Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
A lock; a key; a metal clasp or fastener
Ancient cooking vessel — a type of bronze tripod or cauldron used
Spear butt; metal cap at the butt end of a spear or halberd; socket for a spearhead
Fetters, shackles; also refers to fine silver, pure silver.
Hot, scalding; intense, passionate; fashionable, popular
Lawrencium — a synthetic chemical element with symbol Lr and atomic number; named after physicist Ernest Lawrence.
To inlay metal; to set with studs or rivets; a metal base or stand
Dagger-axe blade; crossguard of a sword; ancient place name
Ancient tool — a type of awl or chisel used in ancient; also refers to a type of ancient hairpin.
An ancient term for a hook or grappling tool; also used as a variant form of 機 (machine/mechanism) in some contexts.
A type of ancient weapon similar to a mace or hammer; also refers to a lever or pry bar; variant form of 鐧.
Bell — a metal instrument that produces sound when struck; clock; timepiece
Stirrup — a metal foot support for horseback riding; also refers to a lamp or lantern stand.
U-shaped metal object; iron clamp; iron cramp
A rare character used in the term '鐛锄' (yìng chú), referring to
Dui — ancient bronze vessel with a round body and loop handles; also used in some surnames and place names.
A pickaxe; a miner's tool for digging and breaking rock; also refers to the element curium in chemistry.
A type of ancient weapon or tool; also used in historical contexts for certain implements.
A type of ancient weapon, possibly a variant form referring to a; also appears as a variant character in some contexts.
Praseodymium — a chemical element (symbol Pr, atomic number 59), a soft,
Iron — a strong, hard magnetic metal; used in tools, weapons, and construction; metaphorically for strength, hardness, or unyielding quality.
A rare character, primarily used in the term 鐣子 (chēngzi), referring to
Ancient cooking vessel with three legs and two handles; tripod cauldron; also used in modern contexts for stability or importance.
Shan — a type of weapon; a long-handled sickle used as a weapon in martial arts; also refers to a traditional Chinese medical tool for scraping therapy.
Californium — a synthetic radioactive chemical element with symbol Cf and atomic
Armor lining; the metal lining inside armor; historically refers to a type of ancient weapon or tool
Fermium — a synthetic, radioactive metallic element with atomic number 100; named after physicist Enrico Fermi.
Ancient lens or burning glass; also refers to a type of ancient bronze mirror.
A metal mirror; an ancient metal vessel used for looking at one's reflection.
To engrave, to carve, to chisel; to inscribe characters or patterns onto a hard surface.
Xì — describes the sound of laughter; the sound of metal objects clashing or ringing.
A short-bladed axe; a small axe used in ancient times; also refers to something short or brief.
Sickle — a farming tool with a curved blade used for cutting; also refers to the crescent moon shape.
Zhuo — an ancient tool similar to a pickaxe or hoe; also used in some dialects to refer to a sickle or similar
An ancient type of cooking vessel or cauldron; also an archaic term for a type of chisel or gouging tool.
Sword; ancient term for a type of sword or blade weapon.
Bracelet — a type of ornamental band or ring worn around the
Radium — a radioactive metallic element (atomic number 88); also refers to laser or ray technology in modern usage.
A type of plowshare; the metal blade of a plow used for tilling soil.
Iron — a strong, hard magnetic metal; used metaphorically for strength, hardness, or something unyielding; also refers to weapons or railways.
Ring — refers to a metal ring, hoop, or circular band; often used for mechanical parts, jewelry, or as a connecting element.
Iron leaf — an ancient term for a type of iron implement
Duó — a large bronze bell used in ancient China for military; also refers to a type of ancient musical instrument.
Guo — an archaic character meaning to pass by or through; to exceed; used in ancient texts.
Dang — refers to a cooking utensil like a wok or frying; also used for the sound of metal clanging or bells ringing.
An ancient Chinese musical instrument similar to a bell or chime; a stand or frame for hanging bells.
Darmstadtium — a synthetic chemical element with symbol Ds and atomic number; named after Darmstadt, Germany where it was discovered.
To sharpen or polish a knife on a whetstone; to whet; to hone.
Ytterbium — a chemical element with symbol Yb and atomic number 70; a rare earth metal of the lanthanide series.
Einsteinium — a synthetic radioactive metallic element in the actinide series, atomic
A rare character used in Buddhist contexts, particularly in transliterations of Sanskrit; also found in some Japanese names.
A character used in ancient texts, primarily found in the name of; also appears in some historical place names and personal names.
A type of ancient Chinese bronze percussion instrument, similar to a bell,
To cast, to found, to mold (especially metals); to coin (money); to create, to form.
A rare character used primarily in place names; also appears in classical texts with uncertain meaning.
A character used in historical or dialectal contexts, possibly referring to a; obscure character.
To cut; to sever; to interrupt
An ancient tool or implement; a type of ancient weapon; also appears in some historical texts and names.
A type of ancient door bolt or lock mechanism; also appears in the name of a traditional Chinese medicine formula.
Wok — a large round-bottomed cooking pan used in Chinese cuisine; historically also refers to a cauldron or large cooking vessel.
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.