Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
to hold; to grasp; a handle
An archaic character meaning to insert, to put in, or to bury.
To strike; to hit; to pound
To lift up; to rescue; to save
To fall; to drop; to lose
to consume, to wear out; to rub, to knead; to play with
To press or push into; to insert; to stuff
To restrain, suppress, or curb; or, a conjunction meaning 'or', 'but', used in classical Chinese.
to express, to convey, to pour out; to relieve, to unburden
to grab; to scratch; to seize
To hold or scoop up with both hands; a measure meaning a double handful; to cup.
to throw; to cast; to hurl
To tremble, shake, shiver; to stir up, rouse; to squander.
to resist; to oppose; to fight
to break; to snap; to fold
To rub with hands; to gather, collect; an archaic variant of 捊.
To stroke; to caress; to comfort
To throw, toss, cast; to abandon, discard; to reveal, expose.
To pull out; to extract; to select
To pull; to drag; to break off
To choose; to select; to pick. (Note: This is a Japanese Shinjitai simplified form of 擇)
to roll or knead into a ball; to form into a round mass; to gather
To dig or scrape out with fingers; to be stingy or miserly; to delve into minutiae
to swing; to brandish; to wield
To snatch; to grab; to rob
An obscure or rare character; meaning unclear in modern usage.
to protect; to guard; to defend
to report; to announce; to inform
To hold; to grasp; to take in hand
To strike; to beat; to hit with force.
to attack (verbally); to criticize; to impeach
To carry earth; to transport soil or dirt; to move earth using hands or tools.
To spread out; to scatter; to disseminate
to drape over one's shoulders; to open; to unroll
To lift, raise, carry (by two or more people); to elevate; to increase (prices, etc.)
To ladle out; to scoop out; to bail out (water, etc.)
To turn; to revolve; to rotate
To take; to seize; to grasp
To strike; to beat; to drive (as in driving a chariot).
to hold or carry in the arms; to embrace; to hug
To carry on the shoulder; to threaten; to control (archaic usage)
To stop; to halt; to obstruct
To pull; to drag; to tow
to resist; to withstand; to support
To whip; to flog; to strike
To split with hands; to tear apart; to scatter.
To hold; to grasp; to carry under the arm
to smear; to wipe; to apply
To wipe; to rub; to clean by wiping.
To pull out; to stretch; to extend
To pawn, mortgage; to detain, take into custody; to sign, endorse
To draw out; to pull out; to extract
To lift; to raise; to carry in both hands
To press lightly with the lips; to sip; to smooth down (hair)
To beat, strike, or hit; to attack or assault.
To take; to grasp; to pull
To brush away; to wipe; to dust
A unit of length equal to the span between the tips of; to measure by spanning.
to lean on (a stick); to support; to prop up
to carry on a shoulder pole; to bear; to undertake
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.