Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Quiet, silent, still — describes a state of profound silence or emptiness,
A kind of bird; ancient name for a type of wild goose; also appears in ancient texts as a rare character.
Chang — refers to the Changhe Gate, one of the celestial gates; also used in the name Changhe, the Gate of Heaven.
To kill; to slaughter; to eliminate (archaic character).
Ancient term for a city gate or gate tower; also used in historical place names.
To castrate; to emasculate; a eunuch
Gatekeeper; ancient term for a type of official or guard; obscure character rarely used in modern Chinese.
Yan — a Chinese surname; also refers to the gate of a lane, the gate of an
To block; to obstruct; to stop up
Gatekeeper; palace gate; door
Threshold — the strip of wood, metal, or stone at the bottom; also refers to a limit, boundary, or threshold value in various contexts.
Wen — an ancient place name, Wenxiang, in Henan province; also refers to a type of ancient gate or barrier.
Hòng — archaic character referring to a type of gate or door; also used in historical place names.
A rare, archaic character meaning 'gate' or 'door', primarily found in ancient
To argue; to dispute; to quarrel. Also used in classical Chinese for 'to blame' or 'to
Quiet, still, silent, desolate; describes a place with no sound or activity.
To obstruct; to block; to cut off
Wen — a rare, archaic character meaning 'to obstruct; to block; to prevent from passing through'
Dark — refers to darkness, obscurity, dimness; also connotes ignorance, secrecy, or being hidden from understanding.
Gate of a palace; examination hall; women's quarters
Curved gateway; outer gate of a city; city wall
Wide, broad, vast; spacious; wealthy
Que — to end, to finish; a measure word for songs, poems, or musical compositions; a gap, an interval.
railing; to exhaust; late
gate tower; watchtower; city gate
A rare, obsolete character with uncertain meaning, possibly related to a gate
Wind — a rare character used in some contexts to represent wind,
to fill; to be full; bustling
Door post; the vertical post on either side of a door frame; threshold
A small door; a side door; a lowly or humble entrance
Open; to open; joyful
To close; to shut; entire
Que — refers to a watchtower, palace gate tower, or a gap/defect; also used as a surname.
To rush in; to charge; to barge in
Guan — archaic variant of 關 (guān), meaning 'to close; to shut; to turn off
To fight; to struggle; to contend
To open; to begin; to start
To peep, spy, or observe secretly; to catch a glimpse of something.
To stride; to walk with large steps; also used in names of gates and palaces in ancient China.
To close, shut; a mountain pass; a critical juncture
Piao — an archaic, vulgar character meaning to visit prostitutes or engage
Kan — a surname; also to look, to gaze, to inspect; to roar, to shout.
Peaceful; quiet; suddenly
Market gate; entrance to a marketplace; refers to the commercial area or market district in ancient Chinese cities.
To explain, elucidate, expound; to clarify, make clear; to state in detail.
To open up; to refute; to expel
A rare character used in historical names and place names; also appears in some classical texts.
Marketplace; market street; area surrounding a market
Gate; door; especially a small door or side entrance
Gate; entrance; doorway
door; gate; entrance
Bolt; latch; to bolt or fasten with a latch.
to dodge; to evade; to flash
A Chinese surname; variant form of 閆/閻 (Yan).
Gate; alley; lane
to close; to shut; to obstruct
to ask; to inquire; to question
to rush; to charge; to break through
intercalary; leap (as in leap year, leap month); extra
Gate of a palace; examination hall; women's quarters in ancient times.
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.