The Chinese name "荀彧" is formed by combining the surname character "荀" and the given name character "彧". "荀" is a pictophonetic character composed of the grass radical (艹) suggesting plant-related origins and the phonetic component "旬" indicating its pronunciation. "彧" is also a pictophonetic character, consisting of the cultural radical (文) implying refinement and the phonetic component "或" guiding its sound and meaning of elegance. Together, these characters create the full name.