Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Dysprosium — a rare earth metallic element (Dy); also refers to an arrowhead or the tip of an arrow in
A decorative inlay of gold or silver; to adorn with metal; also refers to a type of ancient weapon or tool.
An ancient term for a type of arrowhead or spear tip; also refers to a type of ancient weapon.
Yi — an ancient term for a spear or halberd without a; also refers to ancient weapons in general.
Lu — refers to a type of furnace or smelting device; also used in ancient place names.
to engage in fierce battle; to fight hard; to struggle intensely
Clang — an onomatopoeic word for the sound of metal striking metal; firm and resolute; used to describe a clear, resonant sound or an unyielding character.
Clang; clink; a tinkling or clanging sound, especially of metals or jade striking together.
Rust; to become rusty; corroded metal.
Ancient weapon — refers to a type of battle-axe or halberd used; also appears in classical texts as a weapon name.
An ancient term for a type of spear or lance; also appears as a variant form of other characters in historical texts.
Tang — to bore or drill holes; to make a loud, resonant sound; also refers to a boring tool or the sound of drums.
Trowel — a flat tool with a handle used for spreading, shaping,; also refers to a plasterer's float.
Yong — refers to a large bell used in ancient Chinese rituals; a large, suspended bell.
Shovel, spade; to shovel, to dig or remove with a shovel; to eradicate, to eliminate.
An archaic variant of 鋒 (fēng), meaning 'point of a weapon; sharp point; vanguard
Mirror; lens; glass
Dart, javelin; a throwing weapon; by extension, a dart-like object used in games
A variant form of the character 庶, meaning numerous; common people; almost
To carve, engrave, or inlay; to hollow out; to adorn with intricate patterns.
Rust — refers to the reddish-brown coating that forms on iron or; corrosion.
Clanging sound of weapons or metal; an ancient short spear; to thrust or strike.
A loud, resonant sound; the sound of striking metal or bells.
Chisel — a tool with a sharp cutting edge for carving or; to carve, engrave, or chisel.
A rare character appearing in ancient texts, typically in the compound '鏩鏩'
A type of ancient tool or implement; an archaic term with obscure usage, possibly referring to a specific kind
Ancient variant form of 鑗 (lí), meaning to file or polish metal; also appears in some historical texts as a variant character.
Crack, fissure, crevice — refers to a narrow opening or gap in
A rare character used in chemical terminology, specifically as an obsolete name
A rare character used in chemical terminology, specifically as part of the
This character appears to be a rare or non-standard character with no
beng — an informal unit of currency, slang for a dollar or; used in colloquial speech to refer to money.
An archaic or obscure character; appears to be a variant form of 章 (zhāng), meaning chapter, section,; possibly used in historical texts or specialized contexts.
This character appears to be a non-standard or variant form. It may
Zheng — an ancient type of bell or chime used in Chinese; also appears in some proper names.
An ancient Chinese character referring to a type of gold or golden; also appears in historical place names.
Plowshare — the metal blade of a plow used for tilling soil; also used in names to connote strength, diligence, and agricultural prosperity.
A thin metal sheet or foil; historically refers to a type of thin metal plate used in ancient
Protactinium — a radioactive metallic chemical element with atomic number 91, discovered
Sharp, pointed; also used as a surname.
Strong acid; specifically refers to nitric acid or other strong acids; also an ancient term for strings of coins.
A sickle; a scythe; to cut with a sickle
Phosphonium — refers to phosphonium compounds in chemistry, containing the PH4+ cation
A type of ancient spear or lance; an archaic term for a weapon.
Rust — the reddish-brown coating that forms on iron or steel when; corrosion; to become rusty.
A crossbow with the trigger released; to release the trigger of a crossbow; also refers to a type of ancient weapon.
A rare character meaning 'to shine brightly; to sparkle; to glitter', often used in classical Chinese texts to describe brilliant light
Cabinet; chest; box for storing valuables
A file; a rasp; a tool used for smoothing or shaping wood, metal, or other materials
Liu — an ancient term referring to a type of furnace or; also appears in some historical names and place names.
Nao — an ancient bronze percussion instrument similar to a large bell; cymbals; to surpass or excel.
Huang — a large bell; a metal instrument; also used in names.
A type of tool used for splitting or wedging; specifically refers to a metal wedge used in traditional Chinese woodworking or
Ancient fire-starting tool — refers to a bronze fire-making implement used in
A kind of broad axe; a tool used for chopping or splitting; also refers to a type of pan or metal container.
A type of ancient cooking vessel or tripod with legs; also refers to a high or tall object.
A latch or bolt for a door; also refers to a cooking utensil or tripod.
Ancient Chinese bell; a type of ancient bronze bell used in rituals and ceremonies.
Tang — a broad, shallow pan used in Chinese cooking; also refers to ancient weapons like the Tang Pa (鐋鈀), a type
Xiàng — refers to the decorative patterns or ornaments on the handle; to decorate or adorn; also used in ancient texts.
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.