Korean personal names typically follow the order family name + given name. Most family names are one syllable, and a small set such as Kim, Lee, and Park account for a large share of the population. Given names are commonly two syllables, each tied to a hanja character with a specific meaning. The government maintains an approved list of hanja for naming. Traditional families may use a generational syllable shared by siblings or cousins. Names are written in Hangul and may also be registered with their hanja forms.
Phonologically, given names favor clear two-syllable patterns without initial consonant clusters, and many popular elements recur, such as Min, Jun/Joon, Seo, Seok, Jin, Yeon, and Young. Unisex combinations like Ji-min or Yu-jin are common. Since the late 20th century, native Korean (hanja-free) given names such as Ha-neul or Ara have grown in use, alongside the long-established Sino-Korean style.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mina | Varies by origin: Persian 'azure/enamel', Sanskrit 'fish', Arabic 'harbor/port', or a diminutive of Wilhelmina meaning 'will/protection'. | Arabic, Germanic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Sanskrit, Scandinavian | Girl | 5,771 #1 | |
| Hana | Varies by language: 'grace' or 'favor' (Hebrew), 'flower' (Japanese), 'happiness/bliss' (Arabic), 'one' (Korean). | Arabic, Czech, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Slavic | Girl | 5,618 #2 | |
| Lee | From Old English leah 'clearing, meadow'; in Chinese (李) means 'plum'. | Chinese, English, Korean | Unisex | 3,592 #3 | |
| Yuna | Varies by language and characters; commonly conveys ideas like 'gentle/superior', 'reason/origin', or combinations such as 'bind/tie' + 'love' depending on kanji/hanja. | Japanese, Korean | Girl | 3,353 #4 | |
| Sora | Sky; conch shell | Japanese, Korean | Girl | 1,243 #5 | |
| Nuri | Arabic/Turkish: "light" or "luminous"; Korean: "world" | Arabic, Korean, Turkish | Unisex | 1,116 #6 | |
| Arin | Multiple origin-dependent meanings - from Hebrew 'exalted/mountain of strength' (Aaron), from Irish 'of Ireland' (Erin), Korean 'clear/bright' or similar, and in some Turkic/Persian contexts 'pure'. | Hebrew, Irish, Korean, Persian, Turkish | Unisex | 968 #7 | |
| Kim | Diminutive of Kimberley/Kimball; in English tied to place-name origins; in Korean (김) means "gold". | English, Korean, Vietnamese | Unisex | 967 #8 | |
| Sena | Army; praise | Arabic, Korean, Sanskrit, Turkish | Girl | 894 #9 | |
| Nami | In Japanese commonly 'wave' (波) or meanings such as 'beautiful' when written with kanji like 奈美; in Korean the meaning varies depending on the Hanja characters used. | Japanese, Korean | Girl | 821 #10 | |
| Ara | Varies by culture: Armenian - name of a legendary king (Ara the Handsome); Korean - meaning depends on hanja but commonly associated with beauty/grace; Turkish - a common word meaning 'between' or 'interval' sometimes used as a name. | Arabic, Armenian, Korean, Turkish | Unisex | 685 #11 | |
| Jae | English variant of 'Jay' (from the jaybird) or Korean given name '재' (meaning varies by hanja - commonly 'talent' or 'wealth') | English, Korean | Unisex | 527 #12 | |
| Jun | Varies by language and character. Japanese kanji commonly mean 'pure' or 'innocent' (純, 淳) but can also mean 'order' (順) or 'moisture/enrich' (潤). In Korean and Chinese the meaning depends on the hanja/character (common senses include 'talented/beautiful' 俊, 'ruler/gentleman' 君, 'army' 軍). In English Jun is often a short form of June or Juniper. | Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 449 #13 | |
| Nara | Person; country | Japanese, Korean, Sanskrit | Girl | 449 #14 | |
| Jin | Varies by language and character; common meanings include 'gold', 'truth', 'precious/treasure', 'benevolence', 'swift'. | Chinese, Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 428 #15 | |
| Juna | Most commonly linked to the month of June or the Roman goddess Juno (queen/protector) - broadly 'youthful' or 'born in June'. In some traditions or spellings it can be associated with meanings like 'harvest' or 'paradise' (via Jana/Junnah). | Arabic, English, Japanese, Korean, Latin | Girl | 412 #16 | |
| Han | Varies by origin - Chinese/Korean: linked to the Han clan or Han (漢) as an ethnic/historical term; Western: short form of Johannes/Hans meaning 'God is gracious'. | Chinese, Dutch, English, German, Korean, Scandinavian | Boy | 351 #17 | |
| Aran | Varies by origin: from Hebrew (via Aaron/Aharon) meaning 'exalted' or 'mountain of strength'; from Irish/Gaelic meaning 'ridge' or 'high place'; in Basque 'valley'; in Korean/Japanese meanings depend on characters (often 'elegant/beautiful' or 'orchid' when written with certain hanja/kanji). | Basque, Gaelic, Hebrew, Irish, Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 286 #18 | |
| Nari | Korean: "lily"; Sanskrit/Hindi: "woman"; Japanese: meaning varies by kanji | Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Sanskrit | Girl | 284 #19 | |
| Bora | {'Albanian': 'snow', 'Turkish': 'storm, gale', 'Korean': 'purple', 'South Slavic': 'diminutive of Borislav (related to battle/glory)'} | Albanian, Korean, Turkish | Unisex | 259 #20 | |
| Sura | Varies by origin: Arabic 'chapter' (of the Qur'an); Sanskrit 'sura' = 'god/deity' (also historically an intoxicating drink in some contexts); Korean meaning depends on hanja used. | Arabic, Korean, Sanskrit | Unisex | 192 #21 | |
| Sera | Primarily 'princess' (from Hebrew Sarah); can also be associated with 'evening' (Italian) or 'serene' (from Serena). | Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Spanish, Turkish | Girl | 159 #22 | |
| Gaya | Commonly associated with 'earth' (from Greek Gaia); also connected to the sacred Indian city Gaya and, in Hebrew contexts, related to 'valley'. | Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Korean, Sanskrit | Girl | 151 #23 | |
| Joon | Varies by hanja/character; common senses include 'talented', 'handsome', 'worthy', or 'obedient'. | Korean | Boy | 148 #24 | |
| Quan | Varies by character: commonly 'army/soldier', 'authority/power', 'ruler/prince', or 'spring' depending on the Chinese character used | Korean | Boy | 146 #25 | |
| Misa | Varies by language/characters: in Japanese/Korean the meaning depends on the kanji/hanja (often 'beautiful' plus another character - e.g. 'beautiful sand', 'beautiful help'); in Slavic contexts it is a diminutive of Michaela/Michal ('Who is like God'); as a nickname of Melissa it relates to 'honeybee'. | English, Japanese, Korean, Slavic | Girl | 139 #26 | |
| Eon | Age; eternity; a very long period of time | English, Greek, Korean | Unisex | 129 #27 | |
| Dasan | South Indian/Sanskrit: 'servant' or 'devotee' (from Sanskrit dāsa). Korean: 'prolific, fertile; abundant offspring' (多産). | Korean, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil | Boy | 123 #28 | |
| Yena | Meaning varies depending on the hanja (Chinese characters) used; common interpretations include elements meaning 'grace', 'talent', 'art', or 'beautiful'. | Korean | Girl | 123 #29 | |
| Kyo | Varies by language and kanji/hanja: in Japanese often written with characters like 京 ('capital') or 恭 ('respectful'); in Korean (교) can mean 'teach', 'bridge', 'school', or 'exchange' depending on hanja. | Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 112 #30 | |
| Minah | Will-protection; safe | Arabic, Korean | Girl | 104 #31 | |
| Jina | From Sanskrit 'jina' meaning 'conqueror' or 'victor' (title in Jainism); in other languages it is used as a feminine given name with meanings that depend on local roots/characters. | English, Korean, Sanskrit | Girl | 85 #32 | |
| Park | Korean: associated with 朴 meaning 'plain' or 'simple' and an ancient Silla royal clan; English: denotes an enclosed area for recreation | Korean | Unisex | 83 #33 | |
| Taeo | Great; peaceful | Korean | Boy | 72 #34 | |
| Ki | Varies by language and script; commonly 'joy', 'hope', 'spirit/energy', or 'earth/land'. | Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Sumerian, Vietnamese | Unisex | 71 #35 | |
| Sarang | {'Korean': 'love', 'Sanskrit/Hindi': 'peacock; spotted deer; also the name of a raga in Indian classical music'} | Hindi, Korean, Sanskrit | Unisex | 70 #36 | |
| Tae | Varies by hanja/kanji: commonly 'great' or 'big' (太) or 'peaceful/calm' (泰) in Korean; in Japanese often 'many blessings' or 'grace' depending on kanji | Japanese, Korean | Boy | 70 #37 | |
| Chan | Meanings vary by language: Cantonese form of the surname Chen; in Khmer/Thai derived from Sanskrit for 'moon'; in Vietnamese 'Chân' means 'true/real'; in Korean as a name syllable it can mean 'bright', 'praise', etc., depending on the hanja chosen. | Chinese, Khmer, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese | Unisex | 67 #38 | |
| Youn | Govern; overseer | Chinese, Korean | Boy | 64 #39 | |
| Juwon | Meaning varies with hanja (Chinese characters); common elements include characters meaning "pearl" (珠), "main/primary" (主) or "origin/source" (元), so typical senses are along the lines of "pearl/origin" or "main origin" | Korean | Unisex | 60 #40 | |
| Jiho | Vast wisdom | Chinese, Korean | Boy | 55 #41 | |
| San | Varies by language: 'three' (Chinese/Japanese), 'mountain' or 'hill' (Korean), used as a diminutive of Sandra/Sander in Dutch, and a standalone element in Burmese with meanings that vary by spelling. | Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese | Unisex | 55 #42 | |
| Somi | Varies by hanja | Korean | Girl | 51 #43 | |
| Sui | Varies by language and character. Common senses include 'follow' or a surname (Chinese 随/隋) and readings related to 'water', 'refinement' or other concepts in Japanese (e.g., 水, 粋). | Chinese, Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 51 #44 | |
| Suni | Varies by origin: as an Indian diminutive of Sunita ('well‑behaved') or Sunil ('dark blue'); from Korean 순이 (from 순, 'pure' or 'gentle'); or as an English nickname meaning 'sunny/bright'. | Indian, Korean | Unisex | 51 #45 | |
| Ro | A short, simple name used as a nickname or standalone. Often a diminutive of names like Robert ('bright fame') or Rose ('rose, flower'); in Japanese the meaning depends on the kanji. | Dutch, English, Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 46 #46 | |
| Sang | Meaning depends on the hanja used; common meanings include 'mutual', 'above/superior', 'still/stillness', 'to assist/help', 'auspicious'. | Korean | Boy | 42 #47 | |
| Seri | Varies by origin: in Korean meanings depend on chosen hanja; from Sanskrit (śrī) via Malay/Thai it means 'fortune', 'prosperity' or 'glory'; in Japanese it's the name of a water herb (seri); in Turkish it can mean 'rapid'. | Japanese, Korean, Malay, Sanskrit, Scandinavian, Thai, Turkish | Girl | 40 #48 | |
| Yuni | Varies by language and spelling. Often a diminutive of names like Yunita/Yuna; in Japanese or Korean the meaning depends on the characters used. Common connotations include gentleness, grace, or moon-associated imagery in some usages. | Indonesian, Japanese, Korean | Girl | 39 #49 | |
| Sumi | Ink; clear beauty | Japanese, Korean | Girl | 35 #50 |
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Korean-origin name in our dataset.
