Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Roller — a cylindrical component that rotates, used in machinery for pressing,; also refers to the roller itself.
Rim of a wheel; felly; the outer circular part of a wheel that holds the tire.
A type of ancient carriage or chariot; specifically refers to a cooling carriage used for transporting the deceased.
To stop; to cease; to suspend
Army supply wagon; baggage cart; military provisions
To converge; to gather; to assemble
Spoke — refers to the spokes of a wheel; also used in radiation-related terms.
To compile, edit, collect; a volume or part of a publication; to arrange in order.
Wen — refers to a type of enclosed carriage or hearse used
to transport, to convey; to lose, to be defeated; to donate, to contribute
Reins — the bridle and reins used to control a horse or
Shaft of a cart or carriage; chariot pole; gate of a military camp or government office.
To govern, administer, control, manage; also refers to a linchpin in a wheel axle, a key component
To toss about; to roll over; to turn over
A pulley; a windlass; a wheel
Rut, track, wheel mark; way, method; rhyme scheme in poetry
The sound of rolling wheels or carts; to rumble; to make a grinding noise.
Pungent, spicy; laborious, toilsome; suffering, hardship
Gu — means crime, offense, guilt; also used in the surname Gu; can mean to betray or let down.
To decline; to resign; to abdicate
To resign; to dismiss; to decline
Multiple meanings: 1. To open up, develop, establish; 2. To refute, rebut; 3. Law, sovereign
Crime, offense, guilt — an archaic character for crime, now largely replaced
To dispute, argue, debate; ancient form representing two disputing parties.
Spicy, pungent, hot (as in spicy food); acrid; also used to describe a harsh or severe quality.
Spicy, pungent, hot (as in chili peppers); acrid; cruel, ruthless
To decline; to resign; to take leave
Xue — an ancient term for a type of crime or punishment; also used as a surname in ancient China.
To handle; to manage; to deal with
To distinguish; to differentiate; to discriminate
To distinguish; to differentiate; to discriminate
To debate; to argue; to dispute
Xue — an ancient Chinese surname; also an archaic variant of 薛 (Xue), another surname.
Braid, plait, queue; to braid; also refers to something woven or intertwined.
Variegated; multicolored; patterned
Braid, plait, queue; to braid, to weave; also refers to a pigtail or traditional Chinese queue hairstyle.
To debate, argue, dispute; to discuss; to distinguish
The fifth of the twelve Earthly Branches; celestial bodies; time
Disgrace, humiliation, insult; to bring shame upon; to be insulted or humiliated
Agriculture, farming; to farm; farmer
Nong — archaic variant of 農 (nóng), meaning agriculture, farming, peasant, or
To laugh heartily, to smile broadly; an expression of great joy or amusement.
To walk slowly; to walk and stop; the walking radical (辶) in Chinese characters.
The 'walk' radical; a Chinese radical meaning to walk, move, or go; used as a component in characters related to movement, paths, or journeys.
A Japanese kokuji (国字) meaning 'to glide; to slip'; not a standard Chinese character but used in Japanese names.
To go; to walk; to reach
side; edge; margin
Edge, side, border, margin; Japanese shinjitai form of 邊 (edge/border).
A Japanese kokuji (国字, 'national character') meaning 'crossroads', 'street corner', or 'intersection'; also used as a Japanese surname.
A Japanese kokuji (国字) character meaning to be crowded; to go into; to be included. Used in Japanese, not standard Chinese.
distant, far; vast, extensive; specifically refers to the Liao River and the Liao dynasty/region in Northeast
to reach; to attain; to achieve
To walk slowly; to proceed step by step; to follow a path.
To go; to proceed; to walk. (Archaic, rare usage)
to move; to change; to transfer
circuitous; winding; roundabout
An archaic variant of 迂 (yū), meaning winding, circuitous, roundabout; pedantic, impractical.
until; up to; so far
fast; rapid; swift
To wind; to extend; to meander
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.