Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
to accompany; to keep someone company; to be with
To feel ashamed; distressed; also used in ancient texts as a place name.
corner, nook; remote area; foothill
Uneven terrain; hilly and rugged landscape; steep slope
High and steep; a steep, towering mountain.
To fall into ruin; to collapse; a pit or depression in the ground.
Yin — the feminine, dark, passive, negative principle in Chinese philosophy; shadow; shade
Ancient place name; variant form used in historical texts.
Frontier, border region; the edge or boundary of a territory; often refers to remote border areas.
Chen — a common Chinese surname; to arrange, display, or state; old, aged
Parapet — a low protective wall along the edge of a roof,; battlements on a city wall.
Mound, hill, tomb, mausoleum — refers to burial mounds, imperial tombs, or; often used in place names.
Pottery, ceramics; to cultivate, educate; contented, happy
To sink; to fall into; trap
Land, continent; six (banker's anti-fraud numeral); to land (from air/sea)
To ascend; to rise; to go up
dangerous, perilous, risky; steep, precipitous; severe, harsh
To block up; to obstruct; to stop up
A small island in a river; an islet; a riverbank
Yang — the sun; sunlight; positive principle in Chinese philosophy (yang)
Numerous; refers to a large number or multitude, often used in classical Chinese.
Narrow — describes something that is constricted, tight, or limited in width; often used in classical or literary contexts.
A rarely used Chinese character with uncertain meaning, possibly an ancient place
Yan — an ancient term for a low embankment or dike, particularly; also appears in some place names.
Yin — the feminine, negative, dark principle in Chinese philosophy and medicine; shady side; secret
To exceed; to transcend; to go beyond
Dike, embankment, levee — a structure built along a river or coastline
Corner — refers to a corner, nook, or remote/obscure place; also used metaphorically for an out-of-the-way location or a specific aspect/situation.
Long — meaning prosperous, grand, lofty, abundant; also used in names and place names.
A narrow, winding path; a dangerous or treacherous path.
Corner, nook, recess; a bend in a river or road; a secluded place
Dangerous — describes a precarious, unstable, or dangerous situation, particularly referring to
Team, group, line, queue; originally meant 'to fall' or 'to drop' in ancient Chinese, now primarily
Sui — refers to the Sui dynasty (581–618 CE); a Chinese surname; also appears in words related to the dynasty or historical context.
Dark; obscure; dim
Moat — refers to a dry ditch or trench, especially one without; also used in names of places and deities.
Step, stairs, rank, level; refers to steps, stairs, or hierarchical levels in society or organizations.
To follow; to comply with; to accompany
conceal, hide, latent, secret; to withdraw from society; hermit.
To lean against; to prop up; to recline
Cliff; precipice; steep bank
To destroy; to ruin; to collapse
To separate; to partition; to divide
To fall; to drop; to perish
A small walled village or fort; a defensive embankment or military encampment; a dock or wharf.
A Chinese surname; also refers to a high, steep, or precipitous mountain; ancient state name.
narrow; pass; strategic point
gap; crack; crevice
Tang — an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty; also used in some historical place names.
border, boundary; edge; occasion
barrier; obstacle; to hinder
Islet, small island; variant form of 島 (island), used in ancient texts.
Ao — name of an ancient capital city during the Shang Dynasty; also refers to a type of high ground or mound used for
Gap, crevice, crack; also refers to a flaw, shortcoming, or opportunity.
To hide; to conceal; to cover
Sa — used in the transliteration of foreign words, particularly in the
An ancient place name, possibly referring to a specific location in historical; rare character with limited modern usage.
Neighbor — refers to a person or place that is nearby or; used in words for neighborhood and neighboring.
To collapse; to fall down; to decay
Stone steps; stone bridge; stone steps built along a mountain path
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.