Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Mosquito — an archaic or variant form of 蚊 (wén), referring to
Mosquito — a small flying insect known for biting and sucking blood,
A small biting fly; gnat; midge
Freshwater mussel; clam; oyster
A type of large ant; used metaphorically for something small or insignificant in comparison to something great.
A type of small crab; also used in ancient texts for certain crustaceans.
A type of small clam or shellfish; also refers to a small crab.
Jun — a rare character referring to a type of earthworm or; also used in some personal names.
A type of insect; to crawl; also refers to a legendary creature or a type of movement.
A type of red coral; also used in ancient texts as a variant form of 丹 (cinnabar,
Earthworm — a type of annelid worm that lives in soil and
A type of ant; also used in ancient texts as a personal name.
silkworm — the larva of the domesticated silkmoth (Bombyx mori), which produces; also refers to silk production and sericulture.
A type of lizard or salamander; also refers to a kind of snake; archaic name for certain reptiles.
Ancient name for a type of firefly or glowworm; also refers to a cicada-like insect mentioned in classical texts.
Roundworm; intestinal parasite; also an archaic variant of 蛔 (huí) meaning the same.
A type of insect; also used in classical texts to refer to a specific kind of
A type of small insect; also refers to a kind of cicada or cricket in classical texts.
worm-eaten; damaged by insects; to be gnawed by worms
Aphid — a small sap-sucking insect that is a common plant pest.
Oyster — a type of bivalve mollusk, often cultivated for food and; also refers to oyster-shaped objects.
A type of cicada; used in the name of a specific cicada species (蜩蚞).
A type of large cicada or katydid; also refers to a mythical creature in ancient texts.
A type of large marine clam or conch; an ancient term for a kind of silk fabric; also used in ancient personal names.
Centipede — refers to the arthropod; used primarily in the word for centipede.
Flea — a small, wingless, bloodsucking insect; also used in classical Chinese for 'early' (同早).
A type of frog; also used in ancient texts as a variant form.
A type of large snake, often referring to pythons or boas; sometimes used interchangeably with 蝻 for locust nymphs.
A type of clam or shellfish; used in the term 'gecko' (蛤蚧); also refers to a skin disease (scabies).
A type of insect, specifically a green-tail fly or money insect; used in classical Chinese literature to symbolize money or wealth.
Ignorant, foolish, rustic; ancient name of a legendary tribal leader; used in historical and literary contexts.
Tadpole — the larval stage of frogs and toads, characterized by a
Abalone — a type of large edible sea snail, considered a delicacy
Freshwater clam; small bivalve mollusk found in rivers and lakes; also called Corbicula.
A type of small insect or larva; an ancient name for a kind of earthworm or grub.
A rare character; historically used as a variant form of 虺 (hui3), meaning a type; also appears in Buddhist texts as a transliteration character.
Earthworm; refers to the annelid worm used in traditional medicine and soil cultivation.
A type of millipede or centipede; also refers to the Chinese cricket.
Grasshopper — refers to various species of grasshoppers and locusts, often used
Unknown or extremely rare character. Possibly a variant form or obscure character
Ant eggs; ancient term for ant larvae or eggs, used in classical texts and
A larva; especially referring to the larvae of certain parasites or insects; also used in classical texts to describe something curling or coiling.
Oyster — specifically refers to edible oysters, particularly in Taiwanese and Southern
Blood clam — a type of edible marine bivalve mollusk, particularly the
A type of large centipede or millipede; refers to the 商蚷 (Shangju), a legendary giant insect in ancient Chinese
A type of small insect, specifically referring to a mayfly or ephemera; often used in classical Chinese texts.
Snail; also refers to the trail or slime left by a snail; used in some classical texts to describe small creatures or their movements.
Python — a large constricting snake, specifically refers to pythons and boas.
A type of small cicada or cricket; also refers to a small insect in general.
A type of ant; also refers to a mythical dog-like creature in ancient texts.
A rare character with uncertain meaning, possibly referring to a type of
A type of toad or frog; also refers to a small poisonous snake in ancient texts.
A type of millipede or centipede; specifically refers to the Chinese red-headed centipede.
moth; termite; to bore through
A type of cicada; specifically refers to the summer cicada or a kind of large cicada.
A type of beetle; a kind of insect.
Bing — a type of primitive wingless insect, specifically referring to silverfish
A type of insect, specifically referring to mole crickets or cicadas in
A type of caterpillar; specifically refers to the larvae of certain moths, particularly those with stinging
Maggot — the larva of a fly; also used metaphorically to refer to something contemptible or parasitic.
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.