Chinese name for Mary
Mary in Chinese at a glance
- Meaning
- meaning uncertain; often 'beloved' or 'bitter sea'
- Origin
- Hebrew
- English pronunciation
- MAIR-ee
- Used for
- girls
Capitals mark the stressed syllable.
How Mary sounds to native English speakers
- Peak popularity
- Around the 1920s
- Today
- Timeless classic
- Feels
- classicgentle
- At work
- Works well
A general impression based mostly on US and UK naming trends, not a statistic; feelings vary by place and age.
Mary is usually transliterated into Chinese as 玛丽 (mǎ lì). That's a sound-for-sound rendering — great for subtitles, not quite a name a Chinese family would choose. Below are real Chinese names that echo the sound of Mary, each with a surname and a meaningful given name.
Does Mary suit you? →Type your Chinese name to check how it flows with your surname, or find a better fitMary
马莉菲
mǎ lì fēi
- 莉 lì — jasmine
- 菲 fēi — fragrant
9 Chinese names that sound like Mary
Each character was picked for sound first, then meaning; tones and unlucky homophones were checked.
马俐琳
mǎ lì lín
- 俐 lì · Fire — clever
- 琳 lín · Wood — beautiful jade
surname: 马
Make a name card with this →马丽瑶
mǎ lì yáo
- 丽 lì · Fire — beautiful
- 瑶 yáo · Fire — precious jade
surname: 马
Make a name card with this →马篱欣
mǎ lí xīn
- 篱 lí · Wood — fence; pastoral
- 欣 xīn · Wood — joyful, thriving
surname: 马
Make a name card with this →马黎雅
mǎ lí yǎ
- 黎 lí · Fire — dawn
- 雅 yǎ · Wood — elegant
surname: 马
Make a name card with this →马铃
mǎ líng
- 铃 líng · Metal — bell
Same sound, other characters: 马灵 (灵 clever, spirited grace) · 马凌 (凌 soaring ambition) · 马玲 (玲 exquisite)
surname: 马
Make a name card with this →
Also see these names
What does Mary mean?
Mary comes from Hebrew and means meaning uncertain; often 'beloved' or 'bitter sea'.
How do you write Mary in Chinese?
The standard Chinese transliteration is 玛丽, read mǎ lì.
How do you pronounce Mary?
In English it's said MAIR-ee (the capital letters are the stressed syllable).
Is a transliteration the same as a Chinese name?
Not quite. A transliteration copies sounds and is used for foreign names in news and subtitles. A Chinese name follows Chinese naming customs: a common surname plus one or two characters chosen for meaning and sound.
Can I use these names?
Yes — they're suggestions for fun and inspiration. Say them aloud, ask a Chinese-speaking friend, and pick what feels like you.
Is Mary a good English name?
Mary peaked around the 1920s and today it's timeless classic. It feels classic, gentle; at work: works well.
For entertainment and inspiration. Character meanings follow common dictionaries; naming customs vary.