Korean Last Names

These Korean last names are listed with their Hangul spelling and meanings. Korea has relatively few surnames, and Kim, Lee and Park alone belong to nearly half of all South Koreans, so the variety lies in clans, spellings and rarer names.

153 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Ae 애

Mugwort
Ahn 안

Peace; tranquility

B

Bae 배

Long robe (裵); from the Chinese clan Pei
Baek 백

White
Ban 반

From the Chinese clan Pan
Bang 방

Direction; square
Bi 비

Great; from the Chinese clan Pi
Bin 빈

Guest
Bing 빙

Ice
Bok 복

Divination; to foretell
Bong 봉

To offer; to serve
Bu 부

Man; husband; Jeju Island surname
Bum 범

From the Chinese clan Fan (范)
Byun 변

Law; from the Chinese clan Bian

C

Cha 차

Chariot; cart
Chae 채

From the ancient state of Cai
Chang 창

Prosperous; flourishing
Cho 조

From the ancient state of Zhao
Choi 최

High; lofty
Choo 추

Autumn
Chun 천

Thousand

D

Dae 대

Great; from the Balhae royal clan
Dam 담

From the Chinese clan Tan
Dan 단

Section; from the Chinese clan Duan
Dang 당

From the Tang dynasty of China
Do 도

Capital city
Dokgo 독고

Two-syllable surname of Xianbei origin
Dong 동

To supervise; from the Chinese clan Dong
Dongbang 동방

The East; two-syllable surname
Doo 두

Birchleaf pear tree; from the clan Du

E

Eo 어

Fish
Eum 음

Shade; yin
Eun 은

From the ancient Yin (Shang) dynasty

G

Ga 가

Merchant; from the Chinese clan Jia
Gae 개

To introduce; from the Chinese clan Jie
Gal 갈

Kudzu vine; from the Chinese clan Ge
Gam 감

Sweet
Geum 금

Zither; Bonghwa Geum clan
Gi 기

Rare; wondrous
Gil 길

Lucky; auspicious
Gok 곡

Bent; melody (曲)
Gong 공

Clan of Confucius
Gung 궁

Bow; archer

H

Ha 하

River
Hae 해

Sea; Gimhae Hae clan
Hak 학

From the Chinese clan Hao
Ham 함

All; complete
Han 한

From the ancient state of Han; Korea
Heo 허

To permit; from the state of Xu
Ho 호

Retinue; from the Chinese clan Hu
Hong 홍

Wide; vast
Hoo 후

Empress; queen
Hwang 황

Yellow
Hwangbo 황보

Imperial elder; two-syllable surname
Hyun 현

Dark; profound
Hyung 형

From the ancient Chinese state of Xing

I

In 인

Seal; stamp

J

Jang 장

Bow stretcher; archer
Jegal 제갈

Two-syllable surname from the Zhuge clan
Jeom 점

To occupy; divination
Jeon 전

Whole; complete
Ji 지

Pond
Jin 진

From the ancient state of Chen
Jong 종

Bell; from the Chinese clan Zhong
Joo 주

Red; vermilion
Jun 준

Talented; outstanding
Jung 정

From the ancient Chinese state of Zheng
Jwa 좌

Left; Jeju Island surname

K

Kan 간

Simple; bamboo slip
Kang 강

Ginger; from the Chinese clan Jiang
Kim 김

Gold; the most common Korean surname
Ko 고

High; tall
Koo 구

Tool; to equip
Kook 국

To nurture; from the Chinese clan Ju (鞠)
Kwak 곽

Outer city wall
Kwon 권

Authority; power
Kye 계

Cassia; laurel tree
Kyeon 견

To discern; clan of King Gyeon Hwon
Kyung 경

Celebration; happiness

L

Lee 이

Plum tree
Lim 임

Forest

M

Ma 마

Horse
Mae 매

Plum blossom
Maeng 맹

Eldest; clan of Mencius
Man 만

Ten thousand
Mi 미

Rice grain
Min 민

To sympathize; from the Min clan
Mo 모

To seek; Hampyeong Mo clan
Mok 목

Harmony; friendly
Moon 문

Literature; writing
Muk 묵

Ink; clan of the philosopher Mozi
Myung 명

Bright; clear

N

Nam 남

South
Namgung 남궁

South palace; two-syllable surname
Nang 낭

Wave
Noe 뇌

Thunder
Noh 노

From the Chinese clan Lu (盧)

O

Oh 오

From the ancient state of Wu
Ok 옥

Jade
On 온

Warm; from the Chinese clan Wen
Ong 옹

Harmonious; from the Chinese clan Yong

P

Paeng 팽

From the Chinese clan Peng
Pan 판

To judge; to decide
Park 박

Gourd; from legendary king Hyeokgeose
Pi 피

Skin; leather
Pil 필

To assist
Po 포

To wrap; from the Chinese clan Bao
Poong 풍

From the Chinese clan Feng
Pyeon 편

Piece; slice (片)
Pyeong 평

Level; peace
Pyo 표

Sign; expression

R

Ra 라

Net; from the Luo clan
Ryu 류

Willow; alternate reading of Yoo

S

Sa 사

History; scribe
Sagong 사공

Minister of works; two-syllable surname
Sam 삼

Forest; three trees
Sang 상

Still; esteemed; from the Chinese clan Shang
Seo 서

Slowly; from the state of Xu
Seok 석

Stone
Seol 설

From the Chinese clan Xue
Seomun 서문

West gate; two-syllable surname
Seung 승

To inherit; to receive
Shin 신

To state; to extend; also other hanja such as Xin
Si 시

To bestow; from the Chinese clan Shi
Sim 심

To sink; from the clan Shen
So 소

Perilla plant; from the Chinese clan Su
Son 손

Grandchild; descendant
Song 송

From the ancient state of Song
Soo 수

Water
Soon 순

From the Chinese clan Xun (荀); also other hanja
Sun 선

To declare; to proclaim
Sung 성

To accomplish; to complete
Sunwoo 선우

From the Xianyu clan; two-syllable surname

T

Tae 태

Great; supreme
Tak 탁

Excellent; outstanding
Tang 탕

From the Chinese clan Tang

U

Uhm 엄

Strict; stern

W

Wang 왕

King
Wi 위

From the ancient state of Wei
Won 원

Origin; source
Woo 우

Named after the legendary Emperor Yu
Woon 운

Cloud

Y

Yang 양

Poplar (楊) or bridge (梁); both Chinese clans
Ye 예

Small; from the Chinese clan Rui
Yeo 여

From the Chinese clan Lu (Lü)
Yeom 염

Honest; incorruptible
Yeon 연

To extend (延); also other hanja
Yeop 엽

Leaf
Yo 요

Elegant; from the Chinese clan Yao
Yong 용

Dragon
Yoo 유

Willow; also from the Liu clan
Yook 육

Land; mainland
Yoon 윤

Governor; to rule

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Results (6)

Kook

국

To nurture; from the Chinese clan Ju (鞠)
Jin

진

From the ancient state of Chen
Chae

채

From the ancient state of Cai
Geum

금

Zither; Bonghwa Geum clan
Mok

목

Harmony; friendly
Ji

지

Pond

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Why a few Korean surnames cover so many people

Korean surnames are almost always a single syllable, written with one Hangul block and traditionally one Chinese character. Kim (김, 金) means gold or metal, Lee (이, 李) means plum tree, and Park (박, 朴) is linked to the gourd from which Bak Hyeokgeose, the legendary founder of Silla, was said to hatch. Together these three names cover nearly half of the population of South Korea, with Choi, Jung, Kang, Cho, Yoon, Jang and Lim following.

The concentration built up over centuries. In early Korea only royalty and aristocrats used surnames. Commoners adopted them gradually, and many chose the prestigious names of powerful clans. When the Gabo Reform of 1894 abolished the formal class system and a registration law in 1909 required every household to hold a surname, most remaining families took familiar names. The result is a country where a single classroom may contain several unrelated Kims.

Clans, bon-gwan and two-syllable names

Because so many people share a surname, Koreans distinguish families by their bon-gwan, the ancestral seat of the clan. The Gimhae Kim clan traces its origin to King Suro of Gaya, while the Jeonju Lee clan produced the royal family of the Joseon dynasty. Miryang Park and Gyeongju Choi are other large clans. Until the Civil Code was revised in 2005, marriage between two people with the same surname and bon-gwan was prohibited, which shows how seriously clan identity was taken.

A small number of surnames use two syllables. Namgung (남궁), Hwangbo (황보), Jegal (제갈), Seonu (선우) and Dokgo (독고) are real and rare, and they stand out immediately in a list of Korean names. Some names are shared with Chinese and Vietnamese families because they use the same characters, such as 李, which is Lee in Korea, Li in China and Ly in Vietnam, but pronunciation and family history differ in each country.

Spelling and using Korean last names

Romanization is the reason one name can look like several. 이 is usually written Lee, but also Yi, Rhee or I. 박 appears as Park, Pak or Bak, 정 as Jung, Jeong or Chung, and 최 as Choi or Choe. The official system introduced in 2000 favours spellings like I, Bak and Jeong, but most families keep older forms on passports, which is why Lee and Park remain the familiar spellings abroad.

Korean women keep their own surname after marriage, and children usually take the father's name, although since 2008 parents may choose the mother's surname if they agree when registering the marriage. In Korean the surname comes first, so the actor Song Kang-ho is Mr. Song. For fiction, a common name like Kim or Park feels natural and neutral, while Namgung or Seonu gives a character an unusual, slightly aristocratic edge.

Frequently asked questions

Which Korean last names are the most common?

Kim is the most common surname in South Korea, followed by Lee and Park. Choi, Jung, Kang, Cho, Yoon, Jang and Lim complete the usual top group. Kim, Lee and Park together are carried by close to half of all South Koreans.

Why do so many Koreans share the same surname?

For centuries surnames belonged mainly to the elite. When commoners adopted them, especially in the late Joseon period and during registration drives around 1900, many chose prestigious clan names such as Kim, Lee and Park. The pool of names stayed small while the population grew.

Why are Korean surnames spelled in different ways?

Different romanization systems and personal preference. The name 이 can be Lee, Yi, Rhee or I, and 정 can be Jung, Jeong or Chung. Families usually keep whatever spelling appears on their first passport, so relatives abroad may spell the same name differently.

Do Korean women take their husband's surname?

No. Korean women keep their birth surname for life, so a married couple normally has two different surnames. Children traditionally take the father's surname, though parents can now choose the mother's if they agree when registering the marriage.