💎 What you'll learn in this post
📌 Heads up before you read
You’re visiting Korea or making Korean friends—exciting, right? Naturally, you’ll be asking and sharing names, but that’s just the start! If you learn what we’re about to share, you’ll get even closer to your Korean friends and understand their culture on a much deeper level. This is super practical and useful information, so let's dive in together!
📌 Wait, There’s More Than One Way to Say 'Name' in Korea?!
In English, it's simple - just NAME, right? But in Korea, the way you ask for or use someone's name can change depending on the situation.
For friends, you can casually ask for their 이름[i-reum] - easy, right?
But if you are talking to someone older, or if you need to be more polite, you should use words like 성함[seong-ham], 존함[jon-ham], or 함자[ham-jja].
For official things like paperwork, you’ll see 성명[seong-myeong] or 성함[seong-ham] being used.
And don’t worry too much about honorifics and formal language for now—we’ll cover those later. Just keep in mind that even asking for a name depends on the situation.
Official expression | 성명[seong-myeong] 성함[seong-ham] |
|---|---|
Casual with friends | 이름[i-reum] |
For older or polite situations | 성함[seong-ham] 존함[jon-ham] 함자[ham-jja] |
📌 Surname + First Name = The Formula for Korean Names!
Korean names are structured as surname + first name. The surname represents the person’s ancestors, while the first name is their unique, personal identifier. For example, if someone’s name is 김신재 (Kim Shin-jae), 김 (Kim) is the surname, and 신재 (Shin-jae) is the unique first name.
In Korea, when you meet someone for the first time, it’s common to introduce yourself using both your surname and first name for politeness. But once you become close friends, just using first names is totally normal.
Interesting Facts
About Korean Surnames
You’ll Want to Know
📌 The Unique Features of Korean Surnames—Super Cool Once You Know!
In many countries, there are lots of different surnames but fewer first names. In Korea, it’s the opposite. You might think there would be many surnames, but in reality, just a few cover most of the population. In fact, five surnames—Kim, Lee, Park, Choi, and Jeong—make up more than half of all Koreans! So, meeting someone with the surname Kim, Lee, Park, Choi, or Jeong is totally common.
김 (Kim) > 이 (Lee) > 박 (Park) >
최 (Choi) > 정 (Jeong) >
강 (Kang) , 조 (Joe/Jo/JOE/CHO),
윤 (Yoon), 장 (Jang) , 임 (Lim)
The reason there are so few surnames is that people pass down their family surnames, continuing the tradition of their ancestors. A surname is seen as an important cultural heritage that represents a person’s family lineage.
But don’t think that just because there are only a few surnames, the first names are simple! Korean first names are incredibly diverse, and people take great pride in both their surname and their unique first name.
📌 Kim, Lee, Park... But Which Kim?
You’ve probably noticed that surnames in Korea are closely tied to family connections.
But just because people have the same surname doesn't mean they are from the same family.
For example, there are different branches of the surname Kim, such as Gyeongju Kim or Gimhae Kim.
🖐️ Both Gyeongju and Gimhae are cities in Gyeongsang Province, Korea.
These branches are based on something called 본관[bon-gwan], which refers to the region where a family’s ancestors (the founders) originally settled. Having the same [bon-gwan] means that you’re connected by blood. Back in the day, people with the same [bon-gwan] avoided marrying each other, because they were considered too closely related. This practice was called 동성동본[dong-seong-dong-bon]. But nowadays, as long as the [bon-gwan] is different, people with the same surname can marry.
That’s why when Koreans meet someone with the same surname and [bon-gwan], even if they’ve never met before, they often feel like they’re meeting a close family member.
Many Korean families keep a record of their [bon-gwan] history in something called a 족보[jok-bbo]. A [jok-bbo] is like a family tree, documenting everything from the very first ancestor to the current generation, including important events. Pretty cool, right? 😊
That’s why, when adults argue in Korea, they sometimes say to the other person, “someone without [jok-bbo].” This is a way of looking down on someone’s family or heritage and using it to insult or belittle their background. It’s meant to be a harsh, degrading comment aimed at disrespecting their family lineage.
📌 Did You Know
There Are Two-Syllable Surnames in Korea?
Most Korean surnames are just one syllable, but there are actually some really unique two-syllable surnames!
If you meet someone with a surname like Nam-goong or Hwang-bo, it’ll definitely stand out. Since there aren’t a lot of surnames in Korea, first names become even more important. A lot of meaning is packed into names to express someone’s individuality and identity.
📌 Wait, You Don’t Change Your Last Name After Marriage in Korea?
That’s right—in Korea, women don’t take their husband’s surname when they get married. They keep their own surname, and the children usually take the father’s surname. It’s definitely something cool to know, especially since it might be different from what you’re used to!
However, these days, some younger couples are choosing to include both the husband’s and the wife’s surnames when naming their children. For example, if the father’s surname is 박 (Park) and the mother’s is 이 (Lee), the child would take 박 (Park) as the surname, but the first syllable of the first name might include 이 (Lee), creating a name like 박이재 (Park Lee-jae = Park I-jae). This approach of including both parents' surnames is becoming increasingly popular.
Oh, and here’s an even more interesting fact! 성명[seong-myeong] is written as 姓名 in Hanja, and if you break it down, you can see that Korean society used to be matriarchal. The character for 성[seong] (姓), meaning surname, includes the Hanja for 'woman', showing that in the past, women were at the center of family lines!
Now that you know more about the stories behind Korean surnames and names, you’ll be able to get closer to your friends and gain a deeper understanding of Korean culture. Next time you meet a Korean friend, try asking, “Which Kim are you?” or “What’s your [bon-gwan]?”—it’ll lead to a fun conversation!
The moment you ask these questions to a Korean, you’ll kick off a really cool dialogue. And later, when you're thinking of names, try to think of these surnames and [bon-gwan]. You’ll find yourself having even more meaningful conversations with Koreans!
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