Mashiro

Mashiro (ましろ) is a unisex Japanese given name and a Japanese surname.

Meaning
When used as a name, the Kana writing ましろ aka "Ma White" (茉白) is the standard reading of Mashiro. This reading is traditionally reserved for girls, as boys have their own kana readings for Mashiro. The first sound used for both genders is "Ma" which has many meanings that give a gentle and inclusive feeling. It also has a sense of openness, and is bright, active, expansive, and sociable when using the vowel "あ(a)" for the sound. In terms of luck, the status (地格は) of any given name is determined by the number of strokes in the Kanji characters used. The standard feminine reading of "Ma White" (茉白) is considered "excellent luck" (大吉). As a dictionary definition, the Kana ましろ is now obsolete for 茉白 ("pure white" or "blank" e.g. mind, paper).

Possible writings
Outside of its standard feminine reading of ましろ, Mashiro can be written in dozens of different ways that individually exceed 100 for both sexes. Unique readings which are probable guesses are then split off from the larger group. For example, as a boy's name Mashiro has an extended list from one source that includes at least 77 syllabaries of which 15 are unique. As a girl's name, Mashiro can be written using at least 27 different syllabaries of which 10 are unique. As its impossible to list all of the combinations here, only the first 17 feminine writings are listed below.

People

 * Mashiro Ayano (綾野 ましろ), Japanese singer signed to Sacra Music
 * Yuki Mashiro (ましろ ゆき), Japanese professional wrestler

Fictional characters

 * Mashiro Kazahana, a character in the Japanese anime series My-HiME and My-Otome
 * Mashiro Kuna, a character in the Japanese manga and anime series Bleach
 * Mashiro Kurata, a character in BanG Dream!
 * Mashiro Mitsumine, a brown-haired monster from the Japanese four-panel manga Mikakunin de Shinkoukei
 * Mashiro Nijigaoka, a character in the Japanese anime series Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure
 * Mashiro Shiina, a character in the Japanese light novel series The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
 * Moritaka Mashiro, a character in the Japanese manga series Bakuman
 * Rima Mashiro, a character in the Japanese manga series Shugo Chara!