100 Korean Last Names – Korean Surnames

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