 'to perfume'.
A rare character meaning 'to ride on a dragon' or 'to mount; used in classical Chinese literature and mythology.
A variant form of the character 炯 (jiǒng), meaning bright, brilliant, or
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.