He was "the Dragon." In the Japanese release of "Super Mario Bros."," he's called "Kuupaa Lung," meaning "snapping dragon." His full name in Japan is "Bowsu Kuupaa no Wang," "King Bowser Koopa." "Bowsu" may mean "Fiery," I'm not sure. It's either a verb or an adjective. "Kuupaa" and "Koopa" seem to be interchangable in Japanese "Mario" texts.