Traditionally, Korean names were often selected based on the Chinese zodiac. In this system, the time, date, and year of birth are associated with water, earth, wood, metal, or fire.
This information was used to divine the baby’s fate, and then specific characters, or hanja, were picked to counter any negative implications of the results. Thus, the primary factor in choosing a Korean baby name would be when the child was born.
Either the child’s grandfather or a professional namer would enact this process. And, even though the tradition is waning, six out of ten Korean parents still go to a professional to choose their child’s name.
However, things are changing. As well as a move away from naming professionals, there is a trend toward choosing native Korean words for names rather than hanja, which are based on Chinese characters.
To find out more about Korean names, visit our guide to Korean names for girls, or dive straight into our 100 fabulous Korean boy names.
101 Korean Boy Names and Meanings
These Korean names for boys will be suitable for any family, whether they are looking for traditional, modern, strong, or Korean American names.
1. Baek-hyun (백현)
Baek means white, and hyun can mean, among other things, clever, shine, and string.
Byun Baek-hyun is better known as the Baekhyun member of EXO, Exo sub-group EXO-K, Exo sub-unit Exo-CBX and leader of the South Korean supergroup SuperM. Known by the nickname The Genius Idol, Baekhyun is also a 3rd dan blackbelt in hapkido.
2. Bitgaram (빛가람)
Bitgaram means shining river.
One of South Korea’s new “Innovation Cities” is called Bitgaram. The South Korean economy is historically centered around Seoul. The ten innovation cities are meant to encourage economic growth in other areas of the country (1).
3. Byung-ho (병호)
Byung-ho combines glorious, bright, luminous, and vast, numerous, great.
Park Byung-ho is a professional baseball first baseman designated hitter currently playing with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League. Park signed a four-year contract with the MLB team Minnesota Twins in 2015.
4. Chan-yeol (찬열)
Chan-yeol means bright, vivid, illuminating, and vehement, ardent, and fiery.
Chanyeol is the stage name of Park Chan-yeol, singer with EXO, sub-group EXO-K, and sub-unit EXO-SC. When not taking on the world as a popular K-Pop superstar, Chanyeol is studying Culture and Arts Department of Business Administration with Culture and Arts Department of Business Administration and Interior Design at Inha University.
5. Dae-Hyun (대현)
Dae-hyun can mean big, great and shine, glitter, show off.
American Korean Washington Post journalist David Dae-Hyun Cho was a member of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their coverage of the NSA, and the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for their Virginia Tech massacre coverage.
6. Dae-jung (대정)
Dae-jung can mean vast, great, high, and middle.
Kim Dae-jung was elected President of South Korea in 1997. In 2000, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work for human rights and democracy across Asia in general and with North Korea in particular.
7. Dae-Seong (대성)
Dae-Seong combines high, vast, great, and succeeded, finished, completed.
Kim Daeseong was a chief minister of Silla, one of the three kingdoms of the Korean Peninsula. He established the temple at Bulguksa in memory of the parents in his present life and the Seokguram shrine in memory of his parents from a past life.
8. Dal (달)
Dal means moon.
The term Dal is used for the dried split pulses, lentils, beans, and peas that do not need soaking before cooking. It is also often used for soups made with onions, tomatoes, spices, and these pulses.
9. Dong-geun (동근)
Dong-geun can be formed by hanja, meaning east, and foundation, root.
South Korean actor, singer-songwriter, producer, and rapper Yang Dong-geun began acting in 1987. He has appeared in TV, movies, theater, and variety shows consistently since then, with a 21-month pause in 2008 when he signed up for his compulsory military service.
10. Do-yun (도윤)
Do-yun means path, road, way, and consent, allow.
Do-yun was the number one name for newborn boys in Korea in 2017. That year 2,120 baby boys were named Do-yun.
11. Duri (두리)
Duri means two in the Gyeongsang dialect.
Traditionally Korean names have been two syllables, each represented by a hanja character with Chinese-Korean roots. However, since the late 20th century, some parents have chosen indigenous Korean words as names, and Duri is an example.
12. Eun (은)
There are 30 hanja that read Eun, any one of which could be used for this name. While it can be used as a stand-alone forename, it is usually an element of a two-syllable name.
The surname Eun is written with one of two hanja, meaning either kindness, affection, charity, mercy, or flourishing, many, great, abundant.
13. Ga-eul (가을)
Ga-eul means autumn, fall.
With its simple seasonal meaning, we think Ga-eul is a beautiful Korean male name for a child born at this time of year.
14. Ga-ram (가람)
Ga-ram is a Korean name that means river.
Traditionally, most Korean names are created using hanja, which are based on Chinese hanzi characters. Ga-ram is an example of the trend towards the use of indigenous Korean words as names.
15. Ha-da (하다)
Ha-da is from the verb hada, which means to do.
Hada is another name for a khata, the traditional ceremonial scarf used in Tibetan Buddhism. The pretty scarfs are given during special occasions like marriages, births, and funerals.
16. Haneul (하늘)
The gender-neutral Korean name Haneul means sky, heaven.
Only hanja on the South Korean government’s approved list can be used when registering names. The only hanja that represents neul isn’t on the list, so parents who want to register hanja use those that read Ha-neul.
17. Han-wool (한울)
Han-wool means heavenly.
Han-wool is an ancient Korean version of the word haneul, which means sky or heaven. However, rather than having the wider sky, heaven, or similar noun meaning of haneul, Han-wool is an adjective.
18. Ha-ru (하루)
Ha-ru is Korean for day.
In addition to being an indigenous Korean name, Ha-ru is also a Japanese name that means springtime, sun, sunlight, sunny, or sunlight. We think this makes it a unique name for families of mixed heritage who have a baby born on a sunny day.
19. Him-chan (힘찬)
Him-chan means strong.
In addition to being an indigenous Korean word that has been co-opted for use as a name, Himchan is also the name of a group with eight orthopedic hospitals in South Korea.
20. Ho (호)
There are 47 hanja reading Ho. The most popular mean tiger, abundant, or heroic.
South Korean actor Im Ho graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theater and film from the private Chung-Ang University. Since 2001, he’s performed in TV and movie roles, including the hugely successful period drama, Dae Jang Geum.
21. Ho-Seok (호석)
Ho-Seok combines tiger, heroic, or abundant with stone or tin.
Jung Ho-seok is better known as J-Hope, singer with BTS, songwriter, record producer, and solo artist. J-Hope’s single Chicken Noodle Soup featured Becky G and entered the charts at number 81. This made him the first BTS member to have a top 100 single recorded outside of the group.
22. Hwan (한)
Some of the 21 hanja that read Hwan mean anxiety, happiness, and to shine.
Hwan is usually an element in a two-syllable name or a surname. In the 2000 South Korea census, there were 157 people with the surname Hwan.
23. Hye (혜)
Hye is often written with the hanja 慧, which means wisdom.
King Hye of Baekje ruled briefly from 598 to 599 and was one of the country’s last rulers. The kingdom of Baekje was located on the southwest of the Korean peninsular, and it fell to neighboring Silla in 660.
24. Hyun (현)
There are 42 hanja that read Hyun, including those for worthy, virtuous, and shine.
Science-fiction writer Joh Hyun sometimes adopts an alien alter-ego who describes himself as a “special correspondent on Earth for the planet of Klaatu.” One of Hyun’s novels, l The Elegant Philosophy of the Paper Napkin, tells of a pair of cyborgs sent to Earth to study humans.
25. Hyun-jung (현정)
With 42 hanja reading Hyun and 84 reading Jung, there are 3,528 possible pairs of meanings for Hyun-jung.
South Korean football coach Yang Hyun-jung began his career as a player. He won 2000 Rookie of the Year and appeared for the national under-20’s team in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. However, a cruciate ligament injury cut short his playing career.
26. Hyun-woo (현우)
Hyun-woo can mean prominent, display, to manifest, and protect, assess.
When using the Revised Romanization system approved by the National Institute of Korean Language, the hanja 顯祐, which reads Hyun-woo, is transcribed as Hyeon-u.
27. Il-sung (일성)
Il-sung combines day, sun, with finished, succeeded, completed.
Kim Il-sung founded North Korea in 1948 and ruled until his death in 1994. Kim rose to power after the Japanese rule ended in 1945 and authorized the invasion of South Korea in 1950.
28. Iseul (이슬)
Iseul is Korean for dew.
Pronounced EE-SUL, this cute, gender-neutral Koren name has become popular in recent years, although not so popular as to have become common.
29. Jae (재)
The gender-neutral Korean name Jae can mean ability, talent, wealth, and riches.
Korean-American singer Park Jae-hyung is known professionally as Jae. After making it to the finals of the first series of K-Pop Star, Jae joined Day6. The group is currently on hiatus while Jae focuses on his mental health.
30. Jae-sung (재성)
The Korean boys’ name Jae-sung can mean exist, rule, or kill, and finished, sincere, honest.
Boxer Lee Jae-sung is a South Korean professional boxer fighting in the featherweight division. Lee was the Korean National Super-Bantamweight Champion.
31. Jeong-ho (정호)
There are multiple ways of writing Jeong-ho, such as with jeong meaning tablet and ho meaning to like.
Kim Jeong-ho is thought to have walked the entire Korean peninsula to compile the Daedongyeojido, a large-scale map of Korea printed in 1861. Consisting of 22 separate booklets, the whole map measures 22 feet long and 12 feet wide.
32. Jeong-hui (정후)
The name Jeong-hui can be created by combining hanja that mean correct, proper, right, gentle, still, or quiet with beauty, glorious, bright, or splendid.
Gim Jeong-hui is considered one of the great Korean scholars of the Joseon period, which ran from 1392 to 1897. Celebrated for his study and translation of inscriptions on ancient monuments, he was also a prominent calligrapher and painter.
33. Jeong-hun (정훈)
Jeong-hun combines correct, proper, and right with rank, meritorious deed.
Actor and car enthusiast Yeon Jeong-hun hosted the first three seasons of Top Gear Korea. Leaving the show to concentrate on acting, Yeon, an acclaimed actor, currently appears on the reality-variety show 2 days 1 night.
34. Ji (지)
Ji is a gender-neutral Korean stand-alone forename, a surname, and a name element.
When used as a surname, 智 meaning wisdom and 池 meaning pond are used to read Ji. However, forenames can use any of the 46 hanja that read Ji.
35. Ji-hu (지후)
Ji-hu means intellect, wisdom, and thick.
In 2009, 2,159 newborn boys were given the name Ji-hu, making it the second most popular boys’ forename of the year. By 2015, it had fallen to ninth place, and 1,968 boys were named Ji-hu.
36. Ji-hun (지훈)
Ji-hun combines intellect, wisdom, ambition, or purpose, and rank, meritorious deed.
Cho Chi-hun (Chi-hun is an alternative transcription of Ji-hun) was a Korean poet and activist. A professor at Korea University, he was the first head of the National Culture Research Institute, chair of the Society of Korean Poets, and founder of the Association of Young Writers.
37. Ji-Min (지민)
Ji-Min combines purpose, ambition, or wisdom with clever, sharp, or jade.
Park Ji-min is better known as Jimin, the singer, songwriter, dancer, and BTS member. In 2018 and 2019 Gallup polls, Jimin was voted the number 1 most popular idol, while in 2018, he was the 8th most tweeted about musician in the world.
38. Ji-su (지수)
Ji-su means to know, to arrive, or paper, and beautiful, luxuriant.
With 46 hanja reading as Ji and 67 reading su, there are 3,082 possible pairings and meanings for Ji-su. This short yet dynamic Korean name can also be spelled Ji-soo, Jee-su, or Jee-soo.
39. Ji-won (지원)
Ji-won means sesame, earth, stop, and first, primary, or beauty.
Singer-songwriter, rapper, and the lead vocalist of boy band iKon, Kim Ji-won is better known by his stage name Bobby. In addition to performing with iKon, Bobby has released solo albums and has been featured in the music of other performers such as Psy.
40. Ji-woo (지우)
The National Academy of the Korean Language developed the Revised Romanization system for transcribing Korean into Latin-based lettering. The system was released in 2000 and since then has been the official way to transcribe Korean. The official transcription of Ji-woo is Ji-u; however, a survey of passport applications in 2007 showed 97 percent of people prefer Woo over U.
41. Jong-dae (정대)
Jong-dae can mean bell, clock, and large, big, vast.
Kim Jong-dae is better known as Chen. Considered the lead singer of EXO, Chen also performs with EXO-M and SM the Ballad. Chen has also released two EP’s and recorded soundtracks for TV shows.
42. Jong-in (정인)
Jong-in means quiet, gentle, or chaste, and kindness, benevolence.
Another member of the EXO supergroup family is Kim Jong-in, better known as Kai. Also a member of sub-unit EXO-K and Korean K-Pop supergroup SuperM, Kai is seen as one of South Korea’s best dancers.
43. Jong-soo (정수)
Jong means ancestry, lineage, or gentle, and soo means elegant, outstanding, luxuriant.
Park Jong Soo is one of the 12 original masters of taekwondo. The Korean Taekwondo Association assembled the group in 1960 to promote the Korean martial art. Park coached the German taekwondo team, established the Netherlands’ Taekwon-Do Association, and pioneered the taekwondo scene in Canada.
44. Jun (준)
Talented, obey, deep, and army are among the possible meanings of Jun.
Published in 1613, Heo Jun’s book Dongui Bogam is considered the definitive text on traditional Korean medicine and is still referred to today. Heo wrote in hangul rather than the complicated Chinese hanja, so those with less education could understand and access the knowledge.
45. Jung (정)
Jung means gentle, quiet, still, virtuous, loyal, chaste, or one of 82 other definitions, depending on the hanja you use.
Names making use of the element Jung were popular during the mid to late 20th century. However, since 1990 there hasn’t been a name with Jung as an element in the annual top 10 Korean names for newborns.
46. Jung-hee (정희)
Sometimes written as Jeong-hui, both names can be written with hanja meaning correct, still, or gentle, and beauty, bright, or glorious.
Retired professional gamer Chun Jung-hee is known by the tag Sweet, and an international panel named him the Warcraft III Player of The Year in 2004. Since completing his military duty, Sweet has turned to coaching and works with the Jin Air Green Wings eSports team.
47. Jung-ho (정호)
Jung-ho means correct, proper, and vast, numerous, great, although, with 74 hanja reading Jung and 49 hanja that read Ho, there are 3,675 possible meaning combinations.
Jung-ho is written 정호 in hangul, and the Revised Romanization system transcribes this as Jeong-ho. Meanwhile, the older McCune–Reischauer system would translate 정호 as Chŏngho.
48. Jung-kook (정국)
Jung-kook can also be transcribed as Jeong-guk. It combines the hanja for king, ruler, and nation, state, country.
Jeon Jung-kook is better known as Jungkook, the youngest member of the Korean supergroup BTS. Voted as the third most beloved celebrity in Korea in 2018, Jungkook was the most searched for K-Pop idol on Google in 2019 and 2020. He is nicknamed the “Soldout King” because as soon as he is seen using something, it sells out.
49. Jun-ho (준호)
Jun-ho is a Korean boys’ name that can also be spelled Joon-ho.
Korean-American Kenneth Bae’s birth name was Pae Jun-ho. In November 2012, Bae was arrested in North Korea and charged with “hostile acts against the republic.” Sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, Bae was released on November 8th, 2014.
50. Jun-myeon (준면)
Jun can combine king, handsome, or army, while Myeon can mean famous, sea, obscure, or one of 16 other meanings.
Kim Jun-myeon is better known as EXO singer Suho, which means guardian in Korean. After being discovered in the street by a casting manager, Suho’s first role was as a singer in the movie Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, and he became the 10th member of EXO in 2012.
51. Jun-seo (준서)
With 34 hanja for jun and 38 for seo, there are many meanings of this name.
Jun-seo is often the victim of mispronunciations by non-Korean speakers since they generally pronounce Jun to rhyme with sun and seo as SEE-o. However, the correct way to say Jun-seo is for Jun to be pronounced as JOO-n, to rhyme with chew-en. Then seo is pronounced with an s sound, as at the beginning of sigh, and an “uh” sound like the U in cut.
52. Ju-won (주원)
Ju-won can mean circumference and origin, first, or beautiful woman.
Jade carver Jang Ju-won is known for his intricate detail work. Regarded as a modern master of the art, Jang’s work has been exhibited around the world.
53. Kyung (경)
Hanja that read Kyung can mean view, scenery, capital city, respect, or one of 51 other options.
Park Kyung is a record producer and member of the boy band Block B. Beginning his career as a rapper, Park has also appeared regularly on the talk show Problematic Men, which discusses issues faced by Korean males.
54. Kyung-soo (경수)
There are 54 hanja that read Kyung and 67 that read soo, making 3,618 possible meaning combinations.
Best known as one of the lead singers of EXO, Doh Kyung-soo performs under the stage name D.O. Also a successful actor, D.O. recently completed his mandatory military service during which he appeared in the army musical, Return: The Promise of the Day.
55. Min (민)
Twenty-seven hanja read Min, and meanings include heaven, jade, sight, and trickling water.
Actor and director Namkoong Min graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering but chose to pursue a career in entertainment. With roles in TV and movies, Namkoong’s talent was acknowledged with a Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Commendation award at the 8th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards.
56. Min-jun (민준)
Min-jun can mean clever, sharp, or affable, and handsome, talented.
From 2008 until 2015, Min-jun, also spelled Min-joon, was the number one name for newborn boys in Korea. However, in 2017, Min-jun dropped to fifth place in the top ten charts, and in 2019, it had fallen to 10th.
57. Min-seok (민석)
Among other definitions, Min-seok can mean jade-like stone and confer, bestow.
EXO, EXO-M, and EXO-CBX singer and superstar Xiumin was born in 1990 and named Kim Min-seok. During his mandatory military service, Xiumin starred in the army musical Return: The Promise of the Day with fellow K-Pop idols Onew and Yoon Ji-sung.
58. Min-su (민수)
Min-su means citizens, people, or gentle, and elegant, beautiful, or outstanding.
Han Min-su is a South Korean ice-sled hockey player who has represented his country in multiple international competitions (2). At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, Han was the flag bearer for team Korea.
59. Mi-reu (미르)
Mi-reu means dragon.
Sources cite Mi-reu as possibly being borrowed from Old Chinese and list Mi-reu as being an obsolete Korean word for dragon. However, those same sources also say mi-reu can be of native Korean origin, meaning water, river.
60. Myeong (명)
The Korean name Myeong, also spelled Myung, Myoung, or Myong, evolved from the Chinese name Ming. The hanja 明, meaning brilliance or bright, is used for the surname Myeong and when used in a forename, any one of 19 hanja that read Myeong can be used.
61. Nam-gil (남길)
Nam-gil means my way.
Actor Kim Nam-gil was ranked 17th in the Forbes list of the 40 most influential stars in Korea. He has recently founded the not-for-profit organization Gilstory which promotes the preservation of cultural heritage.
62. Nam-joon (남준)
Nam can mean man or south, and while 34 hanja read joon, the character meaning king or ruler is used most frequently.
Using the stage name RM, Kim Nam-joon is the lead singer with the Korean K-Pop boy group BTS. His solo project Mono is the Billboard Top 100’s highest-charting album by a Korean soloist.
63. Na-moo (나무)
Na-moo means tree, wood, firewood.
The gender-neutral Korean name Na-moo is one of the new wave of indigenous Korean words adopted for use as a forename.
64. Na-ra (나라)
Na-ra means kingdom, country, nation.
Nara is a character in the Marvel Comics comic book series, Avengers Arena. The series follows young Avengers as they participate in a reality-show-style kill-or-be-killed tournament.
65. Noo-ri (누리)
Noo-ri means hail.
This gender-neutral, indigenous Korean name is the ancient Korean root word of the modern Korean word 우박, or ubag, which means hail.
66. Pu-reum (푸름)
Pu-reum means blue.
While the simple explanation is that pu-reum means blue, it is a little more complicated. To be more accurate, pu-reum, written as 푸름 in hangul, is from the adjective 푸르다 or pureuda, meaning blue, green, fresh.
67. Saem (샘)
Saem means fountain, spring.
The Saem is a Korean make-up and skincare line that specializes in the use of traditional ingredients and recipes for its products.
68. Sang (상)
Thirty-five hanja read Sang, the meanings of which include auspicious, frost, and elephant.
Yi Sang was the pen name of author Kim Hae-gyeong. Although Yi did not receive much recognition during his lifetime, in 2007, he was listed as one of the most important modern Korean poets by the Korean Poets Society.
69. Sang-hun (상훈)
Sang-hun means yet, still, and rank, meritorious deed.
Pulitzer Prize-winning South Korean journalist Choe Sang-hun is Seoul bureau chief for The New York Times Seoul. The first Korean to win a Pulitzer Prize, he did so for his work uncovering and reporting the No Gun Ri Massacre and other Korean War atrocities.
70. Se-hun (세훈)
Se-hun means era, world, generation, and mysterious deed.
Oh Se-hun is the real name of the South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and model known as Sehun. As well as being a singer in EXO, and various sub-projects, Sehun plays a celebrity detective in the Netflix series Busted!
71. Seo-jun (서준)
Seo-jun means auspicious, comfortable, or unfold, and handsome, talented.
In 2019, 1,292 Korean boys were named Seo-jun, making it the most popular name for newborn boys in Korea that year.
72. Seok (석)
Definitions of Seok include eminent, seat, divide, interpret, and stone.
The Seok Pass is a mountain pass in Kyrgyzstan. Located in the Terskey Alatau mountain range, the pass was once part of the Silk Road network of trade routes.
73. Seok-jin (석진)
Seok-jin means tin or stone combined with treasure, time, season, or to guard.
Singer-songwriter Kim Seok-jin is a BTS member and has garnered recognition for his emotional range as a singer and falsetto voice.
74. Seong (성)
Also spelled sung or song, Seong can mean star, holy, victory, or library.
Seong of Balhae was the fifth person to rule Balhae. This multi-ethnic kingdom was located in an area overlapping what is now modern-day Russia, Korea, and China.
75. Seong-ho (성호)
This Korean boys’ name is made of Seong, meaning finished or abundant, and stove, or daybreak.
Ji Seong-ho is a member of the South Korean national government, the National Assembly. Ji was born in North Korea and defected from the north in 2004.
76. Seong-hun (성훈)
While there are 324 hanja pairings that read Seong-hun, a common choice is 成勲, meaning accomplishment, to become, and merit, distinguished service.
Footballer An Sung-hun played as a midfielder for both FC Seoul and Incheon United. An was on the FC Seoul team that played a friendly game with the French national team during the FIFA World Cup in 2002.
77. Seong-jin (성진)
The Korean boys’ name Seong-jin means star, finished, planet, completed, and marketplace, town, shake, and excitement.
In 2015, pianist Cho Seong-Jin became the first South Korean to win the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition. Cho has played with the world’s best orchestras, including the London Philharmonic and the Berliner Philharmoniker.
78. Seong-min (성민)
The Korean gender-neutral name Seong-min can mean nature, finished, or sex, and quick, sharp, clever.
South Korean politician Yoo Seong-min earned his B.A. in economics at Seoul National University. Yoo went onto the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was awarded his Ph.D. in Economics.
79. Seong-su (성수)
Seong-su can mean sacred, holy, and shore, water, or bank.
Entrepreneur, journalist, independence activist, and educator Kim Seong-su was Vice-President of South Korea from 1951–1952. As President of Bosung College, Kim is considered the founder of Korea University.
80. Seul-ki (슬기)
Seul-ki means wisdom.
Unlike traditional names written with hanja of Sino-Korean roots, this gender-neutral name is from an indigenous Korean word. Such names are referred to as 고유어 이름 or goyueo ileum, meaning proper language name.
81. Seung (승)
Seung can mean ascent, victory, or inherit.
The hanja 勝, which means victory or excel, is the same as the Japanese kanji 勝, which reads Masaru, meaning victory, and Katsu, which also means victory. Both Masaru and Katsu are also boys’ names.
82. Si-u (시우)
Si-u can be made with the hanja 始, or si, which means beginning, 祐, or u, which means divine intervention.
As it would be a new beginning as a result of divine intervention, we think 始祐 would make an excellent Korean boys’ name choice. It would be a great option for a mom who’d been told she’d be unable to physically have children but became pregnant anyway.
83. Sol (솔)
Sol means pine.
Sol is also the fifth note in a major scale and the note G in the fixed-do system. So, perhaps this is a good name for a family with musical interests or heritage.
84. Su-bin (수빈)
Su-bin means luxuriant, elegant, beautiful, and refined.
Jung Su-bin is a member of the Korean boy band Victon which is stylized as VICTON, an acronym for Voice To New World.
85. Su-jin (수진)
Su-jin combines su, meaning gather, harvest, and jin, meaning precious, rare.
With gather or harvest being one of the possible meanings of su, we think Su-jin would make a fabulous choice for a family with a farming heritage.
86. Sung-hyun (성현)
Sung-hyun means finished, completed, succeeded, and able, virtuous, worthy.
Kim Sung-hyun was born in Seoul, and when his family moved to the U.S., he took the name Andrew Kim.
Kim joined the CIA and served in Beijing, Bangkok, and Moscow before becoming head of the newly-created Central Intelligence Agency’s Korea Mission Centre.
87. Tae (태)
Meanings of Tae include exalted, dangerous, to flog, to trample, to wash, and blowfish.
Tae can also be spelled Tai or Thae. When used as a surname, Tae is always written with the hanja 太, which means great. However, when Tae is used as either a stand-alone name or as one part of a two-syllable name, it can be written with any of 20 hanja.
88. Tae-hyun (태현)
Tae-hyun can mean large, highest, greatest, and good, virtuous, the present, or current.
Actor, producer, and songwriter Nam Tae-hyun was the lead vocalist of the K-pop group, Winner. Nam left Winner and formed South Club, in which he is both lead singer and guitarist.
89. Tae-hyung (태형)
Tae-hyung means dangerous, to trample, to wash, and good, worthy, or virtuous.
Kim Tae-hyung is better known as V, a vocalist with the Korean boy group BTS. During a meeting of the BTS fans in 2016, V coined the phrase “I purple you,” and since then, purple has been associated with the band. The phrase is also used in BTS’s anti-bullying campaign.
90. U-jin (우진)
U can mean house, universe, or protect, and jin can mean marketplace, town, or genuine.
Pronounced OO-JEEN, like Eugenie, U-jin has been a popular choice for families of mixed heritage who are looking for a name that sounds similar in both Korean and English.
91. U-ram (우람)
U-ram means vigorous, robust, imposing, stately.
U-ram Choe is a Seoul-based artist who specializes in spectacular large-scale kinetic sculptures (3). With a grandfather who was one of the first car designers and parents who were sculptors, Choe’s work reflects his heritage.
92. U-ri (우리)
U-ri means we.
Thinking symbolically, U-ri is a beautiful way of saying, “This baby is a combination of you and me; this child is we.”
93. Ye-jun (예준)
Ye-jun can mean craft, art, talent, and talented, handsome.
In 2019, Ye-jun was the seventh most popular name in Korea, with 872 newborn boys being bestowed with this moniker. Although this was one spot lower than in 2017, Ye-jun has been in the top ten since 2008.
94. Yeong (영)
When Yeong is used as a surname, 永 meaning eternal, 榮 meaning flourishing, or 影 meaning shadow, reflection are used.
There are 34 hanja that read Yeong, which can also be spelled Young, Yong, or Yung. Some of the hanja for Yeong as a forename or name element are flower, heroic, gemstone, and shine.
95. Yeong-cheol (영철)
When written 永哲, the name Yeong-Cheol, or Young-chul, means perpetual, eternal, and wise, sage.
Comedian Kim Young-chul is a cast member in the TV show, Knowing Bros. Broadcast in Korea on the subscription channel JTBC, this popular weekly variety show can be seen on Netflix, where it’s been renamed Man on a Mission.
96. Yeong-gi (영기)
Yeong-gi combines glory, honor, prosper, and begin, stand up, rise.
Yeong-gi Hirahara is one of the main characters in the webtoon, I Love You Too. His tousled ginger hair and carefully shaped eyebrows have become iconic. The creator, Quimchee, said Yeong-gi’s eyebrows were inspired by those of Emilia Clarke.
97. Yeong-ho (영호)
Yeong-ho, also spelled Young-ho, can be written by combining hanja that read flower petal, brave, or hero, with numerous, vast, or clear.
The number one Korean boys’ name in 1940 was Yeong-ho. In 1945, Yeong-ho was at number two, where it stayed until 1960 when it dropped to number three.
98. Yeong-su (영수)
Yeong, or Young, can mean eternal or perpetual, while su can mean long life.
Young-soo Kim earned his Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry at California’s Scripps Research. He is currently working at Yonsei University International Campus, where his focus is the diagnosis, pathology of, and therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease.
99. Yong (용)
Yong is Korean for dragon.
The only hanga used for the family name Yong is 龍. Although Yong is the only spelling, it is also possible to read this hanja as Ryong, and this is the standard reading for Koreans in China and North Koreans.
100. Yoon-gi (윤기)
Yoon-gi can mean gloss or shine.
BTS singer, songwriter, and producer Suga was born Min Yoon-gi. As successful in his solo work as he is with the group, according to the Korean Copyright Association, over 100 songs are attributed to Suga.
101. Yun-seo (윤서)
Yun-seo is a gender-neutral Korean name that can mean govern, consent, or allow, and series, sequence.
Although Yun-seo is a gender-neutral Korean name, it is a frequent flyer in the list of the top ten most popular Korean girls’ names but has never been in the top ten Korean boys’ names.
