名 (6 strokes) is made of 夕 (evening) and 口 (mouth). On'yomi: めい, みょう. Kun'yomi: な. Rather than stacking them squarely, set 夕 to the upper-left and 口 to the lower-right so the two interlock on a diagonal — the key to a balanced form.

Meaning and Origin of 名

名 joins 夕 (evening) and 口 (mouth). In the dark of dusk, when a face could not be seen, one spoke one's name aloud with the mouth — and so the character came to mean "name." On'yomi: めい, みょう; kun'yomi: な.

Writing 名 — Composition and Stroke Order

名 has 夕 above and 口 below, but the point is to shift them — 夕 slightly left, 口 to the lower right — rather than stacking them straight down.

• Make the left-falling stroke of 夕 long: give the first sweep and the second curve room; they form the skeleton of the character.
• Keep 口 small, to the lower right: tuck 口 into the pocket of 夕's sweep so the two mesh on a diagonal and the form tightens.
• Let the weight run upper-left to lower-right: arranging them on a diagonal rather than a vertical stack gives even a six-stroke character a sense of movement.

Expression by Script Style

Kaisho (Regular Script)

Draw the sweep and curve of 夕 carefully and keep 口 close to a small square. Clear stops and hooks keep it formal.

Gyosho (Semi-Cursive Script)

Connect the motion from 夕 into 口 and let the sweep flow; softening 口 a little gives a lighter expression.

Sosho (Cursive Script)

Gather 夕 and 口 in a single energetic motion along the diagonal. Even while abbreviating, keep the weight running from upper-left to lower-right.

Summary

名 is a 6-stroke character combining 夕 and 口. Set 夕 upper-left and 口 lower-right on a diagonal rather than stacking them — this diagonal balance gives the character both stability and movement.