Meaning
far, distant, far-reaching
In names
远 means far, distant, or far-reaching. It is a name character about vision and distance, and it appears in some of the most familiar Chinese masculine names: 明远, 致远, 修远. The walking radical gives it a sense of movement; the meaning is easy to explain as “far” or “going far”.
The pronunciation is yuǎn, a third tone that dips and rises. English speakers often find the ü sound difficult; the closest approximation is “yoo-en” with a low, dipping tone. The character is simple to write and very common in names.
远 is often paired with characters about brightness, ambition, or cultivation. It can make a name feel determined without being aggressive. For a foreigner, it is a good choice if you want a name with a clear, positive meaning that Chinese speakers will recognise immediately.
Structure and etymology
A walking radical (辶) with a phonetic component; the character means far or distant.
Names that use this character
Naming notes
Vision and distance; common in male names such as 明远, 致远, 修远.
Tags: strong, scholarly. It carries a masculine leaning in modern usage.
Reference: Unihan database · Chinese Text Project. Meanings here are editorial summaries for naming, not full dictionary definitions.