Chinese name character
Chinese name character 賢, simplified 贤
xián
Simplified: 贤
The character 賢 (Mandarin xián) appears in 10 names and 4 syllables in this reference and is spelled Hieng, Shyan, Hsien, Hian and Yin in Malaysia. Recorded meanings include “virtuous; wise; able”, “virtuous; worthy, wise” and “virtuous person”.
- Names and syllables
- 14
- Malaysian spellings
- 8
- Strokes
- 15
- Attested in records
- 4
14 names and syllables in this reference have 賢 as one of their character options. For 4 of them, 賢 is attested in records of real names; the rest are possible characters for that spelling.
Meanings of 賢: the recorded options
virtuous; wise; able
in 14 character options · attested
virtuous; worthy, wise
in 2 character options · attested
virtuous person
in 1 character options
Unihan definition: virtuous, worthy, good; able
What a name means depends on the characters the family chose and how they combine; these are options, not one definite meaning.
Malaysian spellings of 賢
| Spelling | Romanization | attested in name records |
|---|---|---|
| Hieng | Teochew · Foochow | attested in name records |
| Shyan | romanization not stated | attested in name records |
| Hsien | romanization not stated | possible |
| Hian | Hokkien | possible |
| Yin | Cantonese | possible |
| Hean | Hokkien | possible |
| Hiang | Teochew | possible |
| Yeen | Cantonese | possible |
Readings of 賢 by dialect
Readings from the character options in our name records; Unihan gives Mandarin xián and Cantonese jin4.
10 names that can be written with 賢
4 syllables that can stand for 賢
Sources
- Wiktionary: 賢 · en.wiktionary.org · meaning
- MDBG: 賢 · mdbg.net · meaning
- Unicode Unihan Database: U+8CE2 · unicode.org · meaning
Readings, meanings and stroke count: the character options in our name records and the Unicode Unihan Database (Unicode License). A spelling describes how a name is written, not anyone’s dialect or background.
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Frequently asked questions
What does 賢 mean in a name?
Our records give several meanings for 賢, including “virtuous; wise; able”, “virtuous; worthy, wise” and “virtuous person”. What a name actually means depends on the characters the family chose and how they combine.
How is 賢 spelled in Malaysia?
In our records 賢 is spelled Hieng (Teochew, Foochow), Shyan, Hsien, Hian (Hokkien), Yin (Cantonese), Hean (Hokkien), Hiang (Teochew) and Yeen (Cantonese). A spelling follows a dialect’s romanization; it does not show which dialect anyone speaks.
Is every Hieng written 賢?
Not necessarily. The spelling Hieng can also stand for 顯, 炫. Only the family knows which character was chosen.