Korean Family Names:
Below you will find a complete list of Korean names along with the official English version and other common romanized spelling. (A special acknowledgment for my rather “unique” friend who spells his Korean name 김 – Khim). It is quite a list of Korean family names and most of you may find it surprisingly long.
It is more than likely that almost half the time your speak with a Korean you are talking with someone with the Korean family name Kim, Park or Lee. Actually, that is about right as almost half the Korean population is made up of those Korean names.
It is important to note that not all Kims, Lees, Parks and other Korean names come from the same ancestral line. However, be very careful if you set up two Koreans on a blind date. You might think how can this Kim and that Kim be related and for the most part you are right as most people with the same Korean name aren’t related. However, if they do have share the same Korean surname and are from the same hometown, well you might as well of set them up with their cousin. Yikes!
So remember that in Korea, both the family name and its birthplace, where the ancestor of the family originated, are used to distinguish one family name from the others. According to some research it looks like lesser known Korean family names are on the increase. OK, last side note, but did you know that the (Li, #1 in Canada) Lee was number 8 in Canada and number 22 in the US!
Below you will find a complete list of Korean names along with the official English version and other common romanized spelling. (A special acknowledgment for my rather “unique” friend who spells his Korean name 김 – Khim). It is quite a list of Korean family names and most of you may find it surprisingly long.
It is more than likely that almost half the time your speak with a Korean you are talking with someone with the Korean family name Kim, Park or Lee. Actually, that is about right as almost half the Korean population is made up of those Korean names.
It is important to note that not all Kims, Lees, Parks and other Korean names come from the same ancestral line. However, be very careful if you set up two Koreans on a blind date. You might think how can this Kim and that Kim be related and for the most part you are right as most people with the same Korean name aren’t related. However, if they do have share the same Korean surname and are from the same hometown, well you might as well of set them up with their cousin. Yikes!
So remember that in Korea, both the family name and its birthplace, where the ancestor of the family originated, are used to distinguish one family name from the others. According to some research it looks like lesser known Korean family names are on the increase. OK, last side note, but did you know that the (Li, #1 in Canada) Lee was number 8 in Canada and number 22 in the US!
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