Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Jar, jug, bottle — a container typically made of glass, ceramic, or
Rampart — refers to a low wall or earthwork surrounding an altar,
Bad — poor quality; defective; spoiled
Ridge — refers to a raised strip in a field between furrows; a ridge; a mound
Ridge — refers to a raised strip in a field, mound, grave
Wise; sagacious; possessing profound wisdom and insight.
Ditch, gully — refers to a drainage ditch or a sunken path,
A rare character used in ancient texts, primarily appearing in the name
Soil; earth; ground
A variant form of 廛, meaning: a market place; a shop; a store
Ancient form of 壎 (xūn), meaning an ancient Chinese ocarina or globular
High cliff; steep precipice; rock face.
Ancient form of 垒 — to pile up, to build by piling; a pile, a mound; also refers to a military rampart or fortification.
Dam — an embankment or barrier constructed to hold back water and; also refers to a riverbank or a sandbar.
wan — a small bay or bend in a river; a village or settlement located in such a bend (used primarily in
Scholar; gentleman; warrior
The ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems; great; grand
A non-standard or variant form of a character, sometimes used in Japanese
strong, robust; magnificent, grand; to strengthen
strong, robust; magnificent; to strengthen
sound, voice, tone; noise; reputation
One (formal, financial, or legal numeral); used in official documents to prevent alteration.
To sell; to deal in; to betray (Japanese simplified form of 賣/卖).
Shell, crust, hard outer covering; casing; hull.
Drum — an ancient form of the character for drum; also used as a radical component in characters related to music, celebration,
Zhuang — a variant form of 壮 (strong, robust, magnificent); used in names to convey strength and grandeur.
A vessel with a spout and handle for holding and pouring liquids; kettle; pot
Ancient wine vessel; jar; pot
Kun — refers to an inner palace, women's quarters, or a path; also used in some names and historical contexts.
One (the formal, complex form of 一) — used in financial contexts; also means whole, single, or same.
Pot, kettle, jar, flask — a container, typically with a handle and
Son-in-law; husband of one's daughter; also used in ancient texts to refer to a man of talent
Kun — refers to a palace corridor, a path inside the palace,; also used in names.
Longevity — refers to long life, old age, lifespan; also used in contexts of birthdays and celebrations of long life.
A rare character used in ancient Chinese, primarily appearing in historical names; meaning uncertain but possibly related to a type of vessel or container.
A variant form of 蹲 (dūn), meaning to squat; also appears in classical texts as a variant character.
Longevity — refers to long life, old age, and enduring existence; used in words related to birthdays and blessings for long life.
To look down upon; to gaze downward; an archaic character with limited modern usage.
A radical meaning 'to go slowly' or 'to follow'; also used as a variant form. In modern usage, it primarily serves
An archaic character meaning 'to trade' or 'to do business'; also used as a variant form in ancient texts.
to handle; to deal with; to manage
To descend; to come down; to surrender
To butt against; to meet; to resist
to prepare; to equip; to provide
Ancient variant of 災 (zāi), meaning disaster, calamity, misfortune; also appears as a variant form.
Change, transform, alter; unusual, strange; to become different
A pictographic character depicting a person walking slowly; used as a radical meaning 'to walk slowly' or 'to drag one's
To walk slowly; a mythical figure or ancestor in ancient Chinese mythology.
To climb over; to transcend; to surpass
to return; to repeat; to reply
To kneel with both knees; to sit on the heels; an ancient ceremonial posture.
Summer — the second season of the year, characterized by warmth; also refers to the Xia dynasty, the first dynasty in traditional Chinese; a common Chinese surname.
distant, far; profound, deep; to seek, to search for
To harmonize; to blend; to coordinate
A legendary one-legged mythical creature in Chinese mythology; also an archaic character sometimes confused with 夔.
Summer — an archaic variant of 夏 (xià), meaning summer; the Xia dynasty; China
Kui — a mythical one-legged mountain demon or dragon in Chinese mythology; also refers to Kui, a legendary music master; a surname.
evening, dusk, sunset; refers to the latter part of the day.
outside; external; foreign
To lie down; to turn over when sleeping; to be resentful.
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.