Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
a large clam; a legendary sea monster; mirage, illusion (especially fata morgana).
A mythical sea creature resembling a clam; also appears in classical texts referring to certain types of shellfish or
A type of small crab; also used in the name of a coastal town in Fujian province
Corbicula — a type of small freshwater clam or mussel, often found
to sting; to bite (of insects, jellyfish, etc.); to cause sharp pain or irritation.
Centipede — a long, many-legged arthropod, often venomous; used in compound words for centipede species.
Mayfly — refers to the ephemeral insect; metaphorically used to describe something transient, short-lived, or insignificant.
Clam — refers to various types of bivalve mollusks, particularly clams, often
Mantis — refers to the praying mantis insect, often used in the
A type of clam; a marine bivalve mollusk.
toad; specifically refers to the toad in Chinese mythology, often associated with the
A mosquito larva; a small worm; also refers to something small or curling.
Mayfly — refers to a short-lived insect of the order Ephemeroptera, known
A type of marine creature, specifically a limpet or chiton; a marine mollusk with a flattened oval shell that clings tightly to
Dan — an ancient ethnic group in southern China; also refers to the Tanka or boat-dwelling people of southern China.
A type of insect larva; to wriggle or crawl like a worm; used in the names of certain creatures like centipedes.
Dragonfly — refers to the insect dragonfly; also appears in the word for lizard (蜻蜓).
A variant form used in the word for 'inlaid lacquerware' or 'mother-of-pearl
to molt; to slough; to shed skin
A variant form of the character 蛔, meaning intestinal worm, specifically roundworm
Snail; refers to gastropod mollusks, particularly land snails. Used metaphorically to describe slowness
Spider — refers to the arachnid; appears primarily in the word 'spider' (蜘蛛).
A type of large bamboo; also refers to a kind of insect or spider.
Flying insect; cockroach; also used in classical Chinese to mean 'to fly' or 'to flutter'.
A type of aquatic insect or small creature, possibly referring to a
Honey — a sweet, viscous substance made by bees from nectar; also refers to anything sweet or honey-like.
A type of large crab; also refers to a type of spider (archaic usage).
A type of leech or bloodsucking worm; specifically refers to the land leech or horse leech.
A larval stage of certain insects, particularly cicadas; refers to the cicada nymph.
A type of large clam or shellfish; also refers to a kind of pearl-producing mollusk.
Wax; candle; waxy
Grasshopper — a type of insect in the family Acrididae, typically found
Dung beetle — a type of beetle that feeds on and rolls
A type of insect, specifically a kind of locust or grasshopper; also refers to a type of cicada.
Lizard — refers to lizards, particularly in the context of reptiles.
A mythical aquatic creature in Chinese mythology, often described as a type; also refers to a large snake or python in some contexts.
A mythical water-dwelling creature; a type of dragon or water spirit in Chinese mythology.
Butterfly — an archaic or literary term for butterfly, equivalent to 蝶.
Cicada — refers to the insect cicada, known for its loud buzzing; also appears in classical Chinese literature.
Tao — refers to a type of insect larva, specifically the young
Ancient term for insects; archaic character for small insects or bugs.
A type of freshwater clam; also refers to a small marine creature.
A type of hairy caterpillar; specifically refers to certain stinging or hairy caterpillars that can cause skin
a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, said to be a water-dwelling creature; metaphorically refers to a slanderer or a person who harms others secretly.
Clam — a type of bivalve mollusk; variant form of 蚌 (bàng) meaning clam or oyster.
Bedbug — a small blood-sucking insect that infests dwellings and beds, known
Tick — a small arachnid parasite that attaches to the skin of; can transmit diseases.
Wei — refers to a type of snake or serpent; also used in the term 蜲蛇 (wēi shé) meaning a kind of
Used in the compound 'Yiyi' (蜳), meaning hesitant, indecisive, or irresolute.
Lizard — refers to reptiles of the order Squamata, particularly lizards.
A type of small aquatic insect or worm; also refers to a kind of clam or shellfish. An archaic character
A type of insect; a cricket-like insect; refers to small insects in general.
To curl up; to coil; to huddle up (as in cold or fear).
A type of large clam or mollusk; ancient term for a specific shellfish.
A small biting fly; gnat; midge
Secondary rainbow; atmospheric phenomenon; also refers to cicada wings in classical texts.
Dragonfly — refers to the insect of the order Odonata, known for
A type of long-tailed monkey or gibbon; a legendary creature resembling a monkey.
Liang — refers to a mythical creature, specifically one half of the
A type of solitary wasp (Eumenes pomiformis) known for its parasitic behavior
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.