Lists of Korean names
Korean names have two parts: a family name (surname) and a given name.
- Family names: These are usually one syllable and come first. The most common ones are Kim, Lee, and Park, with many other surnames in use.
- Given names: These are usually two syllables and carry meaning. They are often formed from Chinese characters called hanja, but today many names are written in Hangul only.
- Generation names: Some families use a shared syllable to show generation, though this is not required for everyone.
- Name order and spelling: In Korea, the family name comes first. When written in English, you might see the given name first. Romanization follows official systems like Revised Romanization today; older texts may use McCune-Reischauer, which can change spelling.
- Lists you might see: Guides that collect common family names, common syllables used in given names, and the hanja characters for names, as well as lists of popular baby names by year.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:56 (CET).