Korean names: meaning, pronunciation and spelling of names in Korean.
Korean traditions when choosing a name
According to the tradition widespread in Asia, the korean name consists of a person’s surname and a personal name following it.
Thus, the surname is always written before the personal name.
Usually a korean surname consists of one syllable, and a personal name consists of two.
Names consisting of one or three syllables are quite rare.
If the surname of a korean consists of two syllables, then usually a personal name consists of one syllable.
In Korea a person initially acquired a surname by the name of the clan to which he or she belonged.
At the same time, a married woman did not change her last name.
But the children received the name of the father.
So the clan surname continued to live for centuries.
What do you call a yacht — so it will sail
45% of koreans carry the surname Kim, Lee and Pak.
But korean parents are practically unlimited in choosing a name for their child.
At the moment, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea, when choosing a personal name for a child, allows the use of more than five thousand from the list of allowed characters.
However some korean families are not limited to this list.
An interesting point:
Korean personal names are not actually divided into purely masculine and purely feminine.
Compare the use of the names Alexey and Maria in our tradition.
Of course, we also have names that can be given to both men and women:
Alexander and Alexandra, Eugene (m.) and Eugene (f.), Julius and Julia.
But in Korean tradition most personal names are universal.
Parents give the name of the child taking into account many factors.
Finding a child’s personal name is an important and sacred process, and therefore the whole clan or at least all close relatives participate in it.
Koreans believe, that the name chosen for the child determines his fate.
Family councils come up with names, and then parents go to the fortuneteller to find out the stars’ opinion on their choice.
The fortuneteller “studies” what the stars say about the fate of the child, what awaits him in the future, and renders his verdict.
It turns out that the decisive word in the choice remains with the fortuneteller
Usually a personal name reflects the quality that parents wish their child — good luck, health, prosperity, beauty.
Korean names
The tables below show korean names, meanings, spelling according to the rules of the Revised Romanization.
The spelling of korean names is given in Hangul.
Where possible, close meanings of the name and synonyms are given.
To facilitate perception, the names are sorted by spelling in a Revised Romanization.
Korean names on B
| Revised Romanization | Hangul | Meaning |
Bae | 배 | Inspiration |
Bon Hwa | 번화 | Glorious, Prosperous, Blooming, Successful |
Korean names on C
Chin | 친 | Expensive |
Chin Hwa | 친화 | Most prosperous, Friendly, Fair |
Chin Mae | 친매 | Truth |
Cho Hee | 처히 | Beautiful, Independent |
Chul | 출 | Firm (wish to have your own business?) |
Chung Hee | 충히 | Righteous, Right, Fine |
Chung Ho | 충호 | Righteous, Faithful, Devotee |
Korean names on D
Dae | 대 | Greatness, Great, Significant, Tall, Stable |
Dae Hyun | 대휸 | Great, Big |
Dan Bi | 단비 | Sweet rain |
Dong Sun | 동순 | Eastern integrity |
Dong Yul | 동율 | Oriental Passion, Fair |
Duk Young | 둑용 | Acceptance of integrity |
Korean names on E
Eun Kyung | 은귱 | Silver |
Eun Ji | 은지 | Quite successful in his life |
Korean names on G
Gi | 기 | Brave |
Korean names on H
Ha Neul | 하늘 | Heaven, Heavenly, Fate |
Hae Won | 해원 | Grace |
Hea Jung | 해중 | Grace |
Hee Young | 히용 | Pleasure, Joy |
Hwa Young | 화용 | Beauty, Eternal |
Hyun | 휸 | Righteous |
Hyun Ae | 휸애 | One who has wisdom |
Hyun Jae | 휸재 | One who has wisdom |
Hyun Ki | 휸기 | Wisdom |
Hyun Shik | 휸식 | Wisdom, Food, Sunrise, Western Style |
Hyun Su | 휸수 | Longevity, Young Tree, Movement, Goal Going to Goal |
Korean names on I
I Seul | 이슬 | Dew, Freshness, Tear |
Korean names on J
Jae Hwa | 재화 | Respect, Beauty, Wealth, Success |
Jin Kyong | 진경 | Ornament |
Jung | 중 | Righteous, Central |
Jung Hee | 중히 | Moral, Attentive, Thrifty, Caring |
Jung Hwa | 중화 | Moral, Chinese, Heavenly |
Jung Su | 중수 | Beauty |
Korean names on K
Kang Dae | 강대 | Powerful, Strong, Confident, Brave |
Kwang | 광 | Extensive, Light, Glow |
Kyu Bok | 규벅 | Standard |
Kyung Mi | 귱미 | One who has honor and beauty, Cool |
Kyung Soon | 귱순 | One who has the honor, gentleness and moderation |
Korean names on M
Mi Cha | 미차 | Beauty |
Mi Hi | 미히 | Beauty, Beautiful |
Mi Ok | 미억 | Beautiful and big pearl, Memory, Mind |
Mi Young | 미용 | Eternity, Beautiful, Beautiful |
Min Hee | 민히 | Insight |
Min Jee | 민지 | Intelligence |
Min Jung | 민중 | Clever |
Min Ki | 민기 | Insight |
Min Kyung | 민귱 | Insight |
Mok | 먹 | Spirit, Soul |
Myung Dae | 뮹대 | Shine, Light |
Myung Hee | 뮹히 | Shine, Light |
Myung Ok | 뮹억 | Shine, Light |
Korean names on N
Nam Kyu | 남규 | South |
Korean names on S
Sang | 상 | Durable |
Seung | 승 | Successor |
Shin | 신 | Present, God, Divine, Lord |
Sou | 소 | Swim, Fly |
So Young | 서용 | Nice, Beautiful |
Soo | 수 | French, Fun, Long Lasting, Long Life, Man |
Soo Min | 수민 | Quality |
Soo Yun | 수윤 | Flawless |
Sook | 숙 | Lighting |
Sun Hee | 순히 | Kindness, Gentle, Calm, Mild, Quiet |
Sun Jung | 순중 | Kindness |
Korean names on Y
Yon | 연 | Lotus Flower, Lotus, Sun, Kite |
Yong | 영 | Brave, Spirit, Soul |
Yoo Ra | 유라 | Enough aside |
Young | 용 | Forever Blooming Flower, Dragon |
Young Jae | 용재 | Forever prosperous |
Young Nam | 용남 | Forever |
Young Soo | 용수 | Forever rich |
Yun | 윤 | Melody |
Clarifications and suggestions are welcome.
If there is no name of interest in the list, you can ask its meaning in the comments.
We will try to help.
We also recommend watching sections:
Sections will evolve and fill.
My native Russian language, therefore possible flaws in the translation. )))
Original article in Russian:
Posted by Hymenoptera Serpen™
Asia in my mind
® all rights reserved
= = =