Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
A variant form of 国 (guó), meaning 'nation', 'country', or 'state'.
An archaic or variant form of 胎 (fetus, embryo); also used in some historical texts and personal names.
country; nation; state
picture; diagram; map
Enclosed garden; park; menagerie
An ancient variant form of the character 國 (guó), meaning 'country', 'nation',
Yin — an ancient river name in Shanxi province; an ancient place name.
pigsty; pig pen; privy
Garden plot; vegetable garden; orchard
prison; jail; to imprison
To contain; to hold; ancient form of 函 (envelope, case, letter)
Round; circular; spherical
Whole, complete, entire — used primarily in the word 囫圇 (húlún) meaning
Circle; ring; enclosure
Yu — refers to a prison or jail; historically, an official title for a prison warden; also used in ancient place names.
圊 — toilet, latrine, privy; a euphemistic term for restroom in classical Chinese.
Country, nation, state; also refers to a kingdom or realm in historical contexts.
Chuí — a type of bamboo fence or enclosure; also refers to a mountain in Jiangsu province; used in ancient place names.
To surround; to encircle; to enclose
Round; circular; to make round
Circle, ring, enclosure; a designated area or sphere of activity; also used in Japanese for 'circle' or 'group'.
Ku — used exclusively in the word 圐圙 (kū lüè), meaning a
Garden; enclosure; park
Garden — an enclosed area for cultivating plants, flowers, or trees; a park or pleasure-ground; also used metaphorically for a place of beauty, cultivation, or ideal conditions.
Round; circular; spherical
A rare character meaning 'to close, to shut'; archaic usage found in classical texts.
A non-standard, archaic character representing 'library' (圖書館 túshūguǎn), created by combining parts
Picture, diagram, chart, map, plan; to plan, to scheme; intention, goal.
An archaic variant form of 圖 (tú), meaning picture, drawing, diagram, map,
Round; circular; group
A character used in the word 圐圙 (kū lüè), meaning an enclosed; also used in Mongolian place names.
Hui — a rare character meaning 'to go around; to surround; enclosure'.
Circling clouds; a term used in ancient texts to describe the appearance of clouds
Circular; to encircle; a round object
A complete circle; wholeness; perfection
Round; circular; complete
Earth, soil, ground, land; indigenous, local; rustic, unrefined.
A rare character referring to soil or earth; also appears in ancient texts and place names.
A variant form of 土 (tǔ), meaning earth, soil, ground, land, or
A level, even patch of ground; a flat, open area.
holy, sacred, sage; refers to someone of great virtue and wisdom, often used in religious
An ancient form of 墣, meaning a clod or lump of earth; also used in some historical contexts.
A type of mushroom; ancient character rarely used in modern Chinese.
Japanese place name character; used in Japanese toponyms, particularly in the word 圦樋 (a water inlet
To press; to crush; to suppress
to exist; to be present; to be at/in/on (a location)
dyke; embankment; low-lying protective wall
A small mound or lump; used in various Chinese dialects and in onomatopoeic expressions.
Ancient place name; variant form of other characters; archaic usage.
Trowel; plaster; to plaster or cover with mortar
A jade tablet or scepter used in ancient Chinese rituals; a unit of measurement for volume and weight; also refers to something precious or of high quality.
To collapse; to be destroyed; to break down
Bridge; specifically refers to the bridge where Zhang Liang met the old man
Earth, ground, land, soil; place, location; situation, condition
Ancient character meaning: 1) a thousand acres of land; 2) ancient form of 阡 (footpath between fields); 3) to enter
Ancient term for a boundary or embankment; also used as a variant form.
ditch, trench, furrow; also used in place names, most notably Shenzhen (深圳)
Footprint; trace; mark left on the ground.
An ancient character referring to a high earthen mound or embankment; now extremely rare in modern usage.
An ancient place name; a rare character with limited usage.
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.