Korean last names are different than others because they actually appear first. That’s right, surnames are put in the front spot as Korean culture deeply values family. Further, these names are almost always a single syllable as it is preferred for a full name to consist of the surname and two first names (no middle name necessary, thank you) for a total of three syllables in the moniker.
It’s a very unique naming structure that is completely different from many other cultures’ practices. Another interesting aspect of the naming culture is that last names are shared on a larger scale than in the United States. The three most widely used surnames, Kim, Lee, and Pak represent over half of the ethnic Korean last names in use today (in South Korea). That’s not to say there is not variety in bon-gwan, which are clan names used to determine family names.
Check Out These 100 Korean Last Names!
Korean Last Names – Botanical Meanings
- Lee – Hangul: 이, Meaning: Plum Tree
- Park/Bak – Hangul: 박, Meaning: Gourd
- Yoo – Hangul: 요, Meaning: Willow Tree
- Bae/Bai – Hangul: 배, Meaning: Pear
- Keng – Hangul: 넓은, Meaning: Ginger
Korean Last Names – Botanicals Continued
- Im – Hangul: 임, Meaning: Forest
- Jeon – Hangul: 전, Meaning: Field
- Ryu – Hangul: 유, Meaning: Willow Tree
- Ki – Hangul: 기, Meaning: Tree, Wood
- Ok – Hangul: 옥, Meaning: Oak Tree, Jade
Korean Last Names – Animal Meanings
- Hak – Hangul: 학, Meaning: Crane, Learning
- Mae – Hangul: 매, Meaning: Hawk, Falcon
- Gae – Hangul: 개, Meaning: Dog
Korean Last Names – More Natural Meanings
- Kim – Hangul: 김, Meaning: Gold, Iron, Metal
- Gim – Hangul: 김, Meaning: Gold
- Choi – Hangul: 최, Meaning: Mountain, Pinnacle, Overseer
- Seok – Hangul: 石, Meaning: Stone, Tin
Korean Last Names – Other Natural Meanings
- Noe – Hangul: 뇌, Meaning: Thunder
- No – Hangul: 노, Meaning: Wilderness, Field
- Do – Hangul: 도, Meaning: A Path, Roadway
- Pan – Hangul: 판, Meaning: Water That Rinsed Rice, A Stream
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings
- Man – Hangul: 만, Meaning: Just, Only
- Yang – Hangul: 양, Meaning: Amount, Sheet, Positive
- Bu – Hangul: 부, Meaning: Part, Wealth, Fortune
- An – Hangul: 안, Meaning: Inside, Within, Back
- Jin – Hangul: 진, Meaning: Camp, True, Lost, Dragon Sign
- Dang – Hangul: 당, Meaning: Park, Justice, Sugar
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Seong – Hangul: 성, Meaning: Accomplish, Succeed
- Han – Hangul: 한, Meaning: One, Leader, Country
- Pung – Hangul: 풍, Meaning: Wind
- Nam – Hangul: 남, Meaning: Man, South
- Cho – Hangul: 초, Meaning: Second, Candle, Beginning
- Wang – Hangul: 왕, Meaning: King
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Hwang – Hangul: 황, Meaning: Yellow, Reed
- Bin – Hangul: 빈, Meaning: Empty, Void, White
- Yun – Hangul: 윤, Meaning: Cloud, Luck
- Gok – Hangul: 곡, Meaning: Country
- Ahn – Hangul: 안, Meaning: Tranquility
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Baek – Hangul: 백, Meaning: White
- Chang – Hangul: 창, Meaning: Prosperous, Flourishing
- Chu – Hangul: 추, Meaning: Vermilion Red, Cinnabar
- Goe – Hangul: 좋은, Meaning: High
- Ho – Hangul: 호, Meaning: Brave, Fierce
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Byun – Hangul: 변, Meaning: Excitable, Impatient
- Hahm – Hangul: 흠, Meaning: Seller of Scales
- Shin – Hangul: 신, Meaning: Belief
- Sa – Hangul: 사, Meaning: Four
- Seo – Hangul: 瑞, Meaning: Omen, Auspicious
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Seo-Jun – Hangul: 瑞, Meaning: Omen, Auspicious, Open Up, Unfold, Comfortable
- Seong – Hangul: 成, Meaning: Completed, Succeeded
- Seong-Hun – Hangul: 성훈, Meaning: Rewarding Deed, Rank
- Si-u – Hangul: 시우, Meaning: Start
- Jang – Hangul: 장, Meaning: Archer, Bowyer
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Im/Lin – Hangul: 임, Meaning: Dependable
- Cheong – Hangul: 청, Meaning: Gentle, Quiet
- Ha – Hangul: 하아, Meaning: Summer
- Heo – Hangul: 허, Meaning: To Permit, Advocate
- Hong – Hangul: 홍, Meaning: Expand, Great
- Hyun – Hangul: 현, Meaning: Profound, Mystery
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Jee – Hangul: 지, Meaning: Will, Ambition
- Gyeon – Hangul: 견, Meaning: Capital City, Scenery
- Kil – Hangul: 길, Meaning: Cool
- Kwak – Hangul: 곽, Meaning: Periphery of City/Country
- Kwan – Hangul: 관, Meaning: Frontier Pass
- Kwon – Hangul: 권, Meaning: Power, Authority
Korean Last Names – Conceptual Meanings Continued
- Mun – Hangul: 문, Meaning: Wen, Culture
- Myung – Hangul: 명, Meaning: Bright, Brilliant
- Jun – Hangul: 전, Meaning: Talented, Handsome
- Chin – Hangul:진, Meaning: Exhibit, Ancient
- Chong – Hangul: 종, Meaning: Stretch, Extend, Archer, Bowyer
Conceptual Meanings Concluded
- Beom – Hangul: 범, Meaning: Standard, Model
- Ra – Hangul: 라, Meaning: Good, Virtuous
- Roh – Hangul: 로, Meaning: Musical Note
- Sim – Hangul: 심, Meaning: “Sink”
- So – Hangul: 소, Meaning: Small, Young
- Suk – Hangul: 석, Meaning: Ancient, Stone
Korean Last Names – Object Meanings
- Gwan – Hangul: 관, Meaning: Pipe, Tube
- Jeong – Hangul: 정, Meaning: Chisel, Tablet, Quiet
- Pan – Hangul: 판, Board, Plate, Edition
- Mok – Hangul: 목, Meaning: Neck
- Jong – Hangul: 종, Meaning: Bell, Species, End
Korean Last Names – Object Meanings
- Sun – Hangul: 순, Meaning: Net
- Kwak– Hangul: 곽, Meaning: City Walls
- Cha – Hangul: 차, Meaning: Chariot
- To – Hangul: 에, Meaning: Dipper, Unit of Measure
- Chai – Hangul: 차이, Meaning: Firewood
- Chi – Hangul: 치, Meaning: Limb, Branch
Korean Last Names – Object Meanings
- Bang – Hangul: 방, Meaning: Room
- Chay – Hangul: 어떤 것, Meaning: Brushwood
- In – Hangul: 에, Meaning: Stamp, India
- Geun – Hangul: 근, Meaning: Axe
- Ku – Hangul: 구, Meaning: Tool, Utensil
Korean Last Names – Clan Meanings & More
- Pae – Hangul: 패, Meaning: Pae Clan
- Ma – Hangul: 마, Meaning: From the Mokch’ŏn Ma Clan
- Kangjeon – Hangul: 강전, Meaning: A Surname Originally From Japan
- Gok – Hangul: 곡, Meaning: A Surname From the Tang Dynasty of China
Korean Last Names – Clan Meanings & More
- Joh – Hangul: 조, Meaning: Ancient City in Shanxi Province
- Na – Hangul: 나, Meaning: A State in the Zhou Dynasty
- Oh – Hangul: 오, Meaning: Ancient State of Wu in the Jiangsu Province
- Sin – Hangul: 신, Meaning: Ancient State of the Xia Dynasty