How Korean names work
- 1Family name first. One syllable, picked by how common it really is. Kim, Lee and Park cover about 44.6% of Koreans (2015 census).
- 2Then a two-syllable given name. Each syllable can be written with a hanja character that carries a meaning, like 智 (wisdom) or 恩 (grace).
- 3Two English spellings. The passport spelling most families use (Kim) and the official Revised Romanization (Gim).
Your Korean name based on your birthday
Pick "From my birthday" and enter your date of birth. The last digit of your birth year picks the family name, the month picks the first syllable and the day picks the second. The same birthday always gives the same name, so you can share it with friends. It's for fun: real Korean parents choose names for meaning and sound, not by date.
Korean names for girls, with meanings
Syllables often used in girls' names, each with one common hanja. Combine two to make a given name, such as 서연 (Seo-yeon) or 하은 (Ha-eun).
| Syllable | Hanja | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 연 (yeon) | 姸 | beautiful |
| 아 (a) | 雅 | elegant |
| 혜 (hye) | 慧 | insight |
| 희 (hui) | 喜 | joy |
| 주 (ju) | 珠 | pearl |
| 경 (gyeong) | 景 | scenery |
| 나 (na) | 娜 | graceful |
| 린 (rin) | 璘 | jade glow |
| 채 (chae) | 彩 | color |
| 예 (ye) | 藝 | art |
| 다 (da) | 多 | many |
| 미 (mi) | 美 | beauty |
Korean names for boys, with meanings
Syllables often used in boys' names, such as 민준 (Min-jun) or 지훈 (Ji-hun).
| Syllable | Hanja | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 준 (jun) | 俊 | talented |
| 우 (u) | 宇 | universe |
| 도 (do) | 道 | the way |
| 호 (ho) | 浩 | vast |
| 성 (seong) | 成 | to achieve |
| 태 (tae) | 泰 | great, peaceful |
| 훈 (hun) | 勳 | merit |
| 혁 (hyeok) | 赫 | radiant |
| 석 (seok) | 碩 | great, learned |
| 건 (geon) | 健 | healthy |
| 빈 (bin) | 彬 | refined |
| 찬 (chan) | 燦 | shining |
Many syllables are used for anyone: 민 敏 (quick, clever), 서 瑞 (good omen), 지 智 (wisdom), 현 賢 (wise), 수 秀 (excellent), 윤 潤 (bright, rich), 은 恩 (grace), 진 眞 (true), 영 英 (brilliant), 하 夏 (summer), 원 元 (origin), 유 裕 (abundant), 재 才 (talent), 인 仁 (kindness), 정 貞 (faithful).
FAQ
What is my Korean name?
If you want a Korean version of your own name, use our name converter: Emily becomes 에밀리. If you want a new Korean-style name, generate one here, randomly or from your birthday.
Can I use it as my real Korean name?
For a class, a game or a story, yes. For a name you'll keep, ask a Korean friend too: some combinations sound old-fashioned or funny to native speakers.
Why do I see Kim so often?
Because it's realistic: about 1 in 5 Koreans is a Kim, and the generator picks family names by how common they are.
Is one hanja the only option for a syllable?
No. One sound can have many hanja (민 can be 敏 "clever" or 民 "people"). We show one common choice for each syllable.
More tools
Your name in Korean (Hangul)Korean age calculatorKorean zodiac sign