Our South Korean name database contains 7.911 South Korean first names and 1.095 South Korean surnames categorized by gender and frequency. After payment you can download the South Korean name database in CSV, SQL or JSON format and use it freely in your projects. Asia is not very well organised and only have a few open data initiatives. The list of names from countries like have a reasonable quality but are limited. The South Korean names are validated using official governmental databases we received in other countries which contained South Korean names as well. To create the South Korean name database we used 28.581 validated South Korean social media profiles. We have a detailed explanation of our methodology and illustrate our approach with several examples.
South Korean first names
In South Korea, parents typically pick a first name based on a combination of traditional and modern considerations. They may choose a name that has a special meaning or significance in Korean culture, such as a name that is related to nature or has a historical significance. They may also consider the name's compatibility with the child's surname and the sound of the name. Additionally, many parents also consider modern trends and popular names when choosing a first name for their child.
Popular South Korean male names
First name | Percentage*1 | Alternative countries*2 | |
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Lee | 1.2% |
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David | 1.1% |
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James | 1.0% |
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Daniel | 1.0% |
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John | 0.9% |
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Park | 0.9% |
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Jay | 0.9% |
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Jason | 0.8% |
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Michael | 0.7% |
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Jin | 0.7% |
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- *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 28.581 South Korean social media profiles from which 16.240 (57%) is male.
- *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.
Popular South Korean female names
First name | Percentage*1 | Alternative countries*2 | |
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Kim | 3.4% |
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Min | 1.1% |
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Young | 0.9% |
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Choi | 0.8% |
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Jung | 0.6% |
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Jessica | 0.6% |
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Hana | 0.5% |
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Jiyoung | 0.4% |
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Anna | 0.4% |
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Sarah | 0.4% |
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- *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 28.581 South Korean social media profiles from which 12.341 (43%) is female.
- *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.
Popular South Korean surnames
In South Korea, the surname comes first and the given name comes second when addressing someone. This is in line with traditional Confucian customs and is still widely used in formal and informal settings. The most common surnames in South Korea are Kim, Lee, and Park, which make up over half of the population's surnames.
Last name | Percentage*1 | Alternative countries*2 |
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Kim | 11.3% |
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Lee | 6.4% |
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Park | 4.7% |
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Choi | 2.3% |
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Jung | 1.6% |
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Kang | 1.2% |
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Cho | 1.1% |
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Shin | 1.0% |
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Han | 0.9% |
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Hwang | 0.9% |
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- *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 28.581 South Korean social media profiles.
- *2 Alternative countries are countries where this last name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.