Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Long, lengthy; to grow; to increase
Nine — an ancient Chinese character meaning nine, used in historical contexts
镺 — long; refers to something that is extended in length or duration.
A legendary snake with a long tail and a human face; mentioned in ancient Chinese texts as a mythical creature.
A short jacket or tunic worn in ancient times, particularly during the
Long; tall (archaic, rare character found in ancient texts).
To extend, to prolong; to stretch out; archaic variant of 彌 (mí).
long; length; lasting
door; gate; entrance
A rare, archaic Chinese character with obscure meaning, possibly related to looking
door bolt; crossbar; to bolt or bar a door
Flash — to flash; to dodge; to evade
An onomatopoeic character representing the sound of someone suddenly appearing or a; used in dialects.
Gate, door; archaic variant of 門 (mén).
Yan — a Chinese surname; variant form of the surname 闫.
To close; to shut; to block
Village gate; lane; wall of a village
To close; to shut; to obstruct
To be stuck; to be blocked; to be obstructed (Japanese loanword usage)
To open; to start; to operate
High and spacious; lofty; refers to tall, open architectural spaces like high gates or halls.
Ancient character meaning the main gate of a palace; the main entrance to a royal residence.
Hong — vast, wide, expansive; also refers to the main gate of a mansion or official residence.
Intercalary — refers to the insertion of extra days or months in; leap.
A rare, archaic Chinese character with obscure meaning, possibly related to covering
Leisure — free time; idleness; unoccupied
Leisure, idleness; spare time; unoccupied
Space between; interval; gap
Min — a surname; to commiserate, to pity; also refers to the state of Min during the Zhou dynasty.
閕 — (archaic) gate opening and closing; refers to the action of a gate.
A character used in Japanese place names, particularly referring to a specific; not a standard Chinese character.
An archaic variant of 鬥 (dòu), meaning to fight, contend, compete, or; also used in some historical texts.
Gate; sluice; floodgate
Noisy, bustling, lively; to make a noise or disturbance; to be troubled by.
To stand for a long time; to remain standing.
Sound of a door closing or opening; to open and close a door.
Broad; wide open; also refers to a crack or split.
閝 — a rare, obsolete character meaning 'to fall down; to collapse' or 'to die'.
Gate bar; a crossbar or bolt for fastening a gate; also refers to a pass or strategic point.
To shut; to close; to conceal
Intercalary — refers to an intercalary month inserted in the lunar calendar; an extra or leap month.
To hinder; to obstruct; to block
Gate, pass, barrier; to close; to involve, to concern
Pavilion; tower; cabinet (government)
A side door or small door; a pavilion or small building; also used as a variant of 閣 (pavilion/tower/cabinet).
Valve — a device for controlling the flow of fluid or air; clique, faction, powerful family or group; in computing, a logic gate.
Buddhist term meaning 'multitude' or 'assembly', specifically referring to a gathering of
Uproar; clamor; a noisy disturbance or commotion, often used in classical texts.
Boudoir — a woman's private chamber or bedroom; inner quarters; refers to an unmarried woman's room or women's private spaces.
Min — refers to the Min River in Fujian; Fujian province; the Min Chinese language group
Cunt, vagina (vulgar Cantonese slang); also used in some dialects to mean 'to lose, to misplace'.
Kǔn — threshold of a woman's quarters; women's chambers; inner apartments
Lofty, spacious, empty; used in place names, particularly Langzhong in Sichuan province; also describes high, empty spaces.
Lǘ — village gate; alley; lane
A place name; a surname; also used in some dialects to mean 'here' or 'this place'.
A character used primarily in place names, particularly referring to a location
A rare character meaning corner, nook, or recess; also appears in some historical and literary contexts.
To inspect, review, examine; to read; to experience, go through
To read, to inspect, to review, to examine; also refers to experience or having gone through something.
Obsolete variant form of 闡 (chǎn), meaning to explain, elucidate, or expound.
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.