Korea is a country with complex and rich history and a diverse heritage background. And just like culture and people, even Korean baby names are unique. Just three surnames, namely Park, Lee, and Kim are used by over half of the Korean population. So if you wish your child to stand out from the crowd, you have to pick a unique name for your munchkin. A Korean name comprises a family name, followed by a given name. The Korean first names are based on Hangul, which is alphabetical script and Hanja, which are logo-syllabic characters. Hanja are Chinese characters and Hangul are Korean native alphabets. For years, parents could select a name from the list of approved names issued by the government. The trend has fallen to the wayside now. Parents are now opting for names derived from traditional Korean words. Baby girls are generally given two-syllable names. It’s also important to note that given names are not used in day to day life. The given names are very private and are used only by close friends and family. Below is MomJunction's list of Korean baby names with meanings for you to choose from. You can shortlist and save your favorites for future use.
Name | 性别 | Meaning | |
---|---|---|---|
Ae-Cha | Girl | A loving daughter | |
Bitgaram | Boy | Light river | |
Bon-Hwa | Boy | One who is glorious. | |
Bong | Boy | A mythical bird, probably phoenix | |
Bong-Cha | Girl | The ultimate girl | |
Chin-Hae | Boy | Truth or depth of the ocean. | |
Chin-Hwa | Boy | The most prosperous and wealthiest of all. | |
Chin-Mae | Boy | Truth, a person who always speaks the truth. | |
Chin-Sun | Girl | The one who seeks truth and goodness in everything, truth and goodness | |
Choon-Hee | Girl | A girl born at the time of spring. | |
Chul | Boy | Firm; something that is neither soft nor very hard | |
Chul-Moo | Boy | The weapon of iron | |
Chung Cha | Girl | Noble and daughter | |
Chung-Hee | Boy | One who is righteous and dutiful. | |
Chung-Ho | Boy | A righteous lake | |
Da | Unisex | To attain | |
Dae | Unisex | The great one; shining | |
Dae-Ho | Boy | A great personality, great | |
Dae-Hyun | Boy | Great and honor | |
Dae-Jung | Boy | Great and righteous, honest. | |
Daeshim | Boy | Greatest mind | |
Dong | Boy | It means East | |
Dong-Min | Boy | East and cleverness | |
Dong-Sun | Boy | Goodness of the east. | |
Dong-Yul | Boy | One having the passion of the east. | |
Du | Girl | Head | |
Du-Ho | Boy | Head and goodness | |
Duck-Hwan | Boy | Return of the virtue | |
Duck-Young | Boy | The virtue is unchanging and everlasting | |
Eui | Girl | Righteousness | |
Eun | Girl | Silver | |
Eun-Kyung | Girl | A graceful gem. | |
Gi | Girl | One who is brave | |
Goo | Girl | Complete, someone who completes you | |
Hae | Girl | O girl who is like an ocean | |
Hae-Won | Girl | Graceful and beautiful garden. | |
Hak-Kun | Boy | One with literate roots. | |
Haneul | Boy | Heavenly | |
Hee-Young | Girl | Joy and prosperity, a girl who brings joy and prosperity wherever she goes. | |
Hei-Ran | Girl | Grace and orchid, a graceful orchid. | |
Ho-Sook | Girl | A clear lake. | |
Hoe | Girl | A Garden Tool Used to Loosen Soil, A korean dish of raw fish | |
Hoon | Boy | Teaching | |
Hwa-Young | Girl | A beautiful flower | |
Hwan | Boy | Bright | |
Hye | Boy | A birght and intelligent man | |
Hyo | Girl | One with a filial duty | |
Hyo-Sonn | Girl | One who is filial and gentle. | |
Hyuk | Boy | Radiant | |
Hyun | Unisex | "Bright" or "intelligent" in Korean; Variant transcription of HYEON meaning virtuous | |
Hyun Ki | Boy | Wise; Astute; Intelligent; Shrewd; Expert; Clever | |
Hyun Shik | Boy | Korean - Clever; Smart; Brilliant | |
Hyun-Ae | Girl | A woman who is loving and clear. | |
Hyun-Ok | Girl | A wise and beautiful pearl. | |
Il | Boy | Superiority | |
In | Boy | Humanity or wise | |
In-Su | Boy | Preserving wisdom | |
Iseul | Boy | Dew | |
Jee | Unisex | To know or the wisdom | |
Ji | Unisex | The name Ji is a Korean name and means Wisdom and Itelect. | |
Jii | Boy | Jii means wisdom. Or a sign of intelligence. | |
Joon | Boy | A man who is exceptionally talented | |
Jum | Boy | Jum means King, Ruler | |
Jung | Boy | A righteous man | |
Jung-Hwa | Boy | One who is rich and righteous. | |
Kang-Dae | Boy | One who is mighty and strong. | |
Ki | Unisex | Ki means The One who has Arisen | |
Korain | Boy | One who is luminous and glorious | |
Kwan | Boy | Kwan means One who is Strong | |
Kwang | Girl | Thai word for deer. | |
Kwang | Boy | Wild | |
Kwang-Sun | Boy | Wide goodness | |
Kyong | Boy | Brightness | |
Kyu | Boy | Standard | |
Kyubok | Boy | One who is blessed by God. | |
Kyung | Boy | Respect | |
Kyung-Hu | Girl | Girl in the capital | |
Mal-Chin | Boy | Persists to end | |
Man-Shik | Boy | Deeply rooted into something. | |
Man-Young | Boy | Ten thousand years of prosperity. | |
Mee | Girl | Beauty, a beautiful woman | |
Mi Cha | Girl | Beauty and daughter, beautiful daughter | |
Mi-hi | Girl | Beautiful joy | |
Mi-Ok | Girl | Beautiful pearl | |
Min | Girl | A clever person, sharp-minded, quick responding person | |
Mishil | Girl | A beautiful kingdom or a admired dynasty | |
Mun-Hee | Girl | An educated and literate girl. | |
Myung | Boy | Bright and clear | |
Myung-Dae | Boy | Great righteousness | |
Myung-Ok | Girl | A bright pearl | |
Myung-Suck | Boy | Foundation of ages | |
Ryung | Boy | Brightness | |
Sang-Ook | Boy | One who is always well and healthy. | |
Seok | Boy | Like a rock | |
Seung | Boy | Successor or winning | |
Shik | Boy | Planting | |
So | Boy | Smile | |
Soo | Girl | A charitable, kind and noble person | |
Sook | Girl | She of pure nature | |
Soon-Bok | Girl | Gentle and blessed, one with a gentle soul. | |
Infographic: Cute Korean Names For Your Adorable Child
Korean names are known for their sweet sounds and strong meanings. Names in this language are generally three syllables long, with the first syllable representing the child's family. Many of these words have plenty of variations. So, exploring one for your child is definitely an exciting experience. This infographic will list some wonderful Korean baby names.Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are rare Korean names?
Bom, meaning ‘spring,’ Bong, meaning ‘phoenix,’ and Eui, meaning ‘righteous’ or ‘purple,’ are examples of some rare Korean names.
2. What is a cute Korean name for a girl?
The Korean language provides a plethora of options for cute names for girls. Aera, meaning ‘love,’ Bada meaning ‘ocean,’ and Byeol meaning ‘star,’ are some examples.
3. What are some famous Korean names?
Bitna meaning ‘shining,’ and Chun, meaning ‘justice’ or ‘spring,’ are popular names for girls, while Bae meaning ‘inspiration’ and Gi, meaning ‘brave,’ are examples of popular Korean names for baby boys.
4. Is Moon a Korean girl's name?
Moon, or Mun, is a Korean last name and a gender-neutral short first name. It can also be found as a part of longer names. The meaning of the name depends on the specific characters used to write it.
5. Is Nari a Korean name?
Yes, Nari is a Korean name. It is a feminine name meaning 'lily' or 'beautiful lily.’
6. What Korean name means rose?
Jang-Mi, pronounced as JAHNG-MEE, is a feminine Korean name that means ‘rose.’
7. What Korean girl name means star?
Byeol is a Korean feminine name for a girl that means ‘star.’
8. What Korean name means flower?
Yeong-Ja, Hwa-Young, and Young-Soon are some examples of Korean names that mean ‘flower.’