Korean last names and their meanings
Every Korean surname has a meaning, but it lives in the Hanja — the Chinese character the name was written with for a thousand years — not in the Korean sound. Kim (金) is gold, Lee (李) is a plum tree, Park (朴) is a gourd, Choi (崔) is lofty. This page groups all 191 census surnames by what they mean, so you can browse by theme or look up your own.
Look up a surname's meaning
How Korean surname meanings work
Korean surnames were adopted from, or modelled on, Chinese surnames between the 7th and 15th centuries, and each was fixed to a specific Hanja. The Hanja carries the meaning: 金 means gold, so Kim “means” gold. Three things follow from this:
- The meaning is about the character, not the family. Kims are not descended from goldsmiths; the Silla royal house chose 金 as a prestigious character, possibly linked to the legend of a golden box in which the clan founder was found.
- One sound can have several meanings. The syllable 정 (Jung) covers 鄭 “state of Zheng”, 丁 “adult male” and 程 “measure” — three unrelated lineages. Every surname page on this site lists each Hanja separately.
- Most meanings are places or states, not objects. By far the largest group of Korean surnames is named for ancient Chinese states — Jung, Cho, Oh, Han, Song, Chae, Jin — because those were the surnames of the Chinese aristocracy that Korean elites emulated.
Koreans rarely think about surname meanings in daily life (nobody calls Mr Kim “Mr Gold”), but they matter in genealogy and in choosing given names, whose Hanja are traditionally selected to harmonise with the surname’s.
What the 20 most common Korean surnames mean
| # | Surname | Hangul | Hanja | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim | 김 | 金 | gold, metal |
| 2 | Lee | 이 | 李 | plum tree |
| 3 | Park | 박 | 朴 | gourd; simple, unadorned |
| 4 | Jung | 정 | 鄭 | the state of Zheng; solemn, proper |
| 5 | Choi | 최 | 崔 | high, lofty, towering |
| 6 | Cho | 조 | 趙 | the state of Zhao |
| 7 | Kang | 강 | 姜 | ginger |
| 8 | Jang | 장 | 張 | to draw a bow; archer |
| 9 | Yoon | 윤 | 尹 | governor |
| 10 | Lim | 임 | 林 | forest |
| 11 | Shin | 신 | 申 | to declare; the monkey of the zodiac |
| 12 | Yoo | 유 | 柳 | willow tree |
| 13 | Han | 한 | 韓 | Korea; the state of Han |
| 14 | Oh | 오 | 吳 | the state of Wu |
| 15 | Seo | 서 | 徐 | slow, calm, gentle |
| 16 | Jeon | 전 | 全 | whole, complete |
| 17 | Kwon | 권 | 權 | authority, power |
| 18 | Hwang | 황 | 黃 | yellow |
| 19 | Ahn | 안 | 安 | peace, tranquility |
| 20 | Song | 송 | 宋 | the Song dynasty; pine |
Korean surnames grouped by meaning
Every surname below links to its own page with all Hanja variants, clans and population. Where a surname has several Hanja, the one listed is the meaning that puts it in this group.
Gold, silver and jade
Precious materials — the meanings people most often ask about.
Water, rivers and the sea
Some of the oldest Korean surnames are named for water.
Mountains, stone and high places
Height and solidity — Choi and Ko are the big ones.
Trees, flowers and plants
Lee is a plum tree, Yoo and Ryu are willows, Lim is a forest.
Sky, light and brightness
The meanings closest to "moon" and "star" that exist as surnames.
Animals and creatures
Dragon, horse and fish — Yong, Ma and Eo.
Colours
White, yellow, vermilion and black.
Virtues and qualities
Peace, luck, honesty and warmth.
Power, royalty and rank
Kings, governors and authority.
Ancient Chinese states and dynasties
The single largest group — Jung, Cho, Oh, Han and Song are all named for states.
Objects, tools and weapons
Chariots, bows, seals and ink.
Family and people
Descendants, elders and husbands.
Directions and places
South, east, west gate, capital.
Dark, night and shade
The closest Korean surnames come to "dark" meanings — none means death.
Surnames that mean moon, star, love or death
These are the meanings people search for most, so it is worth being precise. No Korean surname means “moon” — Moon (문) is 文, “writing” or “culture”, a coincidence of English spelling. Star exists only as a minor Hanja of Sung (성, 星). Love does not exist as a surname meaning; the nearest is Ja (자, 慈, “compassion”) with 75 holders. Death is not a Korean surname meaning at all — the darkest real meanings are Hyun (玄, “dark”), Eum (陰, “shade”) and Ya (夜, “night”). If you are naming a character and want those meanings, they belong in the given name, where Byeol (별, star), Dal (달, moon) and Sarang (사랑, love) are all real pure-Korean given names.
Are any surnames pure Korean?
Almost none. Because surnames were adopted through Chinese characters, even the ones that describe Korean things use Hanja. The exceptions are a handful of characters coined in Korea: 朴 (Park) is a Korean creation for Silla’s founding legend, 曺 (one form of Cho) is a Korean variant of 曹, and 鴌 (Gwok, 궉) exists only in Korea. Pure-Korean words with no Hanja appear only in given names, and only since the 20th century.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Korean last name Kim mean?
Kim (김, 金) means gold or metal. It was the surname of the Silla and Gaya royal houses and is carried by 21.5% of South Koreans.
What does Lee mean in Korean?
Lee (이, 李) means plum tree. It was the surname of the Joseon dynasty’s royal family and is the second most common Korean surname.
What does Park mean in Korean?
Park (박, 朴) means gourd, and by extension “simple” or “unadorned”. It comes from the legend of Silla’s founder Hyeokgeose, who was born from a gourd-shaped egg.
Do Korean last names have meanings?
Yes — every Korean surname is written with a Hanja (Chinese character) that carries a meaning, most often an ancient Chinese state, a natural object, a colour or a virtue. Koreans do not usually think of the meaning in daily life.
Which Korean surname means moon?
None. Moon (문) is written 文 and means writing or culture. The Korean word for moon, 달 (dal), is used in given names, not surnames.