Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Winding, meandering, twisting; describes something that curves and turns like a snake.
Dōng — rainbow; specifically refers to a secondary rainbow or rainbow-like phenomenon in Chinese mythology.
A type of venomous snake; archaic term for a poisonous snake, often used in classical texts.
A type of insect, specifically a small black beetle; used in the compound word 'banmao' (斑蝥), referring to the Chinese blister
Rainbow — archaic term for rainbow, primarily used in classical Chinese literature; also appears in the compound 蝃蝀 meaning rainbow.
蝄 — refers to a type of spirit or demon in Chinese; often appears in compound words related to supernatural beings.
Silkworm — an archaic or variant form of 蠶 (cán), referring to
Ant — a type of insect, often referring to small ants; archaic or variant form.
Fly — refers to the common housefly or similar insects; metaphorically used to describe something annoying or insignificant.
Guo — refers to certain cicadas or katydids; specifically used for the Chinese katydid (Gampsocleis gratiosa).
Cicada — an insect known for its loud, persistent chirping in summer; symbol of immortality, rebirth, and purity in Chinese culture due to its
Japanese variant of the character 蠟 (là), meaning 'wax'.
Tadpole — the larval stage of frogs and toads.
A character used primarily in the compound 蝍蛆 (jíjū), referring to a; sometimes used to describe something that moves quickly or crawls.
Scorpion — a venomous arachnid with pincers and a segmented tail that; also used metaphorically for something venomous or dangerous.
A type of small cicada or a kind of insect; also refers to a specific type of clam.
Ancient Chinese character referring to a type of sea turtle; used in the name of the hawksbill sea turtle (玳瑁).
A type of cricket or grasshopper; historically used to refer to certain insects.
cicada — refers to a type of insect known for its loud
slug — refers to shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusks, similar to snails without
Jie — an ancient type of cicada mentioned in classical texts; a rare character with limited modern usage.
Erode, corrode, wear away; to lose (as in financial loss); eclipse (astronomical).
A type of insect; a cicada larva or nymph; also refers to the sound of insects chirping.
Locust — a type of grasshopper, especially one that migrates in large
Gecko; a type of lizard, specifically refers to the gecko or house lizard.
Bat — refers to the flying mammal; often appears in compound words, most notably as part of 蝙蝠 (bat).
A type of insect or small creature; also appears in classical texts as part of compound names.
A type of small centipede or millipede; also refers to a kind of small insect.
A type of small insect; specifically refers to the 'fù' beetle mentioned in classical Chinese texts.
The nymph or wingless juvenile form of a locust; also refers to ant eggs or the eggs of certain insects.
A type of small squid or cuttlefish; also used in some regional names for aquatic creatures.
hedgehog — a small insectivorous mammal with a spiny coat; also used metaphorically to describe something bristly or densely packed.
Bat — refers to the flying mammal; in Chinese culture, bats are symbols of good fortune and happiness due
To wriggle; to move slowly like a worm or snake.
Xie — an archaic character referring to a type of large centipede; also appears in some ancient texts and place names.
Mayfly — a short-lived insect of the order Ephemeroptera; often used metaphorically to represent ephemeral or transient existence.
A type of longhorn beetle; also appears in the term 蝤蛴 (qiúqí) referring to the larva of
A type of poisonous insect; specifically refers to the Chinese blister beetle (Mylabris) used in traditional Chinese
Shrimp; prawn; lobster
A type of small beetle or insect; archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.
Louse — refers to parasitic insects like head lice, body lice, and; also used metaphorically for something annoying or trivial.
A type of insect, possibly referring to a specific kind of locust
Lizard — refers to a type of lizard, specifically the Chinese skink; also found in classical texts.
A character used in the name of the marine animal 'horseshoe crab'
A type of crab; specifically refers to the three-spotted swimming crab found in coastal waters.
Cicada — refers to insects of the family Cicadidae, known for their
Viper — refers to venomous snakes of the genus Gloydius, particularly the; often used in classical Chinese texts to denote poisonous snakes.
Ape — archaic term for ape or monkey, now largely replaced by
Viper — refers to venomous snakes of the Viperidae family, particularly pit
Horsefly — a large blood-sucking fly; gadfly; also refers to certain medicinal insects used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Là — refers to a type of freshwater crayfish or shrimp; also used in the name of the làgǔ shrimp.
Poisonous; venomous; refers to toxic substances or creatures.
Butterfly — used primarily in the word 'butterfly' (蝴蝶).
A type of spider; archaic term for a small spider or arachnid.
Butterfly — an insect with large, often brightly colored wings; symbolizes transformation, beauty, and freedom in Chinese culture.
Louse — a parasitic insect that infests the hair or skin of; also refers to small, troublesome insects.
Snail; spiral; slow-moving.
Wriggling movement of a dragon; also refers to a type of mythical creature or the movement of
Tall, towering; describes something that stands high and upright, often used to describe a
Nymph of a locust; young locust that has not yet grown wings.
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.