![]() Shine - Based on the Chinese and Korean peninsula area.Kwak or Kwock - A name that means “the surrounding area.”.Cho or Joh - This last name is derived from Zhao, an ancient city in Shanxi province.Chew - A common name from the Zhu state.Like many other cultures, Koreans tended to take names that represented the region they were from or geographical attributes surrounding their homes. Like Japan, the Koreans had a warrior class centered around various martial arts styles. ![]() Korea has a rich and vibrant past involving warriors and nobility. Chu - Derived from the Chinese word Zhu which means vermillion or red.Natural colors like white, yellow, and natural unbleached colors also have great significance. Color in Korea is very significant, primarily what is referred to as Korean primary colors: white, blue, black, red, and yellow, which represent the elements. Many Korean surnames have their basis in colors. Jun - This name comes from the Chinese character for handsome.Gang - This common Korean surname comes from the Chinese word Jiang which means ginger.Chin - This name comes from the word "chen" which means ancient.Byun - Taken from the Chinese word Bian.As such, many Korean names are heavily influenced by the Chinese language. Korea lies very close to China, and as a result, the two nations have engaged in wars, cultural exchanges, and influences. During the Tang dynasty, Japan and Korea began adopting Chinese ideas of legal, political, and writing systems. The Tang Dynasty of China ran from 618-907 CE and is considered the epitome of ancient Chinese culture and civilization. ![]() Image: Hwaseong Fortress in Suwo, South Korea Chinese Influenced Korean Surnames When Japan occupied Korea in 1910, many adopted the surname of their master. Surnames were typically reserved for people of means therefore, many commoners did not have one. ![]() ![]() China has had such an influence on Koran culture that many Korean names use Chinese characters. Korean last names have been influenced by both Chinese and Japanese culture and their own rich history. Still, South Korean culture is slowly changing based on western influences, and younger generations are beginning to place their surname at the end.Īnother unique tradition is that Korean women typically don’t take their husband’s surname however, their children will have the same surname as their father. Naming culture in North Korea and South Korea has followed similar traditions for generations. So, for example, all the cousins of one generation may use the syllable Bak in front of their first name so you could have Bak Aera, Bak Jiah, and Bak Minji. The single syllable, also referred to as their Korean family name, precedes the individual's first name. Traditional Korean surnames involve using a single syllable to differentiate what generation the person is within the family. One in 10 Koreans are named Lee, and nearly half the population is named Kim, Lee, or Choi. Given that so many Korean people have one of three last names, you may wonder how many other last names the country has the answer is quite a few! In fact, in a population of a little more than 50 million, one in five are named Kim. The most common last name in South Korea is Kim. ![]()
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