Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
A character meaning a high, spacious dwelling or a tall building; an archaic term for a lofty residence.
To slaughter or butcher (animals); to govern or rule; a high official in ancient China
Zha — a rare character meaning spacious, wide; also used in names.
treasure, precious; to store, to keep safe; variant form of 寶 (bǎo)
harm, damage, injury; to harm, to injure; calamity, disaster
banquet, feast; to entertain, to host a dinner party; leisurely, at ease
night, evening — refers to the nighttime hours; often used in literary contexts to denote the period from dusk till
Family, home, household; a specialist in some field; a school of thought
To examine carefully; to investigate; to scrutinize. Archaic variant of 審 (shěn).
Imperial palace; dwelling of the emperor; by extension, the throne or imperial authority
To contain, hold; to tolerate, allow; appearance, countenance
wide; vast; expansive (archaic character)
Dense, thick, close; secret, confidential; intimate, close relationship.
Bandit, invader, enemy; to harass, to plunder; also used as a surname.
wide, broad, lenient, generous, relaxed, spacious
Guest; visitor; to receive as a guest
Lodge, stay overnight; lodging; long-standing, old
Official salary; official position; a surname.
Swift; rapid; quick
Silent, quiet, solitary, lonely, desolate; describes a state of profound stillness or absence of noise and activity.
Injustice, grievance, wrongful treatment; an old variant form of 冤 meaning unjust case or false accusation.
To send, mail, or dispatch; to entrust or deposit; to depend on or attach to
The third of the twelve Earthly Branches in the Chinese zodiac; associated with the tiger, the period 3–5 AM, and the direction east-northeast; also used in formal contexts for the year of the tiger.
dense; thick; close
Bandit, invader, enemy; to invade, to plunder; also a surname.
Qing — ancient form of 青 (qīng), meaning blue, green, young, or; used in classical texts and names.
Crane — a large wading bird known for its elegance and longevity; alternative form of 鶴.
Zhen — an ancient, rare Chinese character used primarily in personal names; meaning obscure but associated with ancient usage.
Jian — a surname; also refers to a type of ancient musical instrument or a musical
Rich, wealthy, abundant; to enrich, to make prosperous; ample, plentiful.
Peaceful, tranquil, serene; an archaic variant of 寧/宁 meaning peace and tranquility.
Sleepwalking; nightmare; illness
A character meaning a house with surrounding walls; a courtyard; an enclosure. Used in ancient texts to describe architectural structures.
To sleep; to fall asleep; to be in a state of sleep.
To sleep; bedroom; dwelling
Cold — refers to low temperature; winter; poor
To reside, dwell; to imply, contain; to entrust
Truly, indeed; real, actual; solid, substantial
Peaceful, tranquil; serene; calm
To soak, immerse, permeate; gradually, little by little; to advance or progress slowly.
Ning — a surname; also an archaic variant of 寧 (ning2) meaning 'peaceful', 'tranquil', 'serene'; sometimes used in names.
to place, to put; to set aside; to store
Lazy, slothful, negligent — describes a state of laziness or indolence.
Treasure, precious object — an archaic, rare character used as a variant
Wide; broad; lenient
To sleep; to rest; bedroom
lonely; solitary; desolate
To observe; to examine; to investigate
Poor, impoverished; destitute; humble dwelling
Few; scant; sparse
To sleep; to rest; bedroom
To talk in one's sleep; to speak nonsense; to lie.
to awaken; to wake up from sleep; to become conscious or aware
Few; sparse; deserted
Real, true, solid, substantial; fruit, seed; to fill
Peaceful, tranquil, serene; to prefer, would rather; used in place names like Ningxia and Nanjing.
Stockade, military camp, fortress; also refers to a stockaded village or mountain stronghold, often used in
To examine; to investigate; to try (in legal context)
A rare Chinese surname; also refers to a type of dwelling or residence in ancient usage.
To write; to compose; to describe
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.