マリオ
Your name
Mario
in Japanese
The default way to write Mario in Japanese is マリオ — a phonetic katakana spelling that captures the sound and signals, instantly to a Japanese reader, that the name comes from elsewhere. But katakana is only one of three answers Japanese gives to a foreign name.
Below, we show all three. First the official katakana. Then a set of meaning kanji chosen to express what Mario actually means at the root — From the Roman name Marius, of uncertain origin but often associated with the Roman war god Mars, conveying strength, masculinity, and warrior spirit. Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Mario is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Mario" means: From the Roman name Marius, of uncertain origin but often associated with the Roman war god Mars, conveying strength, masculinity, and warrior spirit. Also linked through similar roots to ideas of the sea (Latin 'mare').
勇士男
Yuushio
勇 (brave/courageous) + 士 (warrior/samurai) + 男 (man) — captures the warrior-god essence of Mars, a brave warrior man.
戦雄
Senyuu
戦 (battle/war) + 雄 (hero/masculine) — directly evokes the war-god Mars as a heroic figure of battle.
海央
Kaiou
海 (sea/ocean) + 央 (center/middle) — honors the alternative Latin root 'mare' (sea), placing one at the heart of the ocean.
Ateji — Sound + Meaning
Where the sound matches and the kanji tell their own small story. The Edo scholars and modern manga authors both played this game.
真理王
Mario
真 (ma: truth/genuine) + 理 (ri: reason/logic) + 王 (o: king) — cool/regal: the king of truth and reason.
鞠桜
Mario
鞠 (mari: traditional embroidered ball, playful) + 桜 (o: cherry blossom, with archaic 'o' reading) — cute and traditional, evoking a child playing with a temari ball under cherry blossoms.
魔璃緒
Mario
魔 (ma: magic/mystical) + 璃 (ri: lapis lazuli/crystal) + 緒 (o: thread/beginning) — mystical: the beginning thread of a magical crystal's tale.
Not sure which form to use?
Katakana, meaning kanji, and ateji each belong to a different part of Japanese life — official paperwork, calligraphy and gifts, signatures and wordplay. Our full guide walks through when to reach for each one.
Read the guide: the three ways to write your name in Japanese →
Seven, drawn