Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
to prick; to pierce; to tie
A rare character meaning to hold or grasp firmly; to bind or secure.
To count or calculate using straws or slips (ancient divination method); to insert between the fingers; to restrain.
To rush at; to pounce on; to attack
To hold on to; to cling to; to dig up
to hit; to strike; to beat
to throw; to cast; to toss
To pay; to clear away; to wipe
A rare character; primarily used in Japanese contexts as a simplified form or variant.
An archaic variant form of 在 (zài), meaning 'to be at', 'to
to hold in the palm; to support; to entrust
To rely on; to lean on; a support or prop
To pull; to tug; to drag
to carry on the shoulder; to lift; to bear
To stretch out; to pull; to lead
To drag; to pull; to lead
To defend, guard, protect; to ward off; to resist
To pull, to stretch; to extend; to lead
To fork; to use a fork; to thrust with a fork
To drag; to pull; to delay
To rub; to polish; to clean
to button; to buckle; to deduct
To shake; to sway; to be unstable
To pull; to tug; to yank
To insert; a spike; a slender pointed object
to hold; to grasp; to execute
A rare character used in Japanese as a conjunction meaning 'then' or; in Chinese, it is archaic and rarely used.
To expand, enlarge, extend, broaden; to amplify or increase in scope, size, or capacity.
to touch; to feel; to stroke
to sweep; to clean; to clear away
To raise; to lift; to hoist
to twist; to turn; to wrench
to dress up; to disguise oneself; to play the part of
to pull; to tear; to drag
to disturb, to annoy, to harass; to cause trouble; to interfere with
To collect; to gather; to take up
To hold; to grasp; to lift
to pull; to turn; to switch
To scrape; to scratch; to rub
An archaic variant of 於/于, meaning 'in', 'at', 'on', 'to', 'from', or
to support with the hand; to help someone up; to assist
A rare character meaning to measure by arm-span or fathom; to extend arms.
An ancient character meaning to break apart, split, or separate; also used as a variant form.
to criticize; to comment on; to approve or disapprove
to strike; to beat; to resist
To strike; to hit; to beat
to clutch; to grip tightly; to guard
To tug sharply; to pull with a jerk; to yank.
to look for; to seek; to find
to undertake; to bear; to carry on
skill, ability, technique, craft; refers to one's capability or proficiency in a particular field.
To move; to shake; to brandish. An archaic character.
To shake; to sway; to be agitated
To clap hands; to applaud; to express joy or approval by clapping.
to copy, to transcribe, to plagiarize, to search and confiscate, to take
To collect, gather; to restrain, hold back; variant form of 拘.
to wipe; to clean; to rub
To dig; to excavate; to stir
To bend; to break; to snap. An archaic character with limited modern usage.
To pick out; to select; to gouge out
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.