Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Leveled ground; cleared ritual site; ancient term for an open-air ceremonial platform used for sacrifices and gatherings.
White clay; a type of fine white clay or chalk used historically in China.
A mound of earth; a clod of dirt; also used in historical contexts referring to a type of ancient Chinese
A clod of earth; lump of soil; unrefined, raw material.
To collapse; to fall down; to tumble. Also used in names.
A mound, small hill; also refers to a type of ant or termite nest in some
Tomb; grave; burial mound
A variant form of 桥 (bridge) or 乔 (tall); also used in some proper names.
Ink — black liquid or solid used for writing, painting, and printing; also refers to calligraphy and painting as an art form, or things
Mound, hillock; block, pier; used in names for something thick and sturdy.
Dun — an ancient form of 墩, meaning mound, small hill, or; also appears in some historical texts and place names.
Ancient wine vessel; cup; goblet
To fall; to drop; to descend
To place or store; a container or vessel for holding things.
To fall; to drop; to sink
To fall, sink, or degenerate; to become depraved or corrupt; often used in classical texts to describe moral or physical descent.
Tan — a variant form of 坛, meaning altar, platform, or earthen; used in names and place names.
Steps; stone steps; bridge pier
Ancient tomb; burial ground; a place for interment.
grave, tomb, burial mound; large burial site; ancient term for high mound or embankment.
Ancient form of 潢 (huáng), referring to a pond or reservoir; also used in place names.
Tan — variant form of 壇, meaning altar, platform, or forum; used in names to suggest solemnity, elevation, or a gathering place.
Da — a character used in the word 圪墶 (gēda), meaning a; also used in the word 墶垯 (dāda), a variant form meaning a
A rare character meaning 'a type of ancient wall' or 'foundation'; appears in historical texts but not in modern usage.
Obstruction, blockage; to hinder or impede; archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.
Japanese character used in place names; not a standard Chinese character. In Japanese, it represents a valley or
Ao — refers to a coastal inlet or bay; historically used to refer to Australia; also appears in some place names.
Wall — a solid structure that defines an area, provides shelter, security,; commonly refers to walls of buildings, city walls, or metaphorical barriers.
Unfired brick; sun-dried brick; earthenware tile
Hard, barren soil; rocky and infertile land; also refers to a place name in ancient times.
To cultivate land; to reclaim wasteland; to open up land for farming
Path, road, way — refers to a pathway or road, often used
Obsolete variant form of 罴 (pí), meaning 'brown bear' or 'great bear'; also historically used as a variant of 僻 (pì) meaning 'secluded' or
Wall — refers to a wall, especially a solid vertical structure; cliff; barrier
Palace foundation; the base or foundation of a palace or large building; archaic term for a palace or hall.
Jiang — an archaic character meaning boundary, border, or limit; now extremely rare and mostly found in historical texts.
Wilderness; uncultivated land; rustic
To block; to obstruct; to clog
To crack; to split open; a term used in ancient texts referring to the cracking of tortoise
Altar; platform; forum
Disappointed; dejected; frustrated
An ancient place name; a type of soil or land formation; appears in historical texts.
To break; to destroy; to ruin
Dang — a dialectal term for a small embankment or dike used; also refers to a mud wall or earthen barrier.
Soil, earth, ground — particularly fertile soil suitable for cultivation; loam.
Trench; moat; a deep ditch, often used for defense or drainage.
Xun — an ancient Chinese ocarina or globular flute, typically made of
Hard, reddish-yellow earth; a type of soil.
Seal — refers to an official seal, stamp, or signet used in
Gully, ravine, deep ditch; a deep valley or canyon; metaphorically refers to a deep gap or chasm.
Dust, fine dust; atmospheric dust; loess soil.
To press, compress, suppress; to control; to approach
Mound, hillock; an earthen platform or rampart; used in ancient Chinese architecture and fortifications.
moat; trench; 壕 refers to a defensive ditch, often filled with water, surrounding a
Riverside land; riverside; riverbank
An obscure, rarely used character with uncertain meaning, possibly a variant or
Lei — rampart, fortress, military base; to pile up, to build with layers; also a unit of measure in ancient times.
Wasteland; uncultivated land; wilderness
Lú — black soil; black earth; hearth
Corridor, veranda, porch; a covered walkway connecting buildings.
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.