Maria in Japanese
In Japanese, Maria is written in katakana as マリア (Maria), the way Japanese people write foreign names. To write it in kanji, each sound gets a character chosen for its meaning. Our top pick is 満里愛 (maria): “fullness”, “hometown”, “love”.
How Maria sounds in Japanese
Kanji for Maria
- 満ma fullnessFull and complete, like the full moon.The autumn full moon viewing festival, Tsukimi, honors the harvest moon with offerings of sweet rice dumplings.
- 里ri hometownA village or home ground; the place you come back to.
- 愛a loveLove and affection in every sense; the most popular character in Japanese girls’ names.The kanji 愛 was famously worn on the helmet crest of the Sengoku samurai Naoe Kanetsugu.
- 茉ma jasmineJasmine, as in 茉莉 (matsuri), the jasmine flower.
- 梨ri pear blossomThe pear tree and its white spring blossoms.
- 愛a loveLove and affection in every sense; the most popular character in Japanese girls’ names.The kanji 愛 was famously worn on the helmet crest of the Sengoku samurai Naoe Kanetsugu.
By style
Real Japanese names that sound like Maria
Maria sounds close to まりあ (Maria), which is a real given name in Japan. Japanese parents write it with kanji such as:
- 聖美 maria — holy + beauty
- 真里亜 maria — truth + hometown + next in line
- 麻里亜 maria — hemp + hometown + next in line
- 万里亜 maria — ten thousand + hometown + next in line
- 真里愛 maria — truth + hometown + love
If you want a kanji name that a Japanese person could mistake for a native name, these spellings are the closest.
How common are these kanji in Japan?
- 満 (fullness) is common in Japanese given names.
- 里 (hometown) is one of the most common characters in Japanese given names.
- 愛 (love) is common in Japanese given names.
Maria in anime worlds
Maria as an anime character →Maria in Jujutsu Kaisen (fan-made) →Maria in Demon Slayer (fan-made) →Maria in Attack on Titan (fan-made) →Maria in Dandadan (fan-made) →
Questions about Maria in Japanese
How do you write Maria in Japanese?
Maria is written マリア in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Maria would appear on a Japanese ID card, a café cup or a name tag.
What are the best kanji for Maria?
Our top pick is 満里愛 (Maria). 満 means “fullness”, 里 means “hometown” and 愛 means “love”. Other good options are 茉梨愛 (Maria) and 真璃愛 (Maria).
Is 満里愛 a real Japanese name?
Yes. 満里愛 is also found in Japan as a girl’s name, read Maria, so it looks natural to Japanese readers. For Maria, it works as both a real-looking Japanese name and a kanji spelling of your own name.
How many strokes is 満里愛?
満里愛 has 32 strokes in total (満: 12, 里: 7, 愛: 13). It takes some practice to write neatly, so look up the stroke order before trying it with a brush.
Can I use 満里愛 as a tattoo?
Each character in 満里愛 has a positive meaning, so it is a reasonable choice. Keep in mind that Japanese people will read it as the meaning of the characters, not instantly as “Maria”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (マリア) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.
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Names that sound similar
Malia · Malin · Mari · Marie · Marija · Marika · Marilu · Marin · Margret · Margrethe