メアリー
Your name
Mary
in Japanese
The default way to write Mary in Japanese is メアリー — 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 Mary actually means at the root — Mary derives from Hebrew Miriam, traditionally interpreted as 'beloved,' 'wished-for child,' or 'star of the sea. Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Mary is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Mary" means: Mary derives from Hebrew Miriam, traditionally interpreted as 'beloved,' 'wished-for child,' or 'star of the sea.' It is associated with grace, purity, and devotion.
愛海
Manami
愛 (ai/mana) = love, affection; 海 (umi/mi) = sea, ocean — together evoking 'beloved of the sea,' echoing the 'star of the sea' tradition.
麻里
Mari
麻 (ma) = hemp, a sacred Shinto purification plant symbolizing purity; 里 (ri) = home village — 'pure homeland,' reflecting Mary's purity and rootedness.
聖恵
Kiyoe
聖 = holy, sacred; 恵 = grace, blessing — capturing Mary's traditional associations with sanctity and divine grace.
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.
芽愛莉
Mearī
芽 (me) = sprout, bud; 愛 (a) = love; 莉 (rī) = jasmine — a cute, floral image of a budding, beloved jasmine blossom.
舞央璃
Maori (Mearī)
舞 (ma/me) = dance; 央 (a/o) = center, heart; 璃 (rī) = lapis lazuli, crystal — a cool, mystical image of dancing at the heart of a jewel.
明里
Meari
明 (mei/me) = bright, clear, dawn; 里 (a)・(ri) = village, home — a bright village, evoking warmth and a luminous home.
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