Marlies in Japanese

Marlies is written マルリイス in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Marlies would appear on a Japanese ID card, a café cup or a name tag. Depending on the origin of the name, it can also be written マルリース (as written in Japan).

Our top pick is 丸里生寿 (Maruriisu). 丸 means “round”, 里 means “hometown”, 生 means “life” and 寿 means “long life”. Other good options are 丸理生澄 (Maruriisu) and 円里生澄 (Maruriisu).

Not as a traditional name. Japanese people write foreign names in katakana, so 丸里生寿 is a creative kanji spelling (called ateji), chosen for its sounds and meanings. Japanese readers will understand what each character means, and many will enjoy the idea behind it.

丸里生寿 has 22 strokes in total (丸: 3, 里: 7, 生: 5, 寿: 7). It takes some practice to write neatly, so look up the stroke order before trying it with a brush.

Each character in 丸里生寿 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 “Marlies”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (マルリイス) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.