Named in SeoulKorean names · Mary
A Korean name for Mary
The closest Korean sound match for Mary is 마리 (Ma-Ri) — composed from syllables Koreans actually use in given names — different from simply spelling Mary in hangul (that transliteration is 메리, covered below). Each option below pairs Korean syllables with hanja, the Sino-Korean characters that give a name its meaning.
How to write Mary in Korean
In hangul, Mary is written 메리 (me-ri) — two syllables: 메 (me) · 리 (ri).
That spells the sound of Mary in Korean letters — a transliteration, not a name. A Korean given name is composed from syllables Koreans actually use in names, anchored to hanja that carry meaning. The closest one for Mary is 마리, below.
Compare the two forms: 메리 uses two syllables and 마리 uses two. The shared 리 carries over, while the Korean name match drops 메 and adds 마.
Closest match
마리
Ma-Ri · 瑪理
- 瑪 (마) — agate
- 理 (리) — reason; order
Option 2
모리
Mo-Ri · 謨莉
- 謨 (모) — wise plan
- 莉 (리) — jasmine
Option 3
모린
Mo-Rin · 謨璘
- 謨 (모) — wise plan
- 璘 (린) — jade brilliance
What 마리 feels like
As a name match for Mary, 마리 combines a current, contemporary feel with a soft, feminine lean in today's usage. That name form sits apart from the transliteration 메리 (me-ri). 마 (ma) carries the water sound, linked here to wisdom, adaptability, and calm; 리 (ri) shifts to fire, associated with warmth, energy, and brightness.
Is 마리 a name Koreans actually use?
마리 itself is uncommon as a Korean given name and was composed to connect with Mary. What keeps it natural is its parts: 마 (ma) and 리 (ri) are living syllables still used in names today, so the full name reads naturally rather than foreign.
Other English names that lead to 마리
The English names Amari, Amelie, Emilie, Malia, Malik and Mariana land on the same Korean syllables as Mary: 마 and 리. Each page therefore has 마리 as its closest match.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say Mary in Korean?
Mary in Korean is 메리 (me-ri). That is the transliteration — how the name is written in hangul, not a Korean given name.
What is the Korean name for Mary?
The closest real Korean name for Mary is 마리 (Ma-Ri). Other close matches: 모리 (Mo-Ri), 모린 (Mo-Rin).
What does 마리 mean?
For Mary, the selected 마리 pairing is written with 瑪 (마, "agate") and 理 (리, "reason; order"). In Korean naming, the hanja carry the meaning.
How do you pronounce 마리?
For the Mary match, 마리 is romanized Ma-Ri — two syllables, 마 (ma) · 리 (ri).
Is 마리 the only Korean name for Mary?
No. The other candidates are 모리 (Mo-Ri), 모린 (Mo-Rin). The same Korean name, 마리, also matches the English names Amari, Amelie, Emilie, Malia, Malik and Mariana.
Why isn't 메리 used as a Korean given name?
메 is not a syllable used in Korean given names, though 리 is. That is what makes 메리 a spelling of Mary rather than a name — 마리 is composed from syllables that do appear in Korean names.
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These are sound matches for the name Mary. Your personal result goes further: we calculate your saju (Four Pillars) birth chart and choose hanja whose elements fit you — the way Korean names are traditionally composed. The first name is free.
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