刚（gang）
Name meaning
刚 (gang) means firmness, toughness and upright resilience. In naming it reads as strength with structure, not brute hardness.
Practical naming use
刚 (gang) is a firmness-and-resilience character. It gives a name backbone, courage and plain structural strength, so the result feels solid rather than ornate. It is especially useful for cultural depth, classical or literary reference, personality image, because the character can carry a recognizable Chinese image without becoming empty dictionary filler. The best results come when the second character adds human direction, warmth, restraint or breadth, so the full given name feels lived-in rather than generic.
Pair 刚 (gang) with characters such as 怡 (yi) only cautiously, but better with 安 (an), 宁 (ning), 明 (ming) or 文 (wen) so the second character softens the hardness into a human quality. The full name should feel strong, not blunt.
刚正 (Gangzheng): Gang contributes firm, strong; Zheng adds upright, correct.
Historical / name-use references
申屠刚 (Shentu Gang)
申屠刚 (shen tu gang) Shentu Gang was an Eastern Han official. His name directly contains 刚 (gang), giving the character a historical reference for firmness and integrity.