ザカリー
Your name
Zachary
in Japanese
The default way to write Zachary in Japanese is ザカリー — 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 Zachary actually means at the root — From the Hebrew name Zechariah (זְכַרְיָה), meaning 'Yahweh remembers' or 'remembered by God'. Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Zachary is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Zachary" means: From the Hebrew name Zechariah (זְכַרְיָה), meaning 'Yahweh remembers' or 'remembered by God'.
神慈
Shinji
神 (shin) = god/divine; 慈 (ji) = mercy, compassion — capturing 'remembered with divine compassion by God'.
記恩
Kion
記 (ki) = to remember, to record; 恩 (on) = grace, blessing — 'the recorded grace,' echoing 'God remembers' as a kept blessing.
想天
Souten
想 (sou) = thought, remembrance; 天 (ten) = heaven — 'remembered by heaven,' the meaning of Zechariah rendered poetically.
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.
座狩李
Zakarii
座 (za) = seat, throne; 狩 (kari) = hunt; 李 (ri/i) = plum — a cool 'enthroned hunter of plums,' regal and adventurous.
三香莉
Zakarii (read as Sakari, playfully voiced)
三 (za, playful voicing of 'sa') = three; 香 (ka) = fragrance; 莉 (ri) = jasmine — a cute, fragrant trio of jasmine blossoms.
颯華璃
Zakarii (stylized)
颯 (za, stylized) = swift wind; 華 (ka) = flower, splendor; 璃 (ri) = lapis lazuli/crystal — mystical 'wind-borne flower of crystal light.'
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 →
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