Japanese Names Ending in -maru

Famous -maru names

Ushiwakamaru was the childhood name of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Hiyoshimaru was the childhood name of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the sumo wrestler Musashimaru Koyo carried the ring name Musashimaru. Boys of samurai families received a maru name until they came of age.

Maru on ships

Japanese merchant ships carry names ending in Maru, as in Nippon Maru. Here the word is used for the ship, a custom that grew out of the older use for names.

Maru as a pet name

The word maru also means round, which is why it is a popular, friendly name for a pet with a round face.

Reading and writing 丸

The character 丸 means circle or round and is read maru when it ends a name. It is simple to write, with only three strokes, which is part of why it became so widely used for boys and later for ships, castles and pets.

Maru in everyday Japanese

Beyond names, maru is the word for a circle, and a circle drawn on a test paper means correct. Because of that, Maru is a friendly, positive name, and it is among the most popular names for cats and dogs in Japan.

Names ending in -maru